Track every paper-by-paper skill area from the official Cambridge 9695 syllabus. AS Level focuses on Papers 1 & 2 (Drama, Poetry, Prose, Unseen); A Level adds Papers 3 & 4 (Shakespeare, Drama, Pre-1900 and Post-1900 Poetry & Prose). Set texts change each year — this checklist covers transferable analytical and exam-technique skills.
0
confident (4–5)
0
need work (1–3)
45
not started
| Topic | Sub-Topic | Resources | Assessments | Confidence (1–5) | Last Reviewed | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Dramatic conventions: dialogue, stage directions, dramatic irony | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Character analysis and characterisation techniques | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Plot, structure and dramatic tension | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Themes, motifs and symbolism in drama | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. Drama (Paper 1, Section A) | Performance, audience response and staging | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Form, structure and stanza patterns | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Imagery, metaphor and figurative language | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Sound: rhythm, metre, rhyme and sound devices | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Tone, voice and speaker / persona | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. Poetry (Paper 1, Section B) | Themes and emotional / philosophical concerns | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Narrative voice and point of view | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Plot structure, pacing and chronology | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Character development and motivation | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Setting, atmosphere and context | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. Prose (Paper 2, Section A) | Themes, ideas and authorial intent | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Identifying form, genre and conventions in an unseen extract | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Close-reading methods: language, imagery, structure | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Forming a personal response under timed conditions | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. Unseen text analysis (Paper 2, Section B) | Structuring an unseen analytical essay | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Literary terminology: alliteration, enjambment, soliloquy, irony, etc. | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Quoting and integrating textual evidence | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Essay structure: introduction, argument, conclusion | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Time management and planning for 50-mark essays | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 5. Critical reading and exam technique (AS Level) | Common pitfalls: descriptive vs analytical writing | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| ↓ A Level content begins. Papers 3 & 4 build on AS Level skills. AO5 (Evaluation of opinion) is only assessed at A Level. | ||||||
| A Level6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Shakespearean language, verse and prose | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Dramatic structure, sub-plots and acts | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Historical, social and theatrical context (Elizabethan / Jacobean) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Character archetypes and Shakespearean themes | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 6. Shakespeare (Paper 3, Section A) | Critical interpretations and performance history | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A Level7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Genre conventions across tragedy, comedy and modern drama | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Form and structure in non-Shakespearean drama | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Context: cultural, political and biographical | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Drama at A Level (Paper 3, Section B) | Comparison of dramatic techniques across texts | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A Level8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Conventions of pre-1900 poetic forms (sonnet, ode, ballad, elegy) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Historical context: Romanticism, Victorian poetry, religious / pastoral traditions | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Language and imagery in older verse | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 8. Pre-1900 Poetry (Paper 4, Section A) | Themes: nature, mortality, faith, social commentary | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A Level9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Modernism, post-modernism and contemporary movements | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Innovative form and experimental structure | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Voice, identity and political / social context | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 9. Post-1900 Poetry and Prose (Paper 4, Section B) | Comparing poetry and prose responses | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A Level10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Engaging with critical theory and other readings | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Evaluating multiple interpretations of a text | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Constructing a sustained, evaluative argument | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 10. Critical interpretation and evaluation (AO5, A Level) | Avoiding 'name-dropping' — integrating critics meaningfully | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
Use with our Past Paper Finder for Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 past papers and mark schemes. Always cross-check your set texts for the relevant exam year against the latest 9695 syllabus PDF.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. It is aligned to the AS & A Level tier expectations. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
12–16 weeks of focused revision, working through one topic group per week with weekly past-paper practice, is a realistic target for most A Level students. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 Cambridge A Level Literature in English 9695 specification published by Cambridge. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.