Download clean, printable lists of the most common mistakes students make — so you can fix them before they cost marks.
Each sheet is aligned to its exam board and built from recurring student errors highlighted in examiner reports and mark schemes.
What you get
A topic-by-topic mistakes list with a “do this instead” fix and a quick self-check.
How to use it
Review before past papers, then use the quick checks to catch errors under timed conditions.
Why it works
Many marks are lost on predictable slips: rounding, sign errors, units, and misreading commands.
Coverage by topic
Preview (up to 5 per topic)
39 total rows in download
| Topic | Common mistake / misconception | Do this instead | Quick check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading (Paper 1) | Quoting long chunks without linking to the question’s focus. | Select short phrases; pair each with analysis of effect or meaning for that bullet. | Does every quote serve the exact question wording? |
| Reading (Paper 1) | Identifying techniques without explaining effect (feature-spotting). | Method + evidence + effect: what it suggests and why it matters here. | Would removing your ‘effect’ sentence lose the mark? |
| Reading (Paper 1) | Vague words like ‘good’, ‘effective’, ‘interesting’ instead of precise tone. | Use precise adjectives (e.g. desperate, threatening) and tie to reader feeling. | Could you swap your adjective into a non-fiction text and still be wrong? |
| Reading (Paper 1) | Ignoring implicit meaning when the question asks what we learn or infer. | Make inferences from word choice + context; use ‘this suggests… because…’. | Is there at least one explicit inference beyond paraphrase? |
| Summary (Paper 2) | Copying phrases from the text instead of paraphrasing within the word limit. | Own words where required; synonyms and subordinate clauses to compress ideas. | Count words — are you under the limit? |
| Summary (Paper 2) | Including irrelevant points that don’t match the bullet focus. | Highlight key sentences per bullet; discard extra detail. | Does each sentence map to a bullet? |
| Comparison (Paper 2) | Writing two separate mini-essays with no explicit comparison. | Use connectives (Similarly / In contrast); compare methods and attitudes directly. | Could you replace with ‘Text A … Text B …’ only? If yes, add links. |
| Comparison (Paper 2) | Only comparing content, not writers’ methods. | Compare language, structure, perspective — whichever the question prioritises. | Did you name at least one method per text? |
| Writers’ methods | Calling everything ‘metaphor’ when it is imagery or personification. | Name the exact device; explain why the writer chose it for this idea. | If you cover the label, does the analysis still hold? |
| Writers’ methods | Over-using ‘the reader feels’ without saying what the reader feels. | Specify emotion/response + evidence from the text. | Replace ‘reader feels’ with one precise emotion. |
| Structure | Ignoring sentence length / one-line paragraph for emphasis. | Comment on how focus shifts, pace changes, or climax builds. | Did you mention where in the extract (start/mid/end)? |
| Structure | Saying ‘short sentences create tension’ without linking to moment. | Tie tense moments to grammar: fragments after buildup, dialogue breaks, etc. | Does your reason match what happens in that line? |
| Paper 1 Section A timing | Spending too long on Q1–2 and rushing the longer question. | Allocate time by marks; move on when you have secure evidence. | Did you leave ~35–40+ minutes for Q5? |
| Paper 2 timing | Forgetting to leave time for the longer question after reading inserts. | Skim first for gist; reread for detail when answering. | Have you planned Q5 before writing? |
| AQA command words | ‘Explain’ answered with list of quotations only. | Give a reasoned chain: point → evidence → explanation of how it works. | Could a reader follow your logic line by line? |
| Spelling & clarity | Ambiguous pronouns (‘they’, ‘it’) so examiner loses thread. | Repeat a short noun phrase for clarity (the writer / the father / the storm). | Highlight every ‘it’ — is the referent obvious? |
| Writing (Paper 1 Q5) | Genre mismatch (speech written like a story with no direct address). | Match genre markers: speech → direct address, opinions, rhetoric; letter → address/sign-off. | Did you open in character/voice required? |
| Writing (Paper 1 Q5) | Description that is a list of adjectives with no sensory focus. | Layer concrete nouns + verbs + one controlled image; vary sentences. | Can the reader picture one snapshot? |
| Writing (Paper 1 Q5) | Narrative with no clear conflict or turning point. | Plan a moment of change; show before/after in paragraphs. | If asked for structure, can you name orientation/turn/resolution? |
| Writing (Paper 2 Q5) | Argument with assertions and no developed reasons. | PEEL: point, evidence/example, explanation, link to viewpoint. | Are counterpoints acknowledged if the prompt implies balance? |
| Writing (Paper 2 Q5) | Informal slang in a formal letter or article. | Match register to audience: formal tone, full sentences, controlled emotion. | Would a headteacher accept this tone? |
| Writing (Paper 2 Q5) | Ignoring rhetorical devices required by a speech or article task. | Use anaphora, triplets, rhetorical questions sparingly — always purposeful. | Does each device strengthen the argument? |
| Technical accuracy | Comma splices — joining two complete ideas with only a comma. | Use full stop, semicolon, or linking conjunction (because, although). | Read each clause — could it stand alone as a sentence? |
| Technical accuracy | Run-on sentences losing clarity for AO6. | Average 2–3 sentences per idea; check one sentence one main clause. | Read aloud — do you run out of breath? |
| Technical accuracy | Inconsistent tense in narrative (slipping from past to present). | Choose past or present; stick to it except for flashbacks (then clarify). | Circle verbs in one paragraph — same tense? |
| Evidence selection | Describing what happens plot-wise without language analysis. | Ground claims in words/phrases — then analyse. | Is there a quote or paraphrase next to each point? |
| Evidence selection | Cherry-picking lines that don’t match the question keyword. | Underline the key word in the question; map 3–5 quotes to it. | Could a sceptical examiner say ‘that doesn’t answer the question’? |
| Inference | Stating opinion as fact (no support). | Use tentative language where inference: ‘suggests’, ‘implies’, ‘could indicate’. | Could someone disagree? If yes, anchor with text. |
| Vocabulary analysis | Defining words instead of analysing connotation. | Link denotation → connotation → effect on tone/character. | Did you move beyond dictionary definition? |
| Perspective / viewpoint | Mixing narrator and character voice in analysis without labelling. | Say who perceives (narrator / character) first-person vs third-person. | Is it clear whose thoughts you discuss? |
| Writers’ purposes | Generic purpose (‘to entertain’) for serious topics. | Match purpose to text type: persuade, inform, challenge assumptions, describe. | Does your purpose fit the headline and tone? |
| Re-reading | Answering from memory of practice papers instead of this insert. | Always ground answers in the provided extract lines. | Could you point to a line number for each paragraph? |
| Marks per minute | Writing more than needed for low-mark questions. | Match bullet count and lines provided — don’t overdevelop Q1. | Are you roughly one short paragraph per mark? |
| Planning | Starting writing Q5 with no plan so structure is weak. | Spend 5 minutes: intro road-map, 3–4 body ideas, ending. | Can you state your main argument in one sentence? |
| AO6 spelling | Spelling key subject words wrong throughout (credibility hit). | Master high-frequency exam words and character names from the extract. | Did you check proper nouns against the text? |
| AQA style | Paragraphs with no topic sentences. | Topic sentence → development → mini-link to question. | Does each paragraph answer a part of the question? |
| Synthesis | When sources disagree, picking only one side. | Acknowledge tension; explain which is more convincing and why. | Have you named both perspectives? |
| Evaluation (writing) | Conclusion that repeats introduction without development. | Synthesise strongest reasons + a final persuasive sentence. | Does the conclusion add something new (resolution)? |
| Exam technique | Not numbering or labelling parts when the paper asks for bullet points. | Mirror the paper’s layout: bullets if requested, lines if lines allocated. | Did you follow the exact bullet structure? |
A topic-style checklist of typical slips in reading inference, language/structure comments, summary discipline and timed writing.
No — use it alongside past papers. Command words, timings and number of texts can change; always follow the latest AQA specimen materials and examiner reports.