Assessment

The two objectives

• AO2 (15): analysis of language, form and structure creating meanings and effects. The examiners’ standing warnings: no credit for summary or paraphrase, and ‘it is not sufficient simply to list literary devices’. Device-spotting is labelling; effect is analysis.
• AO3 (15): links and connections between the two poems, sustained through the answer. The discriminator is integration: both poems held in single sentences and paragraphs, not treated in sequence.

The five levels, in practical terms

Paraphrased for planning purposes; always mark against the current published grid from Pearson.

Level	Marks	What it looks like
1	1–6	Simple response; minimal identification of method; little or no comparison; limited examples.
2	7–12	Largely descriptive with some comment on method; comparison attempted but undeveloped or unbalanced.
3	13–18	Sound analysis of language with some form/structure; clear, relevant comparison, though often sequential; relevant examples.
4	19–24	Thorough analysis across language, form and structure; comparison sustained and mostly integrated; well-chosen examples from both poems in balance.
5	25–30	Assured, perceptive analysis; comparison integrated at sentence level; discriminating examples; a conclusion that weighs the poems rather than repeating.

Marking with the desk

The marking desk gives annotations, never marks: it challenges device-spotting, checks for integrated comparison connectives, and pushes analysis to effect. Suggested routine: timed answer in class, desk annotation for homework, redraft in a different colour, teacher marks the redraft against the grid. Your level judgements stay yours; the desk does the first-pass reading.