A-level Drama and Theatre notes and
guidance: NEA 2022
As a result of the changes to specifications for 2022, we’ve produced this notes and
guidance document to help you to understand how the marking criteria will be
different this year.
All changes to mark schemes appear in red and content that has been removed has
been struck through. Further guidance is provided in the footnotes.
The Appendices contain further information regarding alternative evidence, guidance
on devising monologues, instructions on how to scale up marks on the Devised
performance and frequently asked questions.
,Component 2 - Devised performance (section 4.5.1 of the specification)
1
Mark Level of theatrical skill Consonance of devised piece with
Inventiveness and originality
Success in realising/explaining individual artistic
3
dramatic intentions and methods
of individual’s work intention
2
of the chosen practitioner
5 Exceptional command Exceptional consonance Exceptionally inventive Exceptional success in realising/explaining
of skillset, demonstrating between devised piece and and original work. individual artistic intention in a completely
faultless execution. dramatic intentions and methods sustained way, engaging the audience 4 fully
of the chosen practitioner. throughout the performance.
4 Excellent command of High degree of compatibility Highly inventive and Highly successful in realising/explaining
skillset, demonstrating between the devised piece and original work. individual artistic intention in a well-sustained
near perfect execution. dramatic intentions and methods way, engaging the audience throughout the
of the chosen practitioner. performance.
3 Good command of skill- Devised piece has many Work has many inventive Largely successful in realising/explaining
set, demonstrating qualities reflective of the and original qualities or individual artistic intention in a mostly focused
competent execution. dramatic intentions and methods moments. way, engaging the audience for most of the
of the chosen practitioner. performance.
1
Regarding the ‘Level of theatrical skill’ column of the mark scheme, students and teachers are directed to Appendix A, which details the full list of alternative
evidence that should be used in the place of a live performance to demonstrate students’ theatrical skills.
2
We have removed the ‘Consonance of devised piece with dramatic intentions and methods of the chosen practitioner’ column from the mark scheme. Students will
still need to apply a practitioner to the Performance as this will still be assessed in the working notebook. However, due to the possibility of much shorter
performance lengths than usual and the potential difficultly of evidencing some practitioner’s dramatic intentions and methods in very short performances, this will
not be assessed in performance in 2021. Teachers will therefore mark the Devised performance out of 15 and, using the scaling grid in Appendix D, convert this
mark into a mark out of 20.
3
Regarding the ‘Success in realising individual artistic intention’ column of the mark scheme, students and teachers are directed to Appendix A, which details the full
list of alternative evidence that should be used in the place of a live performance to demonstrate students’ artistic intentions.
4
For students submitting alternative evidence, the term ‘audience’ can include someone at home, other students, teachers or the person assessing the work.
© AQA 2021 2 of17
, 2 Reasonable command Some compatibility between the Reasonably inventive and Reasonable success in realising/explaining
of skillset, demonstrating dramatic intentions and methods original ideas, individual artistic intention, engaging the
mainly secure execution. of the chosen practitioner and demonstrating developing audience at a number of points during the
devised piece. skills in this area. performance.
1 Limited command of Limited compatibility between Limited invention and Limited realisation/explanation of individual
skill-set, demonstrating devised piece and dramatic originality. artistic intention, rarely engaging the audience.
insecure execution. intentions and methods of the
chosen practitioner.
0 Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit.
NB. We are aware that there may be some cases where students’ monologues do not match the content in the working notebook because they
created full pieces last year but never performed them, despite completing the working notebook. In such cases students should include a short
paragraph at the end of the working notebook explaining the reasons for the differences and how/why they changed and altered their practical work.
© AQA 2021 3 of17
guidance: NEA 2022
As a result of the changes to specifications for 2022, we’ve produced this notes and
guidance document to help you to understand how the marking criteria will be
different this year.
All changes to mark schemes appear in red and content that has been removed has
been struck through. Further guidance is provided in the footnotes.
The Appendices contain further information regarding alternative evidence, guidance
on devising monologues, instructions on how to scale up marks on the Devised
performance and frequently asked questions.
,Component 2 - Devised performance (section 4.5.1 of the specification)
1
Mark Level of theatrical skill Consonance of devised piece with
Inventiveness and originality
Success in realising/explaining individual artistic
3
dramatic intentions and methods
of individual’s work intention
2
of the chosen practitioner
5 Exceptional command Exceptional consonance Exceptionally inventive Exceptional success in realising/explaining
of skillset, demonstrating between devised piece and and original work. individual artistic intention in a completely
faultless execution. dramatic intentions and methods sustained way, engaging the audience 4 fully
of the chosen practitioner. throughout the performance.
4 Excellent command of High degree of compatibility Highly inventive and Highly successful in realising/explaining
skillset, demonstrating between the devised piece and original work. individual artistic intention in a well-sustained
near perfect execution. dramatic intentions and methods way, engaging the audience throughout the
of the chosen practitioner. performance.
3 Good command of skill- Devised piece has many Work has many inventive Largely successful in realising/explaining
set, demonstrating qualities reflective of the and original qualities or individual artistic intention in a mostly focused
competent execution. dramatic intentions and methods moments. way, engaging the audience for most of the
of the chosen practitioner. performance.
1
Regarding the ‘Level of theatrical skill’ column of the mark scheme, students and teachers are directed to Appendix A, which details the full list of alternative
evidence that should be used in the place of a live performance to demonstrate students’ theatrical skills.
2
We have removed the ‘Consonance of devised piece with dramatic intentions and methods of the chosen practitioner’ column from the mark scheme. Students will
still need to apply a practitioner to the Performance as this will still be assessed in the working notebook. However, due to the possibility of much shorter
performance lengths than usual and the potential difficultly of evidencing some practitioner’s dramatic intentions and methods in very short performances, this will
not be assessed in performance in 2021. Teachers will therefore mark the Devised performance out of 15 and, using the scaling grid in Appendix D, convert this
mark into a mark out of 20.
3
Regarding the ‘Success in realising individual artistic intention’ column of the mark scheme, students and teachers are directed to Appendix A, which details the full
list of alternative evidence that should be used in the place of a live performance to demonstrate students’ artistic intentions.
4
For students submitting alternative evidence, the term ‘audience’ can include someone at home, other students, teachers or the person assessing the work.
© AQA 2021 2 of17
, 2 Reasonable command Some compatibility between the Reasonably inventive and Reasonable success in realising/explaining
of skillset, demonstrating dramatic intentions and methods original ideas, individual artistic intention, engaging the
mainly secure execution. of the chosen practitioner and demonstrating developing audience at a number of points during the
devised piece. skills in this area. performance.
1 Limited command of Limited compatibility between Limited invention and Limited realisation/explanation of individual
skill-set, demonstrating devised piece and dramatic originality. artistic intention, rarely engaging the audience.
insecure execution. intentions and methods of the
chosen practitioner.
0 Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit. Nothing worthy of credit.
NB. We are aware that there may be some cases where students’ monologues do not match the content in the working notebook because they
created full pieces last year but never performed them, despite completing the working notebook. In such cases students should include a short
paragraph at the end of the working notebook explaining the reasons for the differences and how/why they changed and altered their practical work.
© AQA 2021 3 of17
