Pearson
Edexcel
Mark Scheme (Results)
Summer 2023
Pearson Edexcel GCE Advanced Subsidiary
In English Language and Literature (8EL0)
Paper 02: Varieties in Language and Literature
1
,Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere
Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help
everyone progress in their lives through education.
2
,General Marking Guidance
All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must
mark the last candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the
first.
Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be
rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than
penalised for omissions.
Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme – not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries may
lie.
All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the
answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be
prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response is not
worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide
the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification/indicative content will not be exhaustive.
When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, a senior examiner must
be consulted before a mark is given.
Crossed out work should be marked unless the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.
3
, Marking guidance – specific
The marking grids have been designed to assess student work
holistically. The grids identify which Assessment Objective is being targeted by
each bullet point within the level descriptors. One bullet point is linked to
one Assessment Objective, however please note that the number of
bullet points in the level descriptor does not directly correlate to the
number of marks in the level descriptor.
When deciding how to reward an answer, examiners should consult both
the indicative content and the associated marking grid(s). When using a
levels-based mark scheme, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.
Examiners should first decide which descriptor most closely matches the
answer and place it in that level.
The mark awarded within the level will be decided based on the
quality of the answer and will be modified according to how securely
all bullet points are displayed at that level.
Indicative content is exactly that – they are factual points that candidates
are likely to use to construct their answer.
It is possible for an answer to be constructed without mentioning
some or all of these points, as long as they provide alternative
responses to the indicative content that fulfils the requirements of
the question. It is the examiner’s responsibility to apply their
professional judgement to the candidate’s response in determining if
the answer fulfils the requirements of the question.
4
Edexcel
Mark Scheme (Results)
Summer 2023
Pearson Edexcel GCE Advanced Subsidiary
In English Language and Literature (8EL0)
Paper 02: Varieties in Language and Literature
1
,Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere
Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help
everyone progress in their lives through education.
2
,General Marking Guidance
All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must
mark the last candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the
first.
Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be
rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than
penalised for omissions.
Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme – not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries may
lie.
All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the
answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be
prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response is not
worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide
the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification/indicative content will not be exhaustive.
When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, a senior examiner must
be consulted before a mark is given.
Crossed out work should be marked unless the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.
3
, Marking guidance – specific
The marking grids have been designed to assess student work
holistically. The grids identify which Assessment Objective is being targeted by
each bullet point within the level descriptors. One bullet point is linked to
one Assessment Objective, however please note that the number of
bullet points in the level descriptor does not directly correlate to the
number of marks in the level descriptor.
When deciding how to reward an answer, examiners should consult both
the indicative content and the associated marking grid(s). When using a
levels-based mark scheme, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.
Examiners should first decide which descriptor most closely matches the
answer and place it in that level.
The mark awarded within the level will be decided based on the
quality of the answer and will be modified according to how securely
all bullet points are displayed at that level.
Indicative content is exactly that – they are factual points that candidates
are likely to use to construct their answer.
It is possible for an answer to be constructed without mentioning
some or all of these points, as long as they provide alternative
responses to the indicative content that fulfils the requirements of
the question. It is the examiner’s responsibility to apply their
professional judgement to the candidate’s response in determining if
the answer fulfils the requirements of the question.
4
