Cambridge International AS Level Grade Descriptions for Cambridge International AS Level Literature in English 9695 - What are Grade Descriptions?

Oct 23, 2026

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Cambridge International AS Level Literature in English 9695 provides grade descriptions that define typical performance for grades ‘E’, ‘C’, and ‘A’. It explains how these descriptors relate to examination standards and sit alongside supporting documents such as the syllabus, specimen assessment materials, and grade thresholds. The resource guides teachers, students, and admissions staff by outlining knowledge, understanding, skills, context appreciation, and stylistic methods, presented as a grid for interpreting candidate achievement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

What are Grade Descriptions?

How do I use this resource?

Grade Descriptions

Area-by-area typical performance (E, C, A)

Cambridge International AS Level Grade Descriptions for Cambridge International AS Level Literature in English 9695 What are Grade Descriptions? Grade descriptions describe the level of performance typically demonstrated by candidates achieving the different grades awarded for a qualification. For Cambridge International AS Levels, they describe performance at three levels – grades ‘e’, ‘c’ and ‘a’. Grade descriptions sit alongside other key documents that illustrate examination standards, including: • the syllabus, which presents what students should be taught over a course of study and explains how this is assessed • the specimen assessment materials, which exemplify the structure of the assessment and the kinds of tasks that candidates complete • grade thresholds, which show the total mark required to achieve a grade. Grade descriptions are produced with a wide range of audiences in mind. For teachers, they support lesson planning and curriculum development, while students may gain useful insights into what is required to achieve a high grade and what candidate performance at lower grades typically looks like. For university admissions staff and employers, and those less familiar with Cambridge, they paint a picture of typical performance at different grades. Cambridge publishes grade descriptions for a qualification once examinations have taken place for the first time and we review them when a qualification is substantially revised. They are developed by highly experienced examiners who understand performance standards in the subject area and have studied samples of candidate work. How do I use this resource? Grade descriptions are presented as a grid, with content areas atthe start of each row and the different grades at the top of each column. The content areas group together various aspects of the syllabus – they reflect topics, assessment objectives, key concepts, syllabus aims and/or components. The way they are organised is specific to each subject. For each content area there is a descriptor for each grade. Reading across the row from left to right, the descriptors represent increasing levels of performance, with each grade descriptor building on, and including, the last. Each column represents overall performance at a particular grade. Reading down the column from top to bottom, the descriptors capture the range of knowledge, understanding and skills that a candidate comfortably achieving the grade is likely to demonstrate. Cambridge produces grade descriptions to support teaching and learning and the interpretation of candidate scores and grades. We do not use them to set grade thresholds. As such, they cannot be used to challenge the grade awarded to any individual candidate. Grade Descriptions | Area of knowledge,
understanding and skills | Typical performance at grade E | Typical performance at grade C | Typical performance at grade A | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | Knowledge and understanding of literary texts | Students draw on essential knowledge and understanding of the texts they have studied to address a question. They are starting to use references and quotations to support their ideas, though this may be inconsistent. | Students select some relevant knowledge and understanding of literary texts to address a question. They use some appropriate references and quotations to support their ideas. | Students select from thorough knowledge and understanding of literary texts to address a question. They use specific references and quotations confidently to support their ideas. | | | | | | | Appreciation of relevant contexts | Students may demonstrate a little knowledge of wider contexts which may be relevant to a question.
They may recognise an episode’s place in the wider text, or show awareness of the geographical setting or the time of the text’s composition. | Students demonstrate some clear awareness of wider contexts which are relevant to a questio

FAQs

What do grade descriptions for Cambridge International AS Levels explain?

They describe the level of performance typically demonstrated by candidates who achieve the different grades for a qualification. For Cambridge International AS Levels, they cover performance at grades ‘e’, ‘c’ and ‘a’.

Which other documents do grade descriptions work alongside?

Grade descriptions sit alongside the syllabus, specimen assessment materials, and grade thresholds, which show the total marks required to achieve a grade.

How should candidates or teachers use this resource to interpret grades?

Use the grid layout: read across each content-area row from left to right to see increasing performance by grade, and read down each grade column to see the range of knowledge, understanding and skills likely to be demonstrated.

Oct 23, 2026

Upload by ahduag