English Literature Specification - Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE - Issue 8

Oct 20, 2026

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Specification for Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in English Literature (8ET0), including first teaching from September 2015 and first certification from 2016. Issue 8 summarizes changes to prescribed texts for Paper 1 Section B Drama and Paper 2 Prose, covering removals and additions with related content labels adjustments. It also outlines the qualification’s purpose, objectives, required prior knowledge, assessed knowledge, and methods of assessment, plus an overview of Pearson’s qualification development principles.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Summary of Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in English Literature specification Issue 8 changes

Paper 1 Section B Drama

Paper 2 Prose

Introduction

Purpose of the specification

AS English Literature Speciﬁcation Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in English Literature (8ET0) First teaching from September 2015 First certiﬁcation from 2016 Issue 8 About Pearson We are the world’s leading learning company operating in countries all around the world. We provide content, assessment and digital services to learners, educational institutions, employers, governments and other partners globally. We are committed to helping equip learners with the skills they need to enhance their employability prospects and to succeed in the changing world of work. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people. References to third party materials made in this specification are made in good faith. Pearson does not endorse, approve or accept responsibility for the content of materials, which may be subject to change, or any opinions expressed therein.(Materials may include textbooks, journals, magazines and other publications and websites.) All information in this specification is correct at time of publication. Original origami artwork: Mark Bolitho Origami photography: Pearson Education Ltd/Naki Kouyioumtzis ISBN 978 1 446 94475 2 All the material in this publication is copyright © Pearson Education Limited 2023 Summary of Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in English Literature specification Issue 8 changes | Summary of changes made between previous issue and this current issue | Page number | | --- | --- | | We have made the following changes to some of the prescribed texts – these changes are for first teaching from September 2022 and first assessment in Summer 2023. | | | Paper 1 Section B Drama
We have removed the following texts:
● The Home Place, Brian Friel
● The Pitman Painters, Lee Hall These two new texts have been added:
● Les Blancs, Lorraine Hansberry
● Sweat, Lynn Nottage
We have removed the tragedy/comedy labels for the drama texts . | 2 and 6 | | Paper 2 Prose
We have removed the following post-1900 texts:
● A Passage to India, E M Forster (Colonisation and its Aftermath)
● The Murder Rooms, P D James (Crime and Detection) These two new post-1900 texts have been added:
● Home Fire, Kamila Shamsie (Colonisation and its Aftermath)
● The Cutting Season, Attica Locke (Crime and Detection) | 3 and 8 | If you need further information on these changes or what they mean, contact us via our website at: [qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/contact-us.html](qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/contact-us.html). From Pearson’s Expert Panel for World Class Qualifications May 2014 “The reform of the qualifications system in England is a profoundly important change to the education system . Teachers need to know that the new qualifications will assist them in helping their learners make progress in their lives . When these changes were first proposed we were approached by Pearson to join an‘Expert Panel’ that would advise them on the development of the new qualifications. We were chosen, either because of our expertise in the UK education system, or because of our experience in reforming qualifications in other systems around the world as diverse as Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and a number of countries across Europe. We have guided Pearson through what we judge to be a rigorous qualification development process that has included: ● extensive international comparability of subject content against the highestperforming jurisdictions in the world ● benchmarking assessments against UK and overseas providers to ensure that they are at the right level of demand ● establishing External Subject Advisory Groups, drawing on independent subjectspecific expertise to challenge and validate our qualifications ● subjecting the final qualifications to scrutiny against the DfE content and Ofqual accreditation criteria in advance of submission . Importantly, we have worked to ensure that the content and learnin

FAQs

What does Issue 8 change in the prescribed texts?

Issue 8 updates the prescribed texts for Paper 1 Section B Drama and Paper 2 Prose by removing specific texts and adding new ones, with related adjustments such as removing tragedy/comedy labels for drama texts.

Which exam papers are affected by the listed changes?

The document specifies changes for Paper 1 Section B Drama and Paper 2 Prose, including which texts were removed and which were added.

What is the purpose of this English Literature specification?

It sets out the qualification objectives, prerequisites and prior knowledge, what knowledge and understanding will be assessed, and the method of assessment with associated requirements and criteria.

Oct 20, 2026

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