RCF Practice Questions and Model Answers
Every task here was written for this site. Work each one to time, then read the model answer - not before.
Unofficial original RCF practice material
Every source, question and answer on this page and the pages it links to was written by RCF English. They are not AQA questions or AQA sources, and no AQA mark scheme wording is reproduced. RCF English is not affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.
AQA's own specimen papers, mark schemes and examiner reports are linked on the papers page and are the authoritative guide to the standard.
Where the practice lives. Rather than collect every task on one page, each question's practice sits beside its teaching, so you can read the method and then use it immediately. This page is the index.
Practice by question
| Question | Marks | What the practice gives you | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Q1-Q4 | 4, 8, 8, 20 | An original fiction extract, a worked example for each question, and practice tasks with indicative content | Paper 1 question by question |
| Paper 1 Q5 | 40 | A full original model answer for a narrative opening, with the reasoning explained | Creative writing |
| Paper 2 Q1-Q4 | 4, 8, 12, 16 | Two original linked sources, a worked example for each question, and practice tasks | Paper 2 question by question |
| Paper 2 Q5 | 40 | A full original model article with the reasoning explained, and a practice speech task | Viewpoint writing |
| Language analysis | 8 and 12 | The same quotation answered at three levels, so you can see what separates the bands | Language analysis |
| Comparison | 16 | A full worked comparison across two sources, with the weighing sentences marked | Comparing viewpoints |
| A whole paper | 80 | A complete original paper in the Paper 1 format, with a marking guide | RCF Model Paper 1 |
How to use a practice question properly
Time it, even when it is short
A 10-minute question answered in 25 minutes tells you nothing about what you can do in the examination. Set a timer and stop when it goes.
Do not read the model answer first
Reading a model answer before attempting the question feels like learning and is not. You will recognise the moves without being able to make them.
Mark against the moves, not the content
Your answer will not match the model, and it should not. Ask instead: did I quote briefly, name an effect, and develop past the explanation? Those are the transferable parts.
Redo one paragraph
Not the whole answer - one paragraph, rewritten with the missing move added. Ten minutes of that is worth more than a second full attempt.
A self-marking checklist that works for any reading answer
- Did I answer from the lines or the source the question named?
- Is every quotation short enough to sit inside my own sentence?
- Have I named an effect on the reader for each one?
- Have I developed at least one point past the explanation?
- Could any paragraph of mine have been written about a different text? If so, it is too general.
- Did I finish within the time the marks deserve?
Related pages
RCF Model Paper 1
A complete original practice paper.
Official AQA papers
Specimen papers, mark schemes and examiner reports.
Common mistakes
What to check for when you mark your own work.