Examiner Analysis: What GCSE Examiners REALLY Want to See in your Power & Conflict Poetry Essay

Hi there,

I hope you are having a great week and if you’re on Easter break, I hope your revision is going well! I wanted to talk about Power & Conflict poetry and more specifically – what examiners WANT to see in your GCSE Essays.. especially if you’re having assessments or your final GCSE Exams on this poetry anthology! 😊

PS: I put together a MINDMAP of the ONLY context you need for all 15 Power & Conflict poems – in 11 minutes I basically will summarise everything you need to remember for all 15 poems. I’ll be releasing this video on Thursday this week on YouTube:

Thanks Barbara – but tell me, what do examiners WANT in my essays?

I’m glad you asked! 😃 I’m going to break down exactly what your examiners want in your poetry exams. So firstly, remember when you’re practicing for this exam, remember this is EXACTLY what your examiners will award you marks for:

Assessment objectives (AOs):

1. AO1: 22.5% marks (answer the question and use relevant quotes)

2. AO2: 27.5% marks (terminology)

3. AO3: 7.5% marks (context)

4. AO4: 2.5% marks (SPAG and ambitious vocabulary)

When they are marking your essays, these are the 5 things they will ALWAYS look for in your exams – make sure your essays ALWAYS include them!

1) Do you understand the question? (A01)

You must directly address the ideas in your GCSE Exam question, don’t just talk about the poems or describe them. Always link your points back to the question

2) Can you compare the poems you’re writing about? (A01)

In Power & Conflict – you must always compare two poems. Have a good comparison structure – don’t write 1 paragraph about 1 poem, then another paragraph about another. Integrate them in each paragraph and mention similarities and differences!

PS: I’ll be going over this in my upcoming Power & Conflict GCSE Masterclass during EASTER on 9 April:

 

3) Do you keep your quotes PRECISE? (A01)

Keep the 2 poems’ quotes that you use in your essays precise – don’t overquote!

4) Do you include Language, Structure & Form? (A02)

Examiners LOVE when you comment on techniques! Analyse effect, context and mention the two poets’ message.

5) Is your spelling accurate and do you add context? (A03 & A04)

Make sure you talk about context and poets’ purpose!

When you’re practicing Power & Conflict essays over half term – make sure you pay attention to this – especially if you’re aiming high for your final GCSE Literature exams.

And of course, I’ll be going over how to boost your GCSE Grades in Power & Conflict over Easter – I hope you can join this one-off 2026 Exams GCSE Revision special!

SIGN UP HERE

Happy revision,

Barbara 😊