2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0 and Mark Scheme Combined (1EN2/02: Contemporary Texts)
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2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0 and Mark Scheme Combined (1EN2/02: Contemporary Texts)
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2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0 and Mark Scheme Combined (1EN2/02: Contemporary Texts)

Paper 2 is the Contemporary Texts and Transactional Writing component of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE English Language 2.0 qualification (1EN2/02). This paper assesses students’ ability to read, analyse, and evaluate modern, non-fiction texts, and to produce clear, structured transactional writing for a specific purpose and audience.

Paper 2 contributes 50% of the total GCSE English Language 2.0 grade and combines reading comprehension with writing skills.


What the Paper Covers

Paper 2 focuses on the following areas:

📖 Reading Contemporary Texts

  • Understanding and interpreting a variety of modern non-fiction texts (articles, blogs, reports, speeches, leaflets)

  • Analysing language, structure, and presentation to understand meaning, viewpoint, and effect

  • Comparing ideas, perspectives, and rhetorical techniques across multiple texts

✍️ Transactional Writing

  • Producing structured writing for a defined purpose and audience (letters, articles, reports, speeches, reviews)

  • Planning and organising ideas logically

  • Using appropriate tone, style, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation

🧠 Critical Thinking

  • Making inferences and deductions from the text

  • Identifying bias, tone, and persuasive techniques

  • Evaluating how writers achieve impact on the reader


Structure of the Paper

  • Section A – Reading:

    • Comprehension and analysis of one or more contemporary texts

    • Questions assessing retrieval, inference, language analysis, structure, and comparison

  • Section B – Writing:

    • Transactional writing tasks requiring clear, coherent, and audience-focused responses

The paper assesses the following skills:

  • AO1 – Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information

  • AO2 – Analyse language, structure, and presentation

  • AO3 – Compare texts, evaluate viewpoints, and analyse effectiveness

  • AO5 – Communicate clearly, effectively, and appropriately in writing

  • AO6 – Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures accurately


Mark Scheme (Included in the Combined Document)

The combined question paper + mark scheme includes:

  • Model answers and guidance for comprehension and analysis questions

  • Marking criteria for transactional writing tasks, including content, structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling

  • Allocation of marks for AO1–AO6 skills

  • Examiner guidance for consistent and fair marking

The mark scheme emphasizes textual evidence, clarity, audience awareness, and structured, effective writing.