📚 AS AQA Media Studies: 2026 Exam Changes and Trends | AS AQA 媒体研究：2026年考试变化与趋势
The AS AQA Media Studies specification is set to undergo several important updates for the 2026 examination series. These changes reflect the rapidly evolving media landscape, shifting academic priorities and feedback from teachers. As digital platforms continue to reshape how audiences consume and interact with media texts, the exam board has refreshed close study products, assessment objectives and theoretical frameworks to ensure the qualification remains relevant and challenging. For students aiming to sit the AS exam in 2026, understanding these changes early is vital for effective revision and achieving top grades.
AS AQA 媒体研究课程将在 2026 年考试中迎来几项重要更新。这些变化反映了迅速演变的媒体格局、不断变化的学术重点以及教师反馈。随着数字平台持续重塑受众消费和互动媒体文本的方式，考试局更新了重点学习产品、评估目标和理论框架，以确保资格证书保持前沿性和挑战性。对于计划在 2026 年参加 AS 考试的学生而言，尽早理解这些变化对高效复习和取得高分至关重要。
1. Updated Close Study Products for 2026 | 2026 年更新的重点学习产品
One of the most significant changes for 2026 is the introduction of new Close Study Products across all media forms. AQA will replace several CSPs for television, music video, advertising and online media to reflect contemporary industry practices and diverse audience experiences. For example, a streaming platform drama series may replace a traditional broadcast TV programme, and a viral short-form video campaign could be included under advertising. These new CSPs will require students to apply media language, representation, industry and audience theories to texts that are currently shaping popular culture.
2026 年最显著的变化之一是在所有媒体形式中引入新的重点学习产品。AQA 将更换部分电视、音乐视频、广告和在线媒体的 CSP，以体现当代产业实践和多元受众体验。例如，一部流媒体平台剧集可能取代传统广播电视节目，而一段病毒式短视频营销活动可能被纳入广告范畴。这些新 CSP 将要求学生将媒体语言、再现、产业和受众理论应用于正在塑造流行文化的文本。
Students should note that the updated CSP list will be released well in advance, and resources from AQA will provide indicative content. It is important to study the social, cultural and economic contexts of each new product, as well as its production, distribution and circulation. Cross-media comparisons will be emphasised, so understanding how a television narrative extends to social media platforms will be essential.
学生应注意，更新后的 CSP 清单将提前公布，AQA 将提供指示性内容资源。研究每个新产品的社会、文化和经济背景，以及其制作、发行和流通方式非常重要。跨媒体比较将受到强调，因此理解电视叙事如何延伸至社交媒体平台将至关重要。
2. Revised Assessment Objective Weightings | 评估目标权重的调整
From 2026, the weighting of assessment objectives in AS Media Studies will be subtly rebalanced. AO1 (demonstrate knowledge and understanding) will retain a core focus but will be more tightly linked to application in context. AO2 (apply knowledge and understanding to analyse media products) will increase slightly in percentage, rewarding students who can deconstruct media texts using precise terminology. AO3 (create media products) will see a sharper distinction between the exam-based tasks and the NEA, with greater emphasis on creative choices and justification in written assessments.
从 2026 年起，AS 媒体研究的评估目标权重将进行微妙平衡调整。AO1（展示知识与理解）仍将是核心重点，但会更紧密地与情境应用相联系。AO2（运用知识与理解分析媒体产品）的占比将略有提高，奖励能够使用准确术语解构媒体文本的学生。AO3（创作媒体产品）将在考试任务与非考试评估之间形成更清晰的区分，更加注重书面评估中的创意选择与论证。
The new weightings mean that simply recalling theorists or facts will not be enough. Students must demonstrate the ability to connect ideas across different parts of the specification, such as linking representation analysis to industry contexts. Past paper practice should now include questions that explicitly test the revised weightings, with mark schemes reflecting this shift.
新的权重意味着仅仅回忆理论家或事实已不足够。学生必须展示跨规范不同部分连接思路的能力，例如将再现分析与产业背景联系起来。过去的试卷练习现在应包含明确测试调整后权重的问题，评分方案也将反映这一转变。
3. Enhanced Focus on Digital Convergence and Participatory Culture | 数字融合与参与式文化的强化关注
The 2026 specification puts digital convergence at the heart of the media industries and audiences units. Students must now critically examine how technologies enable content to flow across multiple platforms and how audiences actively participate in shaping media meanings. Concepts such as prosumer activity, algorithmic curation and platformisation will carry more weight. For instance, analysis of ‘Stranger Things’ may involve not just the narrative but also Netflix’s recommendation system and fan-produced TikToks.
2026 年规范将数字融合置于媒体产业与受众单元的核心。学生现在必须批判性地审视技术如何使内容跨多个平台流动，以及受众如何积极参与塑造媒体意义。产消者活动、算法策展和平台化等概念将占据更大比重。例如，对《怪奇物语》的分析可能不仅涉及叙事，还包括网飞推荐系统和粉丝创作的 TikTok 视频。
Exam questions might ask students to evaluate the impact of digital convergence on traditional broadcasting or to discuss how user-generated content challenges established media power structures. Staying up to date with contemporary media case studies, such as the rise of AI-generated content and influencer economies, will be indispensable for high-band responses.
考题可能要求学生评估数字融合对传统广播的影响，或讨论用户生成内容如何挑战既定媒体权力结构。紧跟当代媒体案例研究，例如人工智能生成内容的兴起和网红经济，对于高分答题至关重要。
4. Diversified Representation and Global Media Contexts | 多元化的再现与全球媒体背景
AQA’s 2026 updates will integrate a broader range of global media texts and representation issues. The CSP selection will include products from non-Western media producers, encouraging students to consider how cultural specificity and transnational flows influence media language and audience interpretations. Topics such as diaspora media, postcolonial readings and globalised popular culture will be explicitly assessed.
AQA 在 2026 年的更新将融入更广泛的全球媒体文本和再现议题。CSP 选择将包括非西方媒体制作人的产品，鼓励学生思考文化特殊性和跨国流动如何影响媒体语言和受众解读。离散族群媒体、后殖民解读和全球化流行文化等主题将被明确考核。
When studying representation, students are expected to move beyond simplistic positive/negative debates and apply intersectional approaches. Questions may prompt analysis of how ethnicity, gender and class intersect in a music video or how global events reshape news media portrayals. Engaging with academic commentary and current affairs will enrich essay responses.
在学习再现时，学生应超越简单的积极/消极二分法，并运用交叉性方法。问题可能促使分析种族、性别和阶级如何在音乐视频中交织，或全球事件如何重塑新闻媒体描绘。接触学术评论和时事热点将丰富论文作答。
5. New and Retired Media Theories | 新增与淘汰的媒体理论
The 2026 exam will see a refresh of the theoretical frameworks toolkit. Some older, less applicable theories – such as certain passive audience models – will be relegated to optional extension knowledge, while contemporary theories on digital identity, networked publics and algorithmic gatekeeping will be introduced. For example, the uses and gratifications model may be updated with concepts of algorithmic pleasure, and Jenkins’ convergence culture will remain central but supplemented by notions of platform dependency.
2026 年考试将迎来理论框架工具箱的更新。一些较陈旧、适用性较弱的理论——例如某些被动受众模型——将被降级为可选拓展知识，同时引入关于数字身份、网络化公众和算法守门人作用的当代理论。例如，使用与满足模型可能更新为融入算法愉悦的概念，而詹金斯的融合文化仍将保持核心地位，但会辅以平台依赖的观念。
Students must be able to apply theories, not just recite them. Command words like ‘critically evaluate’ will require weighing up the usefulness of a theory in a specific context. Revising theorists such as Curran and Seaton, Livingstone and Lunt, and hooks will remain essential, but they must be paired with newer critical perspectives. This means that note-making should include limitations and alternative viewpoints for each theory.
学生必须能够应用理论，而非仅仅背诵。如“批判性评价”这样的指令词将要求在具体语境中权衡理论的用处。复习柯兰与西顿、利文斯通与伦特、胡克斯等理论家仍然至关重要，但必须与更新的批判视角结合。这意味着笔记整理应对每种理论包含局限性和替代观点。
6. Revised Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) Briefs and Criteria | 修订的非考试评估命题与标准
The NEA component for AS Media Studies in 2026 will feature updated briefs that better reflect current creative industry practices. Students may be asked to produce a cross-media production for a new platform (e.g. an interactive website with social media teaser campaign) rather than a conventional print magazine. The marking criteria will place more emphasis on the iterative design process, audience feedback and the explicit justification of creative decisions in the accompanying Statement of Intent.
2026 年 AS 媒体研究的非考试评估部分将采用更新的命题，更好地反映当前创意产业实践。学生可能被要求为新兴平台制作跨媒体产品（例如，带有社交媒体预告活动的互动网站），而非传统的印刷杂志。评分标准将更加重视迭代设计过程、受众反馈以及在意图陈述中明确论证创意决策。
Learners should start practising production skills early – including basic HTML, video editing and graphic design – to handle the technical demands. Drafting multiple versions and documenting the evolution of ideas will be necessary to access the top marks for the process criterion. Teachers are encouraged to deliver workshops on pitching ideas and responding to hypothetical client briefs as part of NEA preparation.
学习者应尽早开始练习制作技能——包括基础 HTML、视频编辑和平面设计——以应对技术要求。草拟多个版本并记录思路演变过程对于在过程标准中获得最高分至关重要。鼓励教师在 NEA 准备阶段开展关于推介创意与回应假设客户简报的工作坊。
7. Shifts in Exam Question Styles and Command Words | 考题风格与指令词的变化
AQA has signalled that from 2026, question styles will move towards more synoptic and comparative approaches even within individual AS papers. Unseen media texts will be used more frequently, requiring rapid analysis under timed conditions. Command words such as ‘judge’, ‘justify’ and ‘synthesise’ will appear alongside familiar ‘analyse’ and ‘evaluate’, expecting students to form substantiated conclusions integrating knowledge from multiple areas of the specification.
AQA 已表明，从 2026 年起，考题风格将更趋向综合性与比较性，即使在单独的 AS 试卷内部也是如此。未见过的媒体文本将被更频繁地使用，要求在限时条件下进行快速分析。像“判断”、“论证”和“综合”这样的指令词将与熟悉的“分析”和“评价”一同出现，期望学生形成整合规范多个领域知识的、有据可依的结论。
To prepare, students should practise writing structured paragraphs that link media language findings to representation issues and industry contexts. Timed drills with unseen advertisements, film posters or webpages will build confidence. Mark schemes increasingly reward thoughtful selection of examples and the ability to challenge stereotypes in arguments, not just describe them.
为做准备，学生应练习撰写结构化的段落，将媒体语言分析结果与再现议题及产业背景联系起来。利用未见过的广告、电影海报或网页进行限时训练将建立信心。评分方案越来越奖励深思熟虑地选择例子以及在论证中挑战刻板印象的能力，而不仅仅是描述。
8. Updated Regulation and Media Industry Debates | 更新的监管与媒体产业辩论
The 2026 specification includes contemporary regulatory debates, such as the Online Safety Bill and its implications for video-sharing platforms, as well as global content moderation dilemmas. Students must understand how regulation shapes media output and access, comparing statutory and self-regulatory systems. The impact of AI-generated content on intellectual property and misinformation will become a key discussion area, linking to theories such as Habermas’ public sphere.
2026 年规范涵盖了当代监管辩论，例如《在线安全法案》及其对视频分享平台的影响，以及全球内容审核困境。学生必须理解监管如何塑造媒体产出与使用准入，比较法定监管与自我监管体系。人工智能生成内容对知识产权和虚假信息的影响将成为关键讨论领域，与哈贝马斯公共领域等理论相联系。
Exam responses that integrate specific regulatory rulings or policy changes (e.g. Ofcom decisions, EU Digital Services Act) will differentiate higher-achieving candidates. Keeping an ongoing media news diary is a recommended strategy to capture current examples for essays. This also helps in answering ‘media debates’ questions that ask students to argue for or against increased regulation.
结合具体监管裁决或政策变化（例如英国通信管理局的决定、欧盟数字服务法案）的答卷将使高分考生脱颖而出。坚持记录媒体新闻日志是捕捉当前例证以用于论文的推荐策略。这也有助于回答要求就是否加强监管进行辩论的“媒体辩论”问题。
9. Strengthened Focus on Media Forms and Language | 对媒体形式与语言的加强关注
Although AS Media Studies has always required textual analysis, the 2026 changes deepen the semiotic and structural demands. Students will need to demonstrate proficiency in analysing editing rhythms, soundscapes, colour palettes and typography as integral meaning-making resources. New terms such as ‘hypermodality’ and ‘micro-textuality’ have been introduced into the glossary, reflecting the influence of digital and interactive media design.
尽管 AS 媒体研究一直要求文本分析，2026 年的变化深化了符号学和结构方面的要求。学生需展示熟练分析剪辑节奏、声音景观、调色板和字体排版并将其视为整体意义生成资源的能力。诸如“超模态”和“微观文本性”等新术语已被引入术语表，反映了数字与交互媒体设计的影响。
Teachers should allocate more time to micro-analysis workshop sessions where students annotate short clips or design elements in detail. A secure command of terminology, from ‘diegetic sound’ to ‘asynchronous editing’, will be necessary to move beyond generalised commentary. Reference to Barthes’ narrative codes and Neale’s genre theory must be applied with precision to the specific formal features of the text.
教师应分配更多时间给学生进行微观分析工作坊，在详细标注短片片段或设计元素。从“剧情声”到“异步剪辑”的术语熟练运用，对于超越泛泛评述必不可少。对巴特的叙事代码和尼尔的类型理论的引用，必须精确应用于文本的具体形式特征。
10. Integration of AI and Emerging Technologies in Media | 人工智能与新兴技术在媒体中的融合
A novel aspect of the 2026 specification is the explicit inclusion of AI’s role in media production, distribution and reception. Students may explore deepfakes, generative art tools and algorithmic news curation as part of their case studies. The theoretical tension between technological determinism and social shaping will be highlighted, encouraging debates on whether AI reinforces existing power hierarchies or democratises creativity.
2026 年规范的一个新颖之处在于明确纳入了人工智能在媒体制作、发行和接受中的角色。学生可以探索深度伪造、生成式艺术工具和算法新闻策展作为案例研究的一部分。技术决定论与社会塑造之间的理论张力将被凸显，鼓励就人工智能究竟是强化现有权力等级还是实现创作民主化展开辩论。
In the exam, a question might present a news article about an AI-generated influencer and ask students to analyse the industry implications using relevant theory. Familiarity with concepts such as Turing’s imitation game applied to social bots or the uncanny valley in CGI characters will demonstrate high-level engagement. This topic area will also support NEA projects that experiment with AI-assisted workflows ethically.
在考试中，一道题可能提供一篇关于人工智能生成网红的新闻文章，要求学生运用相关理论分析其产业影响。熟悉图灵模仿游戏应用于社交机器人或 CGI 角色中的“恐怖谷”等概念将展示出高水平的参与度。这一主题领域也将支持以符合伦理的方式试验人工智能辅助工作流的 NEA 项目。
11. Strategies for Effective Revision and Exam Preparation | 高效复习与备考策略
Given the breadth of changes, a structured revision plan is key. Start by mapping the new CSPs against the relevant theoretical frameworks, ensuring each text is annotated with media language, representation, industry and audience notes. Use comparison grids for products from similar media forms, such as two music videos, to sharpen synoptic skills. Practising under timed conditions with unseen materials at least twice a week will build stamina and speed.
鉴于变化广泛，制定结构化的复习计划是关键。首先将新 CSP 与相关理论框架对照，确保每个文本都标注了媒体语言、再现、产业和受众笔记。使用对比表格整理相似媒体形式的产品，如两部音乐视频，以提升综合技能。每周至少两次利用未见材料进行限时练习，将增强耐力与速度。
Collaborate with peers to construct ‘media debate’ presentations, which can consolidate understanding of regulation, globalisation and digital ethics. Utilise AQA’s sample assessment materials and attend any available teacher webinars. Check the official AQA website regularly for clarification documents and updated mark schemes. Consistent reflection on feedback – whether from class essays or self-assessment – is the most reliable path to improvement.
与同伴协作构建“媒体辩论”展示，可以巩固对监管、全球化与数字伦理的理解。利用 AQA 的评估材料样本，并参加任何可用的教师网络研讨会。定期查看 AQA 官方网站以获取说明文件和更新的评分方案。持续反思反馈——无论是来自课堂论文还是自我评估——是最可靠的进步途径。
12. Looking Ahead: The 2026 AS Media Studies Journey | 展望：2026 年 AS 媒体研究之旅
The 2026 changes to AS AQA Media Studies are designed to equip students with the critical media literacy required in a post-digital world. While the increased demands may seem daunting, they also bring exciting opportunities to engage with media that students genuinely consume and care about. Embracing the new CSPs, sharpening analytical skills and staying curious about the media environment will transform the revision process from a chore into a fascinating exploration of culture and power.
2026 年 AS AQA 媒体研究的变化旨在培养学生在后数字时代所需的批判性媒介素养。尽管增加的要求可能令人生畏，但也带来了令人兴奋的机会，让学生接触他们真正消费和关心的媒体。拥抱新的 CSP，磨砺分析技能，并对媒体环境保持好奇，将把复习过程从乏味的任务转变为对文化与权力的迷人探索。
With focused effort and the right resources, success in the 2026 exam is fully attainable. Remember that every analytical insight you gain also deepens your understanding of the world around you – a benefit that extends far beyond the grades. Start early, stay organised and let your passion for media drive your learning.
凭借专注的努力和恰当的资源，在 2026 年考试中取得成功是完全可实现的。请记住，你获得的每一个分析洞见也会加深你对周遭世界的理解——这一益处远超分数。尽早开始，保持条理，让对媒体的热情驱动你的学习。
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