A-Level CIE English Literature: 2026 Exam Changes and Trends | A-Level CIE 英语文学：2026年考试变化与趋势

📚 A-Level CIE English Literature: 2026 Exam Changes and Trends | A-Level CIE 英语文学：2026年考试变化与趋势

The Cambridge International AS & A Level English Literature (9695) syllabus has undergone significant updates for the 2024–2026 examination series. As the 2026 exams approach, students and teachers must understand these changes to optimise preparation. This article explores the key modifications in assessment objectives, paper structure, set texts, and marking criteria, while also highlighting emerging trends that could shape the literature assessment landscape.

剑桥国际 A Level 英语文学（9695）教学大纲在 2024–2026 考试系列中进行了重大更新。随着 2026 年考试的临近，学生和教师必须了解这些变化，以便优化备考策略。本文探讨了评估目标、试卷结构、指定文本和评分标准方面的关键调整，并突出了可能影响文学评估的新趋势。

---

1. Overview of the 2024–2026 Syllabus Updates | 2024–2026 教学大纲更新概览

The updated 9695 syllabus for 2024–2026 reflects CIE’s commitment to fostering independent critical thinking and global literary awareness. While the overall structure remains recognisable, subtle yet impactful changes affect every component. Teachers and students should note that the 2026 examination will be the final session under this specification, making it essential to align preparation with the latest examiner expectations.

更新后的 9695 教学大纲体现了 CIE 培养独立批判性思维和全球文学意识的承诺。尽管整体结构仍然可辨，但细微而重要的变化影响了每个考试组成部分。师生应注意，2026 年考试将是该规格下的最后一轮，因此备考必须与最新的考官期望保持一致。

• Papers now place greater weight on comparison and synthesis, particularly in unseen tasks.

  试卷现在更加强调比较和综合，尤其是在非文本分析任务中。

• Set text lists have been refreshed with works from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean alongside traditional British literature.

  指定文本清单已更新，增加了来自非洲、亚洲和加勒比地区的作品，与传统的英国文学并列。

• Component 5 (coursework) guidelines have been revised to encourage more independent research.

  第五部分（课程作业）的指南已修订，以鼓励更多独立研究。

---

2. Revised Assessment Objectives (AOs) | 修订后的评估目标

Assessment objectives lie at the heart of any syllabus change. For 2024–2026, the five AOs remain, but their relative weighting across papers has been fine-tuned. This recalibration pushes candidates to demonstrate a more balanced skill set, reducing the dominance of content recall in favour of critical engagement.

评估目标是任何教学大纲变化的核心。对于 2024–2026 年，五个评估目标仍然存在，但其在各试卷中的相对权重已进行微调。这种重新调整促使考生展示更均衡的技能组合，减少了内容回忆的主导地位，更注重批判性参与。

• AO1: Articulate informed, personal responses to literary texts, using appropriate terminology and coherent expression. Its weighting now increases slightly in Paper 4 to reward cogent argument over description.

  AO1：运用恰当的术语和连贯的表达，对文学文本提出有见地的个人回应。其在 Paper 4 中的权重略有增加，以奖励有力的论证而非描述。

• AO2: Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with a sharper focus on form, structure, and language. Examiners now expect explicit linkage between technique and effect.

  AO2：分析文学文本中意义的塑造方式，更关注形式、结构和语言。考官现在期望考生明确将技巧与效果联系起来。

• AO3: Demonstrate understanding of the connections between texts, whether set or unseen. The demand for comparative commentary has intensified, especially in Paper 3 and Paper 4.

  AO3：展示对文本之间联系的理解，无论是指定文本还是非文本。对比较性评论的要求有所加强，特别是在 Paper 3 和 Paper 4 中。

• AO4: Show awareness of the significance of context in the writing and reception of texts. The new syllabus stresses ‘context of production’ and ‘context of reception’ as distinct lenses.

  AO4：展示对文本创作和接受中语境重要性的认识。新大纲强调 “创作语境” 和 “接受语境” 作为不同的审视角度。

• AO5: Engage with other critical readings and interpretations. While always present, this objective is now more explicitly embedded in mark schemes for high-band answers.

  AO5：接触其他批评性解读和阐释。这一目标一直存在，但现在更明确地嵌入高分答案的评分方案中。

---

3. Weighting and Structure of Papers 1, 2, and 3 | 试卷一、二、三的权重与结构

Components for the AS and A Level have been retained, but the internal composition of each paper has shifted. Papers 1 (Drama), 2 (Prose), and 3 (Poetry) now feature modified question styles that compel students to move beyond summary and engage with critical controversies.

AS 和 A Level 的组成部分得以保留，但每份试卷的内部构成已发生变化。试卷一（戏剧）、试卷二（散文）和试卷三（诗歌）现在采用了修改后的问题风格，迫使学生超越概括并应对批评性争议。

• Paper 1: Drama: Candidates answer two questions, each on a different play. The new format often pairs a passage-based question with a wider thematic or critical question, requiring integrated AO2 and AO3 skills.

  试卷一：戏剧：考生回答两道题，每题涉及不同剧作。新格式通常将基于选段的题目与更广泛的主题性或批评性题目配对，要求整合 AO2 和 AO3 技能。

• Paper 2: Prose: Students study two novels or short story collections. One question frequently asks for comparison of two extracts from different points in a text, testing structural awareness.

  试卷二：散文：学生研读两本小说或短篇故事集。一个问题常要求比较文本中不同时点的两个选段，考察结构意识。

• Paper 3: Poetry: The selection includes pre-1900 and post-1900 works. The comparative essay now explicitly rewards candidates who discuss poetic craft in relation to the emotional arc of the whole collection.

  试卷三：诗歌：选篇包括 1900 年前后的作品。比较性论文现在明确奖励那些能将诗歌技艺与整部诗集情感弧线联系起来的考生。

Each paper contributes 25% to the final A Level grade, maintaining balance, but the internal distribution of AO marks within each has been adjusted to reward higher-order thinking.

每份试卷占最终 A Level 成绩的 25%，保持平衡，但每份试卷内部 AO 分数的分布已调整，以奖励高阶思维。

---

4. Changes in Paper 4: Unseen and Set Text Tasks | 试卷四的变化：非文本与指定文本任务

Paper 4 (Unseen) has arguably undergone the most visible transformation. The paper, lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes, now consists of two compulsory sections that demand agility in critical analysis across genres and periods.

试卷四（非文本分析）可能经历了最明显的变化。这张时长 2 小时 15 分钟的试卷现在包括两个必答部分，要求考生在跨体裁和时期的批评分析中展现灵活性。

• Section A: Unseen analysis. Students respond to one unseen poem and one unseen prose extract. The linking task within Section A obliges candidates to compare mood, technique, and theme across the two unfamiliar texts, a skill now central to the qualification.

  A 部分：非文本分析。学生回应一首非文本诗歌和一段非文本散文选段。A 部分中的关联任务要求考生比较两个陌生文本之间的情绪、技巧和主题，这是现在该资格的核心技能。

• Section B: Comparative task. Candidates compare a set poem studied in Paper 3 with an unseen poem provided in the exam. This cross-paper requirement encourages sustained revision of set texts even for the unseen paper.

  B 部分：比较任务。考生将试卷三中学过的一首指定诗歌与试卷中提供的非文本诗歌进行比较。这种跨试卷的要求鼓励即使针对非文本试卷，也要持续复习指定文本。

Examiners have noted that the 2026 cohort must practise timed linking across poetry and prose, as the ability to synthesise findings under pressure defines top-tier performance.

考官指出，2026 年的考生必须练习在时间压力下进行诗歌与散文之间的关联，因为在压力下综合发现的能力决定了顶层表现。

---

5. Component 5: Coursework and Independent Study | 第五部分：课程作业与独立研究

Component 5 remains the coursework option, worth 25%. For 2024–2026, CIE has strengthened the requirement for personal critical engagement and independent exploration. The word count (2500–3000 words for the comparative essay) and the scope of the critical piece have been clarified.

第五部分仍是课程作业选项，占 25%。对于 2024–2026 年，CIE 加强了对个人批判性参与和独立探索的要求。字数（比较论文 2500–3000 字）和批评文章的范围已经明确。

• Candidates submit a comparative essay on two texts, one of which must be a prose, drama, or poetry text of recognised literary merit, and the other can be drawn from a wider cultural pool, including film or graphic novels, subject to centre approval.

  考生提交一篇对两个文本进行比较的论文，其中一个必须是具有公认文学价值的散文、戏剧或诗歌文本，另一个可从更广泛的文化库中选取，包括电影或图像小说，但需获中心批准。

• The critical piece must engage with at least two critics or theoretical perspectives. The new mark scheme credits the ability to position an argument within a scholarly conversation, rather than merely describing critical opinions.

  批评文章必须至少涉及两位批评家或理论视角。新的评分方案奖励将论点置于学术对话中的能力，而非仅仅描述批评意见。

• Authenticity checks have become stricter; teachers must verify several stages of drafting to prevent plagiarism or AI-generated content, a trend that will intensify by 2026.

  真实性审查已变得更加严格；教师必须核实多个起草阶段，以防止剽窃或人工智能生成的内容，这一趋势到 2026 年将进一步加强。

---

6. Set Text Lists and the Global Literature Shift | 指定文本清单与全球文学转向

One of the most celebrated changes is the diversification of the set text canon. CIE now mandates that centres choose texts from a range that includes postcolonial, diaspora, and world literature voices. This shift aligns with wider educational trends and prepares students for a more interconnected world.

最受赞誉的变化之一是指定文本经典的多样化。CIE 现在要求中心从包括后殖民、流散和世界文学声音的范围内选择文本。这一转变与更广泛的教育趋势保持一致，并使学生为更加相互关联的世界做好准备。

• Paper 1 (Drama) options now include plays by Wole Soyinka, Athol Fugard, and Tom Stoppard alongside Shakespeare and Webster, enabling thematic juxtapositions such as political leadership and moral corruption across cultures.

  试卷一（戏剧）的选项现在包括沃莱·索因卡、阿索尔·富加德和汤姆·斯托帕德的剧作，与莎士比亚和韦伯斯特并列，使得跨文化的政治领导力和道德腐败等主题并置成为可能。

• Paper 2 (Prose) features novels by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Arundhati Roy, and Kazuo Ishiguro, alongside Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, encouraging exploration of narrative voice and historical displacement.

  试卷二（散文）以奇玛曼达·恩戈齐·阿迪奇、阿伦达蒂·罗伊和石黑一雄的小说为特色，与简·奥斯汀和查尔斯·狄更斯并列，鼓励探索叙事声音和历史错位。

• Paper 3 (Poetry) selections span centuries; students might study Carol Ann Duffy alongside John Donne, with a new emphasis on the sonnet sequence and post-modernist fragmentation.

  试卷三（诗歌）的选择跨越多个世纪；学生可能同时学习卡罗尔·安·达菲和约翰·多恩，并新增了对十四行诗组诗和后现代主义碎片化的强调。

By 2026, examiners expect candidates to demonstrate contextual knowledge not just of British history, but of colonial legacies, migration, and global cultural exchange.

到 2026 年，考官期望考生不仅展示英国历史方面的语境知识，还要展示关于殖民遗产、移民和全球文化交流的知识。

---

7. Mark Bands and Grade Boundaries | 评分等级与分数边界线

Mark schemes have been refined to give clearer descriptors for each level. The old generic bands have been replaced with more granular criteria that separate ‘descriptive’ from ‘analytical’ and ‘analytical’ from ‘evaluative’ responses. This means a strong personal voice and critical distance can lift a borderline script into the next band.

评分方案已经细化，为每个级别提供了更清晰的描述。旧有的通用评分等级已被更细致的标准所取代，区分了 “描述性”、”分析性” 和 “评价性” 的回应。这意味着强烈的个人声音和批评距离可以将其提升至下一个等级。

• Top-band answers (typically 22–25 marks out of 25) now explicitly require ‘consistently detailed and perceptive exploration’ that ‘engages with alternative interpretations’ (AO5).

  最高等级答案（通常 25 分满分中的 22–25 分）现在明确要求 “始终细致且具有洞察力的探索”，并 “涉及其他阐释”（AO5）。

• The steer from CIE indicates that grade boundaries in 2026 may rise slightly, reflecting increased candidate preparedness and the removal of pandemic-era leniency.

  CIE 的引导表明，2026 年的分数边界线可能会略有上升，反映出考生准备程度的提高以及疫情时期宽松政策的取消。

• Internal moderation of coursework will be highly scrutinised; centres should use CIE’s standardisation materials to ensure consistent application of the new mark bands.

  课程作业的内部审核将受到高度审查；各中心应使用 CIE 的标准化材料，确保新评分等级的一致应用。

---

8. Digital Tools and Future of E-Assessment | 数字工具与电子评估的未来

While 2026 remains a paper-based examination series, CIE is piloting digital on-screen assessment for some subjects. English Literature is not yet part of this trial, but the influence of digital tools on teaching and learning is unmistakable. Candidates who leverage digital annotation and collaborative platforms develop skills that align closely with the AO demands.

虽然 2026 年仍是纸笔考试系列，但 CIE 正在为某些科目试行数字化屏幕评估。英语文学尚未成为这一试点的一部分，但数字工具对教学的影响不容忽视。利用数字注释和协作平台的考生所发展的技能与评估目标的要求高度契合。

• Many teachers now use online forums to discuss critical perspectives, preparing students for the AO5 requirement. However, candidates must be able to recall and deploy these insights without internet access during the exam.

  许多教师现在使用在线论坛讨论批评视角，为学生准备 AO5 要求。然而，考生必须能够在考试中不上网的情况下回忆并运用这些见解。

• AI-assisted feedback tools are emerging, but centres must be cautious: CIE’s guidelines forbid the submission of AI-generated text as a student’s own work, and detection software is becoming more sophisticated.

  人工智能辅助反馈工具正在兴起，但各中心必须谨慎：CIE 的指导方针禁止提交 AI 生成的文本作为学生自己的作品，检测软件也日益精密。

• The trend towards e-submission of coursework will likely become permanent post-2026, so digitising portfolios now helps centres future-proof their workflow.

  课程作业电子提交的趋势可能在 2026 年后成为常态，因此现在将作品集数字化有助于中心为未来工作流程做好准备。

---

9. Effective Study Methods for the 2026 Exams | 2026 年考试的有效学习方法

To thrive under the updated syllabus, students need a strategic revision plan that integrates close reading, comparative thinking, and critical theory. A last-minute cram of plot summaries will not suffice; the exam demands a habit of literary conversation.

要在更新后的教学大纲下取得成功，学生需要一个融合细读、比较思维和批评理论的策略性复习计划。临考前的突击情节总结是不够的；考试要求养成文学对话的习惯。

• Create thematic links across texts early. Map out how each text treats identity, power, or loss, and practise writing comparative thesis statements under timed conditions.

  尽早创建文本间的主题联系。梳理每个文本如何处理身份、权力或失落等主题，并在限时条件下练习撰写比较性论点陈述。

• Maintain a quotation bank organised by technique and effect, not merely by character or theme. Pair each quote with a brief analytical comment ready for deployment.

  维护一个按技巧和效果而非仅仅按人物或主题组织的引文库。为每条引文配上简短的分析性评语，随时可供调用。

• Engage with at least two secondary sources per set text. Read critical introductions or academic articles to encounter alternative interpretations that enrich your own argument.

  每部指定文本至少接触两篇二手资料。阅读批评性导论或学术文章，以接触其他阐释，丰富自己的论点。

• For the unseen paper, practise with past papers but also with fresh material: contemporary poems from literary magazines or short prose extracts from unfamiliar authors to sharpen analytical instinct.

  对于非文本试卷，既要练习往期试卷，也要接触新材料：来自文学杂志的当代诗歌或不熟悉作者的短篇散文选段，以磨砺分析直觉。

---

10. Final Tips and Common Pitfalls | 最后的建议与常见误区

As 2026 draws near, several pitfalls recur in candidate scripts. Avoiding these can make a difference of an entire grade. Equally, adopting certain positive habits can elevate a solid performance into an outstanding one.

随着 2026 年临近，在考生答卷中反复出现一些误区。避免这些误区可能提升一整等级。同样，养成某些积极习惯可将扎实的表现提升为卓越的表现。

• Pitfall: Over-reliance on narration. Many candidates retell the story instead of analysing it. Remedy: Every sentence of your essay should contain an analytical verb, such as ‘suggests’, ‘undermines’, or ‘foreshadows’.

  误区：过度依赖叙述。许多考生复述故事而不是分析。对策：你文章的每一句都应包含分析性动词，如 “表明”、”削弱” 或 “铺垫”。

• Pitfall: Treating context as a bolt-on paragraph. Examiners criticise ‘context dumping’. Remedy: Integrate contextual insight into your analysis of language, showing how a phrase reflects its moment.

  误区：将语境当作附加段落。考官批评 “语境堆砌”。对策：将语境洞察融入语言分析中，展示一个短语如何反映其时代。

• Pitfall: Neglecting the end of texts. Weak conclusions often ignore the resolution or final stanza. Remedy: Always consider the structural significance of endings as part of the writer’s design.

  误区：忽略文本的结尾。无力的结论往往忽视了结局或最后的诗节。对策：始终将结尾的结构意义视为作者构思的一部分。

• Positive habit: Use the reading time wisely. In Paper 4, annotate the unseen texts with initial responses and identify at least three cross-textual links before you write a word.

  积极习惯：明智利用阅读时间。在试卷四中，在动笔前对非文本进行批注，写下初步回应，并确定至少三个跨文本的联系。

---

Published by TutorHao | English Literature Revision Series | aleveler.com

更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）