What's inside the printable
This is a single-page timing planner for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives. The paper runs for 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 80 marks. As on Paper 1, the marks split evenly between Section A reading (40 marks) and Section B writing (40 marks), but the demands are very different: two non-fiction sources from different time periods, and one transactional or persuasive writing task.
How the time breaks down
The planner is built around the mark-to-minute convention that AQA's allocations support, with deliberate reading and planning time at the front of each section.
Source orientation (about 10-12 minutes). The biggest time trap on Paper 2 is reading both sources cold. Before tackling the questions, skim Source A and Source B for date, form, audience, viewpoint, and tone. Annotate one or two points of similarity and points of difference in the margins — these feed directly into Q2 and Q4.
Section A — Reading (about 60 minutes, 40 marks).
- Q1 — true statements (4 marks): around 5 minutes. A focused retrieval question on one source. Read the line references carefully and don't be tempted by half-true statements.
- Q2 — summary of differences or similarities (8 marks): around 10 minutes. Both sources. Use brief, integrated quotations and inference, not method analysis.
- Q3 — language analysis on one source (12 marks): around 15 minutes. Three precise method-and-effect points on the named source. Stay on the writer's choices and their impact on the reader.
- Q4 — comparison of writers' methods and viewpoints (16 marks): around 20 minutes. The most demanding reading question. Compare how each writer presents their viewpoint, with linked evidence from both sources and explicit comparative connectives.
Section B — Writing (about 45 minutes, 40 marks). Q5 is a single transactional task — letter, article, speech, or essay — written for a defined audience and purpose. Aim for 5 minutes planning, 35 minutes writing, 5 minutes checking. Plan a clear viewpoint, three or four developed paragraphs, and a deliberately crafted opening and ending.
Cool-down. Use the last five minutes to check sentence variety, paragraphing, and SPaG on Q5. A single well-corrected paragraph can lift a band.
How to use the planner
Print one sheet per timed paper. Mark in your real start time, then fill in your planned and actual finish time at each question. After the mock, highlight any question where you overran — Q4 and Q5 are the usual offenders — and note one habit to change next time.
For the wider specification, see the . For habits that transfer across both papers, pair this planner with the .