Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 marks)
Examiner Focus
Topic, research question, and methodology for a literary or language/textual investigation
Top-Band Move
- Topic is communicated accurately and effectively - Research question is clearly stated, sharply focused, and framed as a question - Methodology is complete, with evidence of informed selection of texts, corpus boundaries, contextual material, and an analytical approach appropriate to the research question
Common Penalty
- Topic is communicated unclearly or incompletely - Research question is stated but unclear, unfocused, or too broad for a studies in language and literature EE - Methodology is limited, with weak explanation of selected texts, corpus, context, research materials, or analytical approach



