8021_s26_ms_27 — 2026 May-June English General Paper 8021 Mark Scheme 2 Variant 7 · Cambridge CAIE AS & A Level

Lifting and paraphrasing comprehension answers when copying is required

“Unless directed to summarise or to use 'own words' in response to questions, as in some parts of Section B, candidates are best advised to copy the relevant material they have selected, in order to avoid losing the precision and full detail of the original.”— 8021 Paper 2, May/June 2024

How to fix: Two modes in Paper 2: (1) When the rubric does NOT say 'own words' or impose a word limit, copy the exact wording from the insert — paraphrasing usually loses precision (e.g. 'closed down his previous construction company' becomes weaker as 'left his previous company'). (2) When 'own words' IS required, fully reword every element with the same grammatical form — partial rewording loses the mark.

Failing to develop points in extended logical reasoning questions

“Answers evidenced by only one development being offered, even though two, three or more valid individual ideas had been presented, did not exceed Level 2, since the key skill of analysis was not sufficiently demonstrated to gain higher marks.”— 8021 Paper 2, May/June 2024

How to fix: For 8-mark / 10-mark extended questions: identify a feature, then DEVELOP it by linking it to a specific personal characteristic of the person in the scenario (interests, profession, family situation, financial status). One developed point > three undeveloped points. Make connections across DIFFERENT parts of the material (Brochure + Additional Information + Background). Avoid 'lifting' general features that would appeal to anyone.