PAPER 1 · SECTION A · READING
Paper 1 Q1: List Four Things
The easiest 4 marks in either paper — if you follow the method. The easiest 4 marks to lose, if you don't. By the end of this lesson you'll know exactly how to score 4/4 every time.
What Q1 Tests
Before we open the technique, fix the basics. This question has the tightest, most predictable parameters of any question in either paper.
4
Marks
~3
Minutes Target
AO1
First Bullet Only
What AO1 (1st Bullet) Asks
"Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas." On Q1, the emphasis is firmly on identify — find facts that are clearly stated in the lines, and report them accurately. Interpretation comes later, in Q2 onwards.
Mark-Per-Minute Maths
4 marks in 3 minutes = 1.33 marks per minute — the highest mark-per-minute return on Paper 1. Treat it as a free bank deposit. Don't rush it, don't agonise over it — just collect.
The Stem Never Changes
The question's shape is invariant. Across every series, only two things change — the line range and the target. Learn the template now and you'll recognise it in a second.
"Read again the first part of the source from lines [X] to [Y]. List four things from this part of the source about [TARGET]." — P1 Q1 invariant template
What Changes
The line range (usually the first ~5–10 lines)
The target — a person, place or object named in the question
What Stays The Same
Four things wanted (not three, not five)
From the specified section only
"About" — meaning directly about the target
How It's Marked
This is the only question in either paper with no level descriptors. The marking is additive — but more flexible than students assume.
1+
Marks per valid point
4
Hard cap (total)
0
Level descriptors
What The Mark Scheme Accepts
Every P1 Q1 mark scheme uses the same standing rubric:
Single words, paraphrase, or direct quotation all valid — full sentences are not required
One statement can score multiple marks if it packs in distinct facts. "his suitcase was heavy in his right hand" = 2 marks (heavy + in right hand)
Indicative content lists are not exhaustive — examiners credit any valid point about the target from the right lines
What The Mark Scheme Rejects
Copying a whole section verbatim — scores zero, because it shows no evidence of selection from the text
Anything past the cap — only valid points up to 4 marks are credited; a 5th valid point earns nothing
The Four Examiner Questions
Every point you write must pass all four of these tests. If it fails any one, the mark scheme rejects it.
Target-Specific
Is this point about the target the question named? Not someone next to them, not the setting around them — the target itself.
Name-In-Front Test
Would the point make sense if you wrote the target's name in front of it? "[Edward] stepped off a ferry" ✓. "[Edward] a woman walked past" ✗. This is the actual examiner check.
Verifiable
Can you point to a specific phrase in the source that supports it? If not, you've inferred — and inferences aren't marked here.
In Range
Does the supporting phrase sit inside the specified line range? Anything outside those lines, even if true, doesn't count.
Error 1: Outside The Line Range
The Revision Guide calls this the most common cause of lost marks. A student remembers a fact from their first read of the whole extract — and writes it down — without checking whether it sits inside the specified lines.
❌ Fails Rule 4 (In Range)
Question: List four things about Edward from lines 1 to 3.
Student writes:
"Edward checked his watch, an old one given to him by his father."
It's true. It's about Edward. It's visible in the extract on screen. But it's drawn from line 5 — outside the specified range of lines 1 to 3. Mark scheme: zero.
Fix
Before you start, circle the line numbers in the question. Once you've drafted your four points, run a finger down the specified lines and check each point sits there. If a point isn't in the range — even by one line — replace it. Don't trust your memory of the wider source.
Error 2: Wrong Target
The question names a target. The student writes about someone or something else in the same lines — usually because they're describing the setting around the target, not the target itself.
❌ Fails Rule 1 (Target-Specific) & Rule 2 (Name-In-Front)
Question target: Edward.
Student writes:
"A woman in a black headscarf walked past."
True statement. Right line range. But it isn't about Edward — it's about the woman. Mark scheme rejects it. The fix: "A woman walked past Edward" — same source detail, target restored.
The Setting Trap
The commonest version of this error: writing about the setting when the target is a character. "The town smelt of fish and diesel" is true and in range — but it's about the town, not Edward. "Edward noticed the smell of fish and diesel" works. Always run the name-in-front test.
Error 3: Over-Interpretation
The most tempting error for stronger students. The student writes something that sounds insightful — but isn't actually stated in the lines. Past mark schemes have explicitly rejected exactly this kind of leap.
❌ Fails Rule 3 (Verifiable)
Source says: Edward has not slept for two nights; the address in his pocket is in handwriting he does not recognise.
Student writes:
"Edward was lost and anxious in the new town."
Reasonable inference from the whole picture. But "lost" and "anxious" aren't in the lines. On Q1, only what's explicitly stated or directly implied by the wording counts. Mark scheme rejects it.
Fix
For every point you write, ask: "could I underline the words in the source that prove this?" If you can't, you've over-interpreted — save that for Q2 and Q4, where inference earns marks. On Q1, stick to what's there. A small caveat on duplicates: two points that mean the same thing also count as one. Keep them distinct.
Worked Example
Here's a fictional extract in the style and length you'd see on Paper 1. Read it once, then look at the question below.
Source (lines 1–6)
1
Edward stepped off the ferry onto the cracked stone quay, his suitcase heavy in his right hand.
2
The town smelt of fish, diesel, and something sweeter he could not place.
3
He had not slept for two nights, and the brightness of the southern light made his eyes water.
4
A woman in a black headscarf passed him without looking up.
5
Edward checked his watch, an old one his father had given him in 1962, and frowned.
6
The address in his pocket was written in handwriting he did not recognise.
"Read again the first part of the source from lines 1 to 6. List four things from this part of the source about Edward." — Question (modelled stem)
A 4/4 Answer
Four points. Each about Edward (Rule 1). Each passes the name-in-front test (Rule 2). Each verifiable in a source phrase (Rule 3). Each from lines 1–6 (Rule 4). Notice how plain and unshowy they are — that's the point.
1
Edward stepped off a ferry.
2
He was carrying a heavy suitcase in his right hand.
3
He had not slept for two nights.
4
He checked an old watch that had been given to him by his father.
Why This Scores 4/4
Underline the words: "stepped off the ferry", "his suitcase heavy in his right hand", "had not slept for two nights", "checked his watch, an old one his father had given him". Four lifts. Four marks. Three minutes.
The Method
Follow these five steps and the question becomes mechanical. Don't improvise — the technique is what scores 4/4 every time.
1
1 Read the specified lines twice. Once to absorb, once to scan for facts.
2
2 Tag each clause mentally: "is this directly about the target?"
3
3 Pick four facts that pass the four rules — and check they're distinct from each other.
4
4 Write them as four numbered points. Short sentences. Source words where possible.
5
5 Don't pad with extras for insurance. The total cap is 4 marks, however you package them.
Self-Check Before You Move On
Three questions to run through your four points before you turn the page. If any answer is no, fix it before moving to Q2.
?
Are all four points inside the specified line range? Not from later in the source.
?
Could each one pass the name-in-front test? Each point should sit naturally after the target's name.
?
Can I underline the words that support each one? If no, you've over-interpreted.
Time Budget
This check takes about 30 seconds. Build it into your three-minute budget: ~2 min reading and drafting, ~30 sec writing, ~30 sec checking. Then move on.
Weak Vs Strong
Both of these point at the same fact about Edward. One scores. One doesn't. The strong version takes no longer to write.
❌ Weak
"Edward was having a hard time."Vague. Interpretation. Not directly supported by a phrase in the lines. Mark scheme: 0.
✅ Strong
"Edward had not slept for two nights."Specific. Drawn from the source's own words. Verifiable in one underline. Mark scheme: 1.
The Rule
If your point could be made about any character in any story, it's too vague. Specifics score. The more closely your sentence mirrors the source's actual nouns and verbs, the safer the mark.
What Markers Penalise
The Revision Guide identifies three patterns that account for almost every lost mark on this question, plus one less-common fourth.
Pattern A · Most Common
Outside the line range — a fact drawn from elsewhere in the source, not the specified lines. Rejected.
Pattern B
Wrong target — about a character, setting or detail other than the named target. Rejected.
Pattern C
Over-interpretation — claims that go beyond what the specified lines support. Rejected.
Pattern D · Less Common
Duplicates — two points expressing the same idea. Only one credited.
Avoid These Four
You score 4/4. There is no fifth pattern. There is no hidden trap. The question is exactly as small as it looks.
Checkpoint
Before moving to Lesson 3 (Paper 1 Question 2: How writers use language), you should now be able to:
Do Without Thinking
State the four examiner questions every point must pass.
Identify the three main errors that lose marks (outside line range / wrong target / over-interpretation), plus the less-common duplicates trap.
Complete the question in around three minutes , including the 30-second self-check.
Recognise the invariant stem and isolate the line range and target instantly.
What's Next
Lesson 3 — Paper 1 Question 2 (Language): 8 marks, ~10 minutes, AO2. The jump from "list" to "analyse" — and why it's the question most students approach with the wrong instinct.
Practice Target
Q1 is the only question in either paper you should expect to score 4/4 on consistently by exam day. If you're still losing marks here near the end of your revision, the issue isn't reading skill — it's that you haven't drilled the four-rule check often enough. Build short, regular Q1 practice into your routine until 4/4 is automatic.
Next: What Q1 Tests