Here's everything you need to know for your revision and preparation for the final exams.
The final weeks and days before the exams are a good opportunity to go over what you know and test yourself against the kind of questions that AQA like to use.
Exam: Media Paper 1
Media Paper 1 is on Wednesday 14 May in the afternoon.
Section A: Media Language, Representations and Contexts
Note: It's important to remember that either Newspapers or OSP / Videogames can come up in Paper 1. Whichever comes up in Paper 1 usually means the other topic will come up in Paper 2 so we'll be watching carefully.
Unseen text analysis
- Unseen text analysis - look at previous assessment LRs and revise mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) and other key media language from your GLoW Media glossary. When you annotate the text, first identity anything interesting on the media product that you could write about (image/text/colour scheme/font and typography etc.) Then, work out the connotations of each of those and which will help you answer the question.
Magazines
- CSPs: Tatler & Heat
- Magazines index here
- You can find the original lesson slides here in our GCSE lesson slides folder on Google Drive.
Advertising & Marketing
- CSPs: OMO, Galaxy Audrey Hepburn Chauffeur advert, NHS Represent campaign
- Advertising index here
- You can find the original lesson slides here.
Newspapers
- CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
- Newspapers index is here
- You can find the lesson slides here
OSP
- CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
- OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
- OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
- You can find all the lesson slides here.
Videogames
- CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
- Lara Croft Go - blog notes here
- Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here
Section B: Media Industries and Audiences
Note: It's important to remember that either Newspapers or OSP / Videogames can come up in Paper 1. Whichever comes up in Paper 1 usually means the other topic will come up in Paper 2 so we'll be watching carefully.
Music Video
- CSPs: BLACKPINK: How You Like That and Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
- Music Video index is here
- You can find the Music Video lesson slides here.
Radio
- CSPs: Launch of BBC Radio 1 Tony Blackburn show in 1967 and Kiss FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri
- Radio index is here
- You can find the Radio lesson slides here.
Film Industry
- CSPs: Black Widow & I, Daniel Blake
- Film Industry index here
- You can find the Film Industry lesson slides here.
Newspapers
- CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
- Newspapers index is here
- You can find the lesson slides here
OSP
- CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
- OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
- OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
- You can find all the lesson slides here.
Videogames
- CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
- Lara Croft Go - blog notes here
- Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here
Exam: Media Paper 2
Media Paper 2 is on Thursday 22 May in the afternoon.
Section A: Television
Television
- Clip from CSPs: Doctor Who OR His Dark Materials - Google Drive folder with CSP videos here
- TV index to original blog tasks here
- You can find the original lesson slides here
Section B: Newspapers OR Online, Social and Participatory Media / Videogames
Two 20 mark essays on one of the following topics:
Newspapers
- CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
- Newspapers index is here
- You can find the lesson slides here
OSP
- CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
- OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
- OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
- You can find all the lesson slides here.
Videogames
- CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
- Lara Croft Go - blog notes here
- Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here
Links and revision resources to help you
We have a range of resources to help you prepare for your final exams.
ZigZag practice papers and mark schemes
Use your paper copies of the ZigZag practice papers and mark schemes for Paper 1 and Paper 2. This is particularly good to prepare for the unusual or left-field questions that AQA like to put in their exams sometimes. Remember, if you know the terminology, the theories and the CSPs you can't go far wrong.
If you don't have a copy of the practice papers then you can collect them from DF07.
Exemplar questions and answers
You can find a document of exemplar questions and answers from previous years here. This google doc will be updated as we look at more questions and sample answers in revision lessons before the exams.
Media terminology glossary
You can find AQA's full subject glossary on their website here. Note that we won't have covered every word of this in lessons - there are too many terms and not enough time. Some of these have been covered in grade 8/9 blog extension tasks and others in additional notes on blogposts.
Revision booklet - Google Slides
Ms Lawrence has kindly put together a revision booklet on Google Slides. You need to open the link, make a copy and save it in your own Google Drive. Then you can fill in the boxes or simply use it as a base for your own revision or knowledge organisers.
CSP Knowledge Organisers
Miss Fowler put together a brilliant set of Knowledge Organisers to revise the CSPs last year. Look through these and then create your own to test your knowledge!
Revision is the key
It's important that you really put the time into your revision to make sure you know these CSPs inside out. If you would like revision cards to revise with feel free to pop in to DF07 and I'll happily provide you with them for free - you need create revision cards for all the exam CSPs and also for media terminology and theory (e.g. Mise-en-scene, Reception theory, Uses & Gratifications theory etc.) Aim to have three separate categories of revision cards:
- Media terminology
- Media theory
- CSPs
To help, here's a short blog on what makes a good flashcard - always useful to get top tips on effective revision techniques.
Don't forget there are other great resources out there - for example, Mrs Fisher's YouTube channel is great for videos on CSPs, theories and terminology. Here's Mrs Fisher's playlist of AQA CSPs:
The better you know the terminology, theory and CSPs, the better you'll do in the final exams. Good luck!
