What do the AOs actually mean in English Literature A-Level?

Why AOs matter: AOs stand for Assessment Objectives and they let you know how you will be assessed in your english literature exam. No matter what exam board you are doing, the same AOs apply to every student doing English literature. Here, I try to explain them in my own words, comparing them to what the examiners say-AO1:What the exam board says:Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.What this basically means:·  You are able to sustain a coherent argument in relation to the question posed, applying relevant terms from the genre to which the set text belongs. You are able to write with clarity and sophistication to get across your viewpoint.AO2:What the exam board says:Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.What this basically means:· How do literary and dramatic techniques contribute to the writer´s message? This is all about how the writer evokes a certain feeling on the audience/reader by manipulating form, structure or language. This is not just about sprinkling techniques the writer uses but actually acknowledging their role in the set text in terms of thematic, structural significance or what it tells us about the characters.AO3:What the exam board says:Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.What this basically means:· You understand the role played by the historical, social, political or literary events at the time and how this affects the writing of your set text. This also requires you to think about a contemporary audience (if a play) and how the audience would have reacted, bearing in mind the circumstances at the time.AO4:What the exam board says:Explore connections across literary textsWhat this basically means:·  This is not necessarily a question of finding links with other similar texts of the time from the same genre, although it can also be done. As long as the question is being answered, students will automatically engage in this AO which seeks to evaluate how well the students are able to interconnect with the genre in which a set text is written. Where this AO is most valued is when comparing two set texts, either thematically, structurally, in terms of character analysis or contexts at the time.AO5:What the exam board says: Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.What this basically means:· Include different ways of examining the set-text in relation to the question. This could be through a lens, such as Marxism, Post-Colonial, Eco-Critical or Feminism or it could be through what critics have said or based on an alternative reading of the set-text.