Mark Scheme (Results)

October 2023

Pearson Edexcel International Lower

Secondary Curriculum in English (LEH11)
Paper 01
 Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications

Edexcel and BTEC qualifications are awarded by Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding body.
We provide a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational
and specific programmes for employers. For further information visit our qualifications
websites at [Link] or [Link]. Alternatively, you can get in touch with
us using the details on our contact us page at [Link]/contactus

Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere

Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help everyone
progress in their lives through education. We believe in every kind of learning, for all kinds
of people, wherever they are in the world. We’ve been involved in education for over 150
years, and by working across 70 countries, in 100 languages, we have built an
international reputation for our commitment to high standards and raising achievement
through innovation in education. Find out more about how we can help you and your
students at: [Link]/uk

October 2023
Publication Code LEH11_01_MS_2310
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2023
 General Marking Guidance

 All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the
last candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the first.
 Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded
for what they have shown they can do rather than penalised for omissions.
 Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme – not according to
their perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.
 All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded. Examiners
should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the
mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award zero marks if
the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according to the mark
scheme.
 Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the
principles by which marks will be awarded and exemplification/indicative
content will not be exhaustive.
 When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark
scheme to a candidate’s response, a senior examiner must be consulted
before a mark is given.
 Crossed out work should be marked unless the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.

Specific Marking Guidance

When deciding how to reward an answer, examiners should consult both the
indicative content and the associated marking grid(s). When using a levels-based
mark scheme, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.
 Examiners should first decide which descriptor most closely matches the
answer and place it in that level.
 The mark awarded within the level will be decided based on the quality of
the answer and will be modified according to how securely all bullet points
are displayed at that level.
 Indicative content is exactly that – they are factual points that candidates
are likely to use to construct their answer.
 It is possible for an answer to be constructed without mentioning some or
all of these points, as long as they provide alternative responses to the
indicative content that fulfils the requirements of the question. It is the
examiner’s responsibility to apply their professional judgement to the
candidate’s response in determining if the answer fulfils the requirements
of the question.
Mark scheme

Section A: Reading

Text 1

Question Answer Mark

number
1 RAO4 (1)

Award one mark for:

C. almost

Question Answer Mark

number
2 RAO2 (1)

Award one mark for references to them being in

competition/opponents.

Question Answer Mark

number
3 RAO4 (1)

Award 1 mark for references to any of the following, e.g.:

 individual
 separate
 own
 personal
 specific
 particular

Question Answer Mark

number
4 RAO1 (1)

Award one mark for references to:

 no cell phone
 no radio
 (bear in mind) it was 1911 and communications
hadn’t been developed

Do not accept reference to 1911 without further detail.

Question Answer Mark
number
5 RAO3 (2)

Award up to 2 marks for references to, e.g.:

 emphasis/standing out
 elevates the importance
 the first (A near perfect matched pair) foreshadows
the rest of the content

Question Answer Mark

number
6 RAO5 (2)

Award 1 mark for references to the writer’s purpose using

either quote, e.g.:

 to the failure of Scott’s expedition

 to Scott’s success (overall)

The writer says that he has not achieved his mission of

claiming the Pole (1)

The writer tells us that Scott’s fossil was a useful find (1)

Award two marks for recognition of the contrast between

the negative summary of Scott’s achievement and the
positive summary of Scott’s legacy.

Although Scott didn’t reach the Pole first, the writer tells us
about the impact of his experiments and the lasting
importance of his work.
Text 2

Question Answer Mark

number
7 RAO4 (1)

Award 1 mark for an appropriate synonym for, e.g.:

 innovative
 inventive
 resourceful

Do not accept references to intelligence

Question Answer Mark

number
8 RAO1 (2)
RAO2

Award one mark for reference (supported with text evidence) to,
e.g.:

 the raft was fine/serviceable (even after two weeks) (RAO2)

(1)

 the rope nestled/embedded itself into the soft wood (RAO1)

(1)

 the experts predicted failure/sinking (1 RAO1) but the

friction did not cause a problem (1 RAO2) (2)

Question Answer Mark

number
9 RAO4 (1)

Award one mark for:

A. last
Question Answer Mark
number
10 RAO5 (2)

Award one mark for any reasonable identification and one

mark for appropriate evidence, up to a maximum of two
marks.

For example, any recognition of the writer’s intent to

highlight:

 little and/or no rest (sleep)

 diversity of role (difference of speed/weather, etc.)

 expertise/subject knowledge (difference of

speed/weather, etc.)

 reference to bloodshot eyes (tired and easily spottable)

because they found it hard/tiring/demanding (1)

Also accept reference to the essentiality of the role but do

not accept repetition of ‘importance’ without further
interpretation.

Question Answer Mark

number
11 RAO3 (1)

Award 1 mark for:

D. feasible
Text 1 and Text 2

Question Answer Mark

number
12 RAO3 (2)
Award one mark for two or three correct.
Award two marks for all four correct.

Feature in text Text Text Both

1 2 texts
Commas in a list 
Subheading 
Emboldening 
Imperative verb 

Accept any positive correct identification.

Question Answer Mark

number
13 RAO2 (two marks) RAO4 (two marks) RAO5 (two marks) (6)

Explain the contrasting ways these sentences reflect the writer’s

purpose of each text.

Text 1: ‘Yet he failed at the biggest, as viewed at that time.’

Text 2: ‘They eventually reached their destination.’

 Simple comment with implicit contrast, for example:

The first is negative but Text 2 is positive (1) RAO2.

One is about not reaching the destination and the other one is
about getting there (2) RA02.

 Explanation with explicit reference to the contrast:

In Text 1 the writer is telling us all about how Scott failed on his
expedition/journey but in Text 2 he concentrates on efforts made to
achieve their goal (3) RAO 5 - 1 mark RAO2 – 2 marks

 Response is a clear explanation of the contrast:

In Text 1 the writer gives a lot of information about Scott’s legacy

and how he impacted on the understanding of science despite not
reaching the Pole first. The writer in Text 2 concentrates on and
highlights the success of the expedition all the way through and
how the experts were proved incorrect. (5) RAO 4 – 1 mark RAO 5 –
2 marks RAO2 – 2 marks
Level Mark Descriptor
Level 1 1–2 Response is a simple comment with implicit contrast, referring to
either one or two of:
 deducing, inferring or interpreting information, events or ideas
 the use of language at word level
 writers’ purpose and viewpoint/overall effect on the reader.
Level 2 3–4 Response is an explanation with explicit reference to the contrast,
focused on two of:
 deducing, inferring or interpreting information, events or ideas
 the use of language at word level
 writers’ purpose and viewpoint/overall effect on the reader.
Level 3 5–6 Response is a clear explanation of the contrast, focusing on:
 deducing, inferring or interpreting information, events or ideas
 the use of language at word level
 writers’ purpose and viewpoint/overall effect on the reader.

Question Answer Mark

number
14 RAO4 (one mark) RAO5 (one mark) (2)

Award one mark for any reasonable explanation and one

mark for appropriate evidence, up to a maximum of two
marks.

For example:

 Text 1 is more appealing because it explains the

contrast between the winner and the loser/two
explorers but in the end, the reader realises that Scott
was a winner/an achiever. ‘Who can call that a failure?’
RAO4 1-mark RAO5 1 mark

 Text 2 is more appealing because the writer gives a

description of how the Kon Tiki expedition proved that
the old ways of drifting worked. (1). Ancient
peoples may have made long sea voyages. (1). RAO4 1
mark RAO5 1 mark
Text 3

Question Answer Mark

number
15 RAO2 (2)
RAO4

Award 1 mark for a reference to time seeming to pass

slowly/quickly:

 things seemed to be happening quickly (1)

 it felt like things were moving slowly (1)

Award 2 marks for an explicit explanation of the contrast of the

choice of words:

 it gives an effect that even though things were happening

really quickly, it felt much longer, like slow motion (2)

Question Answer Mark

number
16 RAO4 (1)

Award one mark for appropriate responses.

For example:

 whirling
 spiralling
 swishing
 spinning
 circling

Do not accept words that do not fit grammatically into the

sentence.

Question Answer Mark

number
17 RAO1
(1)
Award one mark for:

 one mistake and I am dead

Do not accept any other response.

Question Answer Mark
number
18 RAO2 (1)

Award the mark for:

C. turbulent

Question Answer Mark

number
19 RAO3 (4)
RAO5

Award up to two marks for references to each RAO up to

four marks.

RAO3 (2 marks) RAO5 (2 marks)

The full stops/single It shows that the writer
words stress the is terrified/deeply
danger. (1) fearful. (1)
One-word sentences The writer shows what
emphasise the a precarious situation it
words/language. (1) really is. (1)
Question Answer Mark
number
20 RAO5 (2)

Award 1 mark for references to the writer being to

blame/at fault for the situation she was in with evidence
from the text, e.g.:

 this is to show us that she was to blame because she

was unprepared (1)

 the writer is saying that she did not study the route
(1)

 it is letting us know that the problem was down to

her – ‘choosing a valley without studying contour
lines’ (1)

Award 2 marks for references to the writer being totally to

blame/at fault for the situation she was in with evidence
from the text, i.e., not the fault of the mountain conditions,
e.g.:

 the writer says this because there is nothing else to

blame but her own actions – ‘this is no mountain
accident/unfortunate turn of events’ (2)

Question Answer Mark

number
21 RAO2 (4)
RAO4

Award 1 mark for each reference, up to 2 marks about the boulders

being:

 unstable/about to fall
 able to cause great injury
 able to break major bones
 incredibly dangerous
 large

Award up to 2 marks for references to the comparison between

ankle and femur bones:

 this shows us that the boulders will break large bones never
mind the smaller ones
 the comparison of the size of the ankle and femur bones to
demonstrate the potential for greater injury
Section B: Writing

Question Indicative content

number
22 WAO1 (18 marks), WAO2 (12 marks)

Purpose: to write a diary entry to describe, entertain and inform.

Audience: the writing is a diary/journal for family, friends and followers with
possible publication on social media. The focus is on describing the
experience. This may involve a range of approaches including description,
narrative or recount.

Form: The response will be in a diary/descriptive/recount form.

Responses may include:

 details of the expedition/event
 a description of what happened
 reactions, thoughts and feelings of the writer.

Form, communication and purpose

Level Mark WAO1 descriptor

 Some content linked to task with an awareness of audience. Form
is sometimes maintained.
S1 1–4  Some paragraphs or sections logically sequenced, although
transitions may be awkward.
 Some stylistic features are used to support purpose.
 Mostly appropriate to task with clear awareness of audience. Form
mostly established and maintained.
 Organised with clear control of paragraphs or sections that
S2 5–9
supports coherence.
 Stylistic features used add emphasis and interest which mostly
supports purpose.
 Appropriate to task with secure awareness of audience. Form
established and maintained throughout.
 Organised with clear control of paragraphs or sections that
S3 10–14
supports coherence throughout.
 Stylistic features used add emphasis and interest which supports
purpose.
 Sophisticated awareness of audience. Form adapted and
controlled for purpose.
S4 15–18  Organised with complete control of paragraphs or sections with
coherence throughout.
 Stylistic features used confidently fully supporting purpose.
Grammar, punctuation and spelling

Level Mark WAO2 descriptor

 Some sentences grammatically sound with some complex

connectives used.
S1 1–3  Some sentences correctly demarcated, with mostly correct use of
internal punctuation.
 Spelling of common functional words is accurate with some lapses.

 Sentences mostly grammatically sound with an emerging range of

complex connectives used to develop sentences.
S2 4–6  Most sentences correctly demarcated, with mostly correct use of
internal punctuation.
 Spelling is mostly accurate including evidence of more ambitious
vocabulary.

 Sentences are grammatically secure with complex connectives used

to develop sentences.
S3 7–9  Sentences are correctly demarcated with appropriate use of
punctuation.
 Spelling is accurate with more ambitious choices used
appropriately.

 Sentences are grammatically assured and used effectively

throughout.
S4 10–12  Sentences are demarcated correctly and with sophisticated use of
punctuation.
 Spelling is accurate with ambitious choices used appropriately and
confidently.
Pearson Education Limited. Registered company number 872828
with its registered office at 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, United Kingdom