AO4 — Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references.
(Verbatim spec text private side only — © AQA)
Tests canonical
Where assessed
Paper 1 Section A only. Typically the final, longest question on the paper — asking students to evaluate the writer’s success against a critical proposition.
Cross-overlay equivalents
- Edexcel IGCSE 4EA1 AO2 (partial — Edexcel weaves critical evaluation into AO2 rather than separating it)
Not present at FS Level 2.
Awarding-body notes
This AO is what most distinguishes AQA from Edexcel pedagogically — AQA explicitly asks for evaluative judgement, treating the reader as critic rather than purely as analyst.