Paper 2 · Narrative writing: past paper questions
Real questions on paper 2 · narrative writing
The newest 20 of 40 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 0990/21 · May/June 2026 · Q4[40]
Write a story about a new group of friends. OR Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2026 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘Following the river’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2026 · Q4[40]
Write story which includes words, they looked towards stars Or Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2026 · Q5[40]
Write a story where a decision is made to leave.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2025 · Q4[40]
Write a story that includes the words, ‘… I looked around the table … ’. OR Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2025 · Q5[40]
Write a story that involves finding a letter.
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2025 · Q4[40]
Write a story which includes the words, ‘… it could not be stopped … ’. OR Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2025 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘The path to success’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2025 · Q4[40]
Write a story which involves an extraordinary journey. OR Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2025 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘The switch’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2024 · Q4[40]
Write a story including the words ‘… I saw the light …’. OR Narrative writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2024 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘The island’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2024 · Q4[40]
Write a story which involves a misunderstanding. OR Narrative Writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘The transformation’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2024 · Q4[40]
Write a story that involves a disguise or a deception. OR Narrative Writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · May/June 2024 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘It’s only a game’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2023 · Q4[40]
Write a story that includes the words ‘… I realised I had been here before …’. OR Narrative Writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/22 · October/November 2023 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title ‘The ball’.
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2023 · Q4[40]
Write a story which includes the words, ‘… I was convinced I was right …’. OR Narrative Writing
See it on the paper → - 0990/21 · May/June 2023 · Q5[40]
Write a story with the title, ‘The silk ribbon’.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Both narrative writing questions were popular choices for candidates across the mark range though Question 4 proved to be a more common option than Question 5. There was a very wide range of plots, characters and scenarios in these responses as candidates took the opportunities offered by the open questions to determine the genre, style and content for themselves. For Question 5, examiners sometim...
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0990/21 Q5 (Cambridge)
Both narrative writing questions were popular choices for candidates across the mark range and there was a very wide range of plots, characters and scenarios in these responses. Examiners occasionally saw narratives which did not comfortably fit with either title and which, on occasion, seemed more suited to titles set in previous examinations or were pre-prepared. Although less prevalent than in...
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 0990/21 Q5 (Cambridge)
Both narrative writing questions were popular choices for candidates across the mark range and there was a very wide range of plots, characters and scenarios in these responses. Examiners occasionally saw narratives which did not comfortably fit with either title and which, on occasion, seemed more suited to titles set in previous examinations or were pre-prepared. Although less prevalent than in...
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 0990/22 Q5 (Cambridge)
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