Harry Potter joins A-Levels Set Text Reading

According to The Daily Mail, the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in the Harry Potter series, is now a choice for A-Levels in the United Kingdom. A-Levels are academic placement tests similar to the SATs taken in the United States.

Pupils taking the English language and literature A-level next year will study Rowling's first Potter volume – the 12th best-selling book of all time and the basis for a Hollywood film – along with one other book for the module Themes in Language and Literature.

They will have to write a 1,200 to 1,500-word piece of coursework comparing the "approaches" of J.K. Rowling and the other writer.

Examiners will mark students on how they relate story lines and the activities of Harry Potter and his friends to the context of the times.

And students will have to show an understanding of J.K. Rowling's use of language, described recently as gibberish by a High Court judge. They will also have to write their own 500 to 800-word story inspired by the book.

The AQA claims it will develop "reading and writing skills through the in-depth study of writers' crafting". It adds that students will have to "describe and discuss features of genre, language and style".

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