CCEA Written Exam | Stark Drama

The CCEA Strategy: 30/20 Split

The CCEA paper requires excellent time management. You have 90 minutes for 50 marks. Section A (Set Text) is worth 30 marks, so spend roughly 55 minutes here. Section B (Live Theatre) is worth 20 marks, so give yourself 35 minutes to write a highly detailed evaluation.

Section A: Set Text (30 Marks)

You will answer three compulsory questions on your chosen set play (e.g., Blood Brothers).

Question 1: The Design Focus 10 Marks

🎨 Creating the Environment

What it asks: How would you use a specific design element (costume, lighting, set, or sound) to establish a specific mood, era, or character trait?

Examiner Secret: Always link your design choices back to the audience. Don't just say "I would use a red gel." Say "I would use a red gel on a Fresnel lantern to wash the stage, creating an immediate sense of danger for the audience and reflecting the rising tension of the scene."

Question 2 & 3: The Acting/Directing Focus 10 + 10 Marks

🎭 Bringing the Text to Life

What it asks: How an actor would use voice and movement to play a character, or how a director would stage a specific interaction.

Examiner Secret: Be incredibly specific with your acting terminology. Use words like proxemics, levels, pitch, pace, tone, and inflection. For every skill you list, you must provide a direct quote from the text to justify why the character is behaving that way.

Section B: Live Theatre Evaluation (20 Marks)

You will answer ONE question evaluating a professional piece of live theatre you have seen.

The Evaluation Essay 20 Marks

⚖️ Justify the Impact

What it asks: To analyze how successfully the production company used acting or design skills to communicate the play's themes to the audience.

Examiner Secret: Do not fall into the trap of re-telling the story! CCEA examiners want to read an evaluation, not a summary. Pick three distinct moments from the play. Use the formula: Describe the exact skill used ➔ Analyze what it meant ➔ Evaluate how successful it was in making the audience feel the intended emotion.