How to Achieve an A* in A-Level Media Studies

A-Level Media Studies is a subject that combines theoretical analysis, critical thinking, creative production, and contemporary cultural awareness. Achieving an A* requires a solid grasp of media theories and contexts, confident textual analysis, and the ability to apply concepts both analytically and creatively. This guide will help you approach your revision and coursework strategically to maximise your chances of top-grade success.

Understand the Specification and Assessment Objectives

Before beginning any detailed revision, it is essential to know what the exam board expects. A-Level Media Studies is assessed via a combination of written exams and practical coursework (Non-Exam Assessment, or NEA).

Key Exam Boards:

• AQA
• Eduqas  

Check the exact requirements for your board, but most syllabuses cover the following components:

1. Media Language
2. Media Representation
3. Media Industries
4. Media Audiences
5. Set Products (ranging across film, television, advertising, video games, magazines, online media, etc.)
6. Theoretical Frameworks
7. Media Contexts (historical, cultural, political, social)

Assessment Objectives (AO):

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the media theoretical framework.
• AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding to analyse media products.
• AO3: Demonstrate research, planning and production skills (for coursework).
• AO4: Create media products for an intended audience using appropriate forms and conventions.

Revise the Theoretical Framework in Detail

Understanding and applying the theoretical framework is central to all components of A-Level Media Studies.

The Four Key Areas:

1. Media Language: Semiotics, narrative, genre conventions, technical codes (camera work, editing, sound, mise-en-scène).
2. Media Representation: Stereotypes, social groups, identities, gender, ethnicity, age, and how representations are constructed.
3. Media Industries: Production, distribution, regulation, convergence, ownership and control.
4. Media Audiences: Targeting, positioning, audience theory, active/passive consumption.

Core Theorists to Learn:

• Roland Barthes – semiotics
• Todorov – narrative theory
• Stuart Hall – representation and reception
• Judith Butler – gender performativity
• Bell Hooks – intersectional feminism
• David Gauntlett – identity
• Jean Baudrillard – postmodernism
• Livingstone and Lunt – regulation
• Curran and Seaton – media power and ownership

Learn what each theorist argues, and, crucially, how to apply their ideas to specific media texts.

Study the Set Products Thoroughly

Each exam board specifies a range of set products that you must be able to analyse in detail. You must know their:

• Media language (e.g. camera techniques, lighting, editing, sound)
• Representations (e.g. how gender, race, or age is portrayed)
• Industry context (e.g. who produced it, how it was funded, distributed)
• Audience positioning (e.g. how it targets or appeals to different groups)
• Political, social, and cultural significance

Study Tips:

• Create a revision folder for each set product with notes and annotated screenshots.
• Develop comparison tables that show similarities and contrasts between set texts.
• Create cue cards that summarise each product using the four areas of the theoretical framework.

You should be prepared to compare texts, evaluate ideological perspectives, and make sophisticated arguments about media form and meaning.

Perfect Your Exam Technique

Top marks are awarded to students who demonstrate clear structure, depth of understanding, and precision in writing.

Essay Writing Tips:

• Always refer to specific examples from set products.
• Integrate theorists naturally into your analysis (avoid simply name-dropping).
• Use subject-specific terminology (e.g., ‘intertextuality’, ‘polysemy’, ‘binary oppositions’).
• Structure your response clearly: introduction, main argument with paragraphs, conclusion.
• Ensure your analysis links form (how it’s made) with meaning (what it conveys).

Time Management:

• Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to check spelling, grammar, and clarity.
• Allocate time proportionally — e.g., spend more time on 20- or 25-mark questions than 10-mark ones.

Practise timed essays regularly and ask your teacher for feedback, particularly on AO1 and AO2 skills.

Succeed in the Coursework (NEA)

The NEA is worth 30% of your final grade and is an opportunity to demonstrate creativity and apply theory in practice. It typically involves producing two linked media products (e.g., magazine cover and contents page, music video and promotional website) for a chosen brief.

How to Excel in NEA:

• Research existing professional products in your chosen genre and format.
• Keep a comprehensive production log (to meet AO3 criteria).
• Use appropriate equipment and editing software to create polished outcomes.
• Consider how your product fits into a real-world media industry context (who is the audience, how would it be distributed, etc.).
• Justify your creative decisions using media theory and the theoretical framework.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Poor time management — start early and set milestones.
• Weak research or planning — these are part of the marks.
• Ignoring conventions — subverting them is fine, but only with clear justification.

Remember: your final media product must look professional and be supported by detailed planning and evaluation.

Stay Current with Media Trends and Case Studies

Examiners reward students who demonstrate awareness of contemporary debates and trends.

Examples of Useful Topics:

• Representation in social media and online culture.
• Streaming services and the decline of traditional broadcast television.
• Changing gender and identity norms in advertising.
• The impact of algorithms and data on media consumption.
• Media regulation in the digital age (e.g., Ofcom, age ratings, censorship).

Use examples from recent media products outside the set texts (e.g., Netflix series, viral TikTok campaigns, political advertising) to enrich your answers and show critical thinking.

Use Active Revision Techniques

Avoid passively reading your notes. Instead, use active recall and self-testing techniques to reinforce learning.

Strategies That Work:

• Practice exam past papers, you can find all the available past papers on Revision World.
• Create flashcards for key theorists, definitions, and case studies.
• Record audio summaries of key topics and listen back.
• Use quizzes or online tools to test your understanding.
• Annotate scenes from films, magazine pages, or adverts and practise applying theory.
• Join study groups to discuss and debate key topics.

Regularly test yourself under timed conditions and review mark schemes to assess how your answers align with A-level expectations.

Maintain a Balanced and Realistic Study Plan

Success at A-Level depends not just on academic skills but also on personal organisation and wellbeing.

Final Tips for Success:

• Create a revision timetable that balances content revision, theory application, and NEA work. You can create a revision timetable on Revision World.
• Take regular breaks and avoid burnout and work in focused sessions.
• Keep all revision materials (notes, essay plans, annotated set texts) organised.
• Ask your teachers for feedback and act on it.
• Review examiners’ reports for insight into common mistakes and top-level expectations.

A* Student Insights

• “I always linked theory to specific scenes or images and that’s what helped my essays stand out.”
• “Planning your NEA like a real-world project makes it more coherent and professional.”
• “Don’t ignore the industry and audience questions as they’re often where people drop marks.”
• “Flashcards and visual examples really helped me remember theorists and terminology.”