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AQA GCSE Arabic Past Papers & Mark Schemes
AQA GCSE Arabic past papers, mark schemes, and revision guidance. 8658.
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About AQA GCSE Arabic
AQA GCSE Arabic (specification 8658) is a community language qualification assessed across the four standard MFL skills: listening (25%), speaking (25%), reading (25%) and writing (25%). It is offered at Foundation and Higher tiers. The specification covers the same three topic areas as other AQA modern languages: identity and culture, local national international and global areas of interest, and current and future study and employment.
The writing and reading papers test grammatical accuracy, range of vocabulary, and the ability to produce extended written Arabic in formal and informal registers. Translation in both directions appears in both papers. The speaking exam involves a role-play, photo-card discussion, and general conversation.
Unlike European MFLs, AQA GCSE Arabic uses Modern Standard Arabic (al-fuṣḥā al-muʿāṣira), not regional dialects. Heritage speakers should expect that idiomatic colloquialisms common at home (Levantine, Egyptian, Gulf forms) may not score in the writing paper.
Exam Paper Structure
Paper 1
Listening
⏱ 35–45 min🎯 50 marks📊 25% of grade
Paper 2
Speaking
⏱ 7–12 min🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade
Paper 3
Reading
⏱ 45–60 min🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade
Paper 4
Writing
⏱ 60–75 min🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade
Key Information
| Exam Board | AQA |
| Specification Code | 8658 |
| Qualification | GCSE |
| Grading Scale | 9–1 |
| Assessment Type | 4 (listening, speaking, reading, writing) |
| Tiers | Available in Foundation (grades 1–5) and Higher (grades 4–9) tiers |
| Number Of Papers | 4 (listening, speaking, reading, writing) |
| Exam Duration | Varies by skill |
| Total Marks | 240 |
| Available Sessions | See awarding body website |
| Total Resources | 0 |
Key Topics in Arabic
Topics you need to know
Identity and cultureLocal, national and global areasCurrent and future study/employmentModern Standard Arabic grammarTranslation (Arabic↔English)Cultural literacy in Arabic-speaking countries
Exam Command Words
| Command word | What the examiner expects |
|---|---|
| Analyse | Examine in detail how language, structure or form creates meaning and effect |
| Compare | Identify similarities and differences in writers’ choices and effects |
| Evaluate | Make a judgement about the success or impact of a text, supporting it with evidence |
| Explain | Give reasons for an effect, supported by precise textual reference |
| Comment on | Offer an interpretation of a feature or quotation |
| Discuss | Consider different interpretations or aspects of a text |
Typical Grade Boundaries
| Grade | Approximate mark needed |
|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 76–86% |
| Grade 8 | 63–75% |
| Grade 7 | 51–62% |
| Grade 6 | 43–50% |
| Grade 5 | 35–42% |
| Grade 4 | 27–34% |
⚠️ Typical Higher tier boundaries across two papers. Actual boundaries vary by series — check the awarding body website.
How to Use AQA GCSE Arabic Past Papers Effectively
For Foundation candidates, the highest-impact revision area is verb conjugation in the present tense across all three persons, plus the past tense of common verbs (كتب / ذهب / درس). Drill conjugation tables daily for the final eight weeks.
Vocabulary should be organised by AQA topic area, not alphabetically. Build five flashcard decks: identity & culture, local area, national/international, future studies, current world issues — with 100 words each. Review using spaced repetition (Anki, Quizlet).
For the writing paper at Higher tier, structure each extended response in three paragraphs with at least one example each of: a complex tense (perfect, future, conditional), a comparative or superlative adjective, an opinion-plus-justification phrase (في رأيي أن... لأن...), and a connector other than و (لكن, بدلاً من, بالإضافة إلى). Mark schemes reward range explicitly.
For speaking, prepare a one-minute presentation per topic area and record yourself; practise the photo-card by describing five photographs from current Arabic-language news websites (Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic).
Reading papers always include one literary or journalistic extract — read one Al Jazeera article per week from now until the exam, looking up unknown vocabulary and adding it to your decks.
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