AQA GCSE Dance Past Papers & Mark Schemes

AQA GCSE Dance (specification code 8236) combines practical and written assessment. The qualification is split across three components: performance (40%), choreography (40%), and dance appreciation — the written component — which accounts for 20% of the final grade. The written exam, Component 2 (Dance appreciation), lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and is worth 40 marks. It assesses students' understanding of dance as an art form, including knowledge of the choreographic process, performance skills, and the ability to analyse and evaluate professional dance works from the AQA set works list. Set works are announced in advance and updated periodically. Students must study the works in detail — understanding the choreographer's intentions, the movement vocabulary, the use of production elements (lighting, costume, set design, and music), and how these contribute to the overall artistic impact. Past papers include questions asking students to describe, analyse, and compare set works, as well as questions about choreographic and performance skills in general. The practical components are internally assessed and externally moderated. For the performance component, students are assessed performing in both a solo and group context. For choreography, students create and perform their own dance work responding to a stimulus. The written exam is the only externally examined component, and the past papers available here relate exclusively to Component 2.