AQAGCSE34 resources

AQA GCSE English Language Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA GCSE English Language (8700) past papers and mark schemes. Paper 1 & Paper 2. 68 resources from 2017 to 2024.

📅June 2017 – June 2024📄34 resources available✅Free to download

Papers Overview Paper Structure Key Info Key Topics Command Words Grade Boundaries Revision Tips Try AI Tutor ✦

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34 of 34 resources — page 1 of 2

June 2023

4 files

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GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2023

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GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2023

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GCSE English Language – Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2023

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GCSE English Language – Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2023

Mark Scheme

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November 2022

6 files

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GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

Question Paper

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GCSE English Language – Insert: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

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GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

Question Paper

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GCSE English Language – Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

Question Paper

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✅

GCSE English Language – Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

Mark Scheme

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📎

GCSE English Language – Insert (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2022

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June 2022

5 files

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GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2022

Question Paper

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📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2022

Question Paper

Download

✅

GCSE English Language – Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2022

Mark Scheme

Download

📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2022

Question Paper

Download

📎

GCSE English Language – Insert: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – June 2022

Insert

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November 2021

6 files

📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Question Paper

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📎

GCSE English Language – Insert: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Insert

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📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Question Paper

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📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Question Paper

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✅

GCSE English Language – Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Mark Scheme

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📎

GCSE English Language – Insert (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2021

Insert

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November 2020

4 files

📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2020

Question Paper

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📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt): Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2020

Question Paper

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📄

GCSE English Language – Question paper: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2020

Question Paper

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✅

GCSE English Language – Mark scheme: Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing – November 2020

Mark Scheme

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About AQA GCSE English Language

AQA GCSE English Language (specification code 8700) is a non-tiered qualification assessed through two written exams and a spoken language endorsement. The spoken component is separately endorsed and does not affect the grade (1–9) students receive. Paper 1 is called 'Explorations in creative reading and writing' and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes. It carries 80 marks across two sections. Section A presents an extract from a literary fiction text (typically a novel or short story) and asks four questions: a short retrieval question, a language analysis question, a structural analysis question, and an extended evaluation question. Section B is a creative writing task, either descriptive or narrative, inspired by or related to the stimulus in Section A. Students choose one task from two options. Paper 2 is called 'Writers' viewpoints and perspectives' and also lasts 1 hour 45 minutes with 80 marks. Section A provides two non-fiction source texts — typically one 21st-century and one 19th-century text — on a related topic. Students answer four questions: comparing ideas, analysing language, reading synthesis, and a comparison question. Section B is a non-fiction writing task — students may be asked to write a letter, article, speech, or similar form arguing or persuading on a given topic. Both papers assess reading (AO1–AO4) and writing (AO5–AO6). The reading questions are structured to reward increasingly sophisticated analysis, while the writing tasks are marked on content and organisation (AO5) and technical accuracy — spelling, punctuation, and grammar (AO6). Grade boundaries vary considerably by year, particularly on the writing tasks where subjective marking means slightly different boundaries from one series to another.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1No calculator

Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing

⏱ 1 hour 45 minutes🎯 80 marks📊 50% of grade

Reading a fiction or literary non-fiction extractCreative writing (narrative or descriptive)

Paper 2No calculator

Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives

⏱ 1 hour 45 minutes🎯 80 marks📊 50% of grade

Reading two non-fiction textsViewpoints and perspectivesTransactional writing for a specific purpose and audience

Key Information

Exam Board	AQA
Specification Code	8700
Qualification	GCSE
Grading Scale	9–1 (spoken language: Pass/Merit/Distinction, reported separately)
Assessment Type	2 written exams + spoken language endorsement (non-exam)
Number Of Papers	2
Exam Duration	1 hour 45 minutes per paper
Total Marks	160 (80 per paper)
Calculator Status	Not applicable
Available Sessions	June 2017 – June 2024
Total Resources	68

Key Topics in English Language

Topics you need to know

Reading fiction for meaning and languageCreative and narrative writingReading non-fiction and viewpointsPersuasive and transactional writingAnalysing writers' language and structureEvaluating a writer's choices

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Identify	Name or locate specific words, phrases or features without elaboration
Summarise	Bring together key points from two texts in your own words
Analyse	Examine how language and structure work, explaining the effects they create
Evaluate	Judge how successfully a writer achieves their purpose, using textual evidence
Compare	Explore similarities and differences between writers' methods and perspectives
Explain	Make clear why a writer uses a technique and what effect it has
Write	Produce your own original piece in the specified form and for the stated audience

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
Grade 9	74–84%
Grade 8	63–73%
Grade 7	53–62%
Grade 6	44–52%
Grade 5	35–43%
Grade 4	26–34%
Grade 3	17–25%
Grade 2	9–16%
Grade 1	1–8%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across two papers (160 total marks). Actual boundaries vary by series — check AQA's website.

How to Use AQA GCSE English Language Past Papers Effectively

The most important thing to understand about AQA GCSE English Language is that the mark scheme does not list specific points you must make — it uses level descriptors. This means there are no 'right answers' in the way there are for Maths. Instead, examiners award marks based on the quality, sophistication, and organisation of your analysis. When you read a mark scheme, focus on understanding what Level 4 responses do differently from Level 3 responses, not on memorising specific quotations. For the language analysis questions on both papers, the most common error in examiner reports is identifying a language technique without explaining its effect on the reader. A response that says 'the writer uses a metaphor' scores at Level 1. A response that explains what the metaphor creates and links it back to a theme or purpose scores much higher. Practise by choosing a quotation and explaining not just what the writer does, but what effect it creates and why. On the creative writing tasks, timed practice is essential. Many students run out of time on Section B after spending too long on Section A. A useful rule of thumb: spend 45 minutes on Section A reading questions and 45 minutes on Section B writing. Plan your creative writing before you start — even a 5-minute plan helps you write with clear structure and purpose. When practising with past papers, always write under timed conditions. Then compare your response to the mark scheme's level descriptors, not the example answers — example answers are just one way to respond, not the only way.

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AQA GCSE English Language Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download Past Papers

June 2023

November 2022

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

About AQA GCSE English Language

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in English Language

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

How to Use AQA GCSE English Language Past Papers Effectively

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