Pearson Edexcel GCSE Japanese Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Japanese is assessed across four skills — Listening (Paper 1), Speaking (Paper 2), Reading (Paper 3), and Writing (Paper 4) — at Foundation and Higher tiers. With 193 resources, the archive spans the current 9-1 specification and legacy unitised papers (Units 1–4), and includes authentic listening MP3 recordings of native Japanese speakers. GCSE Japanese at Edexcel is primarily taken by heritage speakers and students with strong prior exposure to Japanese. The examination assesses all three Japanese writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji (a set of required kanji is defined in the specification), making it a technically demanding qualification for the Reading and Writing papers. Paper 1 — Listening — tests comprehension of native Japanese speakers in authentic conversational contexts. MP3 recordings are available in standard and extra time (25% additional) formats, with tracked recordings also included for detailed preparation use. Both Foundation and Higher tier recordings assess students' ability to understand spoken Japanese across the specification themes. Paper 2 — Speaking — is a teacher-conducted oral examination covering role play, photo card discussion, and general conversation. Students are assessed on their ability to communicate spontaneously in Japanese, express opinions, and develop ideas across the specification themes. Paper 3 — Reading — requires students to read authentic Japanese texts written in the full combination of hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Questions are answered in both Japanese and English depending on the question type. Paper 4 — Writing — assesses the ability to produce written Japanese in hiragana, katakana, and the required kanji. Tasks include structured writing, extended composition, and a translation from English to Japanese. Character accuracy and appropriate register are both assessed.