Pearson Edexcel GCSE Russian Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Russian is assessed across four skills — Listening (Paper 1), Speaking (Paper 2), Reading (Paper 3), and Writing (Paper 4) — at Foundation and Higher tiers. With 197 resources, the archive spans the current 9-1 specification and legacy unitised papers (Units 1–4), and includes authentic MP3 listening recordings of native Russian speakers. GCSE Russian at Edexcel is primarily taken by heritage speakers with prior exposure to the language at home or in community settings. The examination assesses Russian in the Cyrillic script and covers the three specification themes: Identity and Culture, Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest, and Current and Future Study and Employment. Paper 1 — Listening — includes standard-speed MP3 recordings of native Russian speakers at both Foundation and Higher tiers. Extra time (25% additional) versions and tracked recordings are also included, alongside recording paper versions of past papers. Speaking examination booklets (for Paper 2) are also part of this archive. Paper 2 — Speaking — is a teacher-conducted oral examination lasting 7–9 minutes at Foundation and 10–12 minutes at Higher. It covers role play, photo card discussion, and general conversation. Speaking examination booklets for both Foundation and Higher are included in this archive. Paper 3 — Reading — assesses comprehension of written Russian texts in Cyrillic, with questions answered in both Russian and English. Paper 4 — Writing — assesses the ability to produce written Russian in Cyrillic script, including structured writing, extended composition, and a translation from English to Russian. Accuracy of Cyrillic writing, grammar, and vocabulary are all assessed. The legacy unitised papers (Units 1–4) are also available and provide additional practice across all four skills.