AQA GCSE
AQA GCSE Biology past papers
25 AQA GCSE Biology (8461) papers from 7 series, June 2018 to June 2025, with mark schemes and examiner reports. Every link opens the PDF on AQA’s website.
What is free: AQA releases each June series one year later: the June 2025 papers went public in July 2026.
What is held back: The newest series, June 2026, is for teachers at schools registered with AQA until AQA releases it, about a year after the exam.
June 2025
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2024
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2023
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2022
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Foundation), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2021
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2020
- Paper 1 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 1 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 1 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Foundation) Question paper for Paper 2 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Foundation), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 (Higher) Question paper for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2 (Higher), November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2018
See everything for 8461 on AQA’s website
What the Biology exam contains
AQA GCSE Biology (8461) has two papers of 1 hour 45 minutes and 100 marks each, at Foundation or Higher tier. Paper 1 covers cell biology, organisation, infection and response, and bioenergetics. Paper 2 covers homeostasis and response, inheritance, variation and evolution, and ecology. Both papers mix multiple-choice, short-answer and longer written questions, and both ask about the required practicals.
Biology at other boards
- Cambridge IGCSE Biology
- Cambridge O Level Biology
- Edexcel GCSE Biology
- Edexcel International GCSE Biology
- OCR GCSE Biology A
- Singapore G3 (O Level) Pure Biology prelims
- Singapore G3 (O Level) Science Biology prelims