AQA GCSE
AQA GCSE English Language past papers
18 AQA GCSE English Language (8700) papers from 9 series, November 2020 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 Question paper for Paper 1, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, June 2025 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2024
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, November 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2024
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, June 2024 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2023
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Mark scheme for Paper 2, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, November 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2023
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, June 2023 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2022
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, November 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
June 2022
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, June 2022 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2021
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, November 2021 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
November 2020
- Paper 1 Question paper for Paper 1, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 1, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 1, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 1, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
- Paper 2 Question paper for Paper 2, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Insert for Paper 2, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Mark scheme for Paper 2, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website) Examiner report for Paper 2, November 2020 (PDF, opens on AQA’s website)
See everything for 8700 on AQA’s website
What the English Language exam contains
AQA GCSE English Language (8700) has two untiered papers of 1 hour 45 minutes and 80 marks each. Paper 1, Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, has questions on a fiction extract, then asks you to write a description or a story. Paper 2, Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives, compares two non-fiction texts from different centuries, then asks you to write your own view on a topic. Spoken language is assessed separately.