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GCSE Exam Past Papers

This section includes recent GCSE exam past papers for many GCSE subjects. Click on the links below to go to the relevant subject's past papers, they are free to download.

Business (including Economics)

Combined Science

Computer Science

Design and Technology

English Language

English Literature

Food Preparation and Nutrition

Physical Education (PE)

Religious Studies (RS)

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Find past paper questions so you can make customised assessments for revision, homework and topic tests for GCSE, AS and A-level.

How to find GCSE past papers: Where to access practice exams for all subjects from AQA, SQA, Edexcel and OCR

Past papers as well as marking guides can be accessed on the exam board websites.

Exam season is upon us with GCSEs starting next week and for the first time in two years students will be sitting papers across the UK .

Many of those set to take their GCSEs will want to have some practice runs on past exam papers.

They are available from exam boards and can give you a sense of what to expect as well as help you time your answers.

Here is a guide to how to find them.

How can I get past GCSE papers?

There are four GCSE exam boards. These are:

Check what your exam board is for your GCSEs before you go on the hunt for past papers.

If you want AQA past papers you can log on to its website here .

For Edexcel, its past papers can be found here .

The SQA exam board have previous papers on its website here .

And past papers for the OCR exam board can be accessed here .

The papers are free and also have a guide to other aspects of the exams including the marking schemes, examiner reports, and practice materials.

What are the different GCSE grade boundaries?

According to the AQA exam board: “Grade boundaries show the minimum number of marks you need for each grade, and are published on results day.

“Once all exam papers have been marked, grade boundaries are set by senior examiners and assessment experts.

“It’s not until after all the marking has been completed that it’s possible to see how difficult students found the paper.”

To find out the specific grade boundaries for GCSEs it is best to go to the relevant exam board’s website where it lays them out in detail.

When you receive your results the GCSE grading system is as follows:

• 9 = High A* 
• 8 = Low A* or high A grade
• 7 = Low A grade
• 6 = High B grade
• 5 = Low B or high C grade
• 4 = Low C grade
• 3 = D or high E grade
• 2 = Low E or high F grade
• 1 = Low F or G grade

Exam watchdog Ofqual announced this week that assessments for GCSEs and A-levels in England are to return to pre-pandemic rules next year.

This will mean students will have to answer questions on any part of the curriculum rather than selected topics in a number of GCSE subjects – a measure that was introduced in light of Covid disruption.

The grading of next year’s GCSE and as well as A-level exams is also set to  return to pre-pandemic standards to reverse the grade inflation of 2020 and 2021 .

When are 2022 GCSEs being held?

According to the TES , they will start on 16 May and finish on 28 June. This is longer than usual as a minimum of 10 days has been placed between some exams as a precautionary measure so that if a student becomes ill they won’t miss all their exams in a subject. 

GCSE results day will be on Thursday 25 August 2022.

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AQA: GCSE Exam Papers

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GCSE Drama, Unit 1: Written Paper - May 2016

GCSE Drama, Component 1: Understanding Drama - 2018

GCSE Drama, Unit 1: Written Paper - 2015

GCSE Drama, Unit 1: Written Paper - 2014

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Additional Science, Unit Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B2 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper 2F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper 1H - 2018 .pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper 2H - 2018 .pdf

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper 1F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2017

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2014

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2015

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B3 - 2016

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2016

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2017

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B3 - 2015

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B2 - 2017

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B2 - 2016

GCSE Additional Science: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B2 - 2014

GCSE Additional Science: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B2 - 2015

GCSE Science A: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2016

GCSE Additional Science, Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B2 - 2017

GCSE Additional Science, Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B2 - 2016

GCSE Additional Science: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B2 - 2015

GCSE Additional Science: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B2 - 2014

GCSE Science A: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper H1 - 2017

GCSE Science A: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2014

GCSE Science A: Biology, Higher Tier, Paper B1 - 2015

GCSE Science A: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2016

GCSE Science A: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2017

GCSE Science A: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2014

GCSE Science A: Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper B1 - 2015

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper 2H - 2018

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper 2F - 2018

GCSE Biology, Higher Tier, Paper 1H - 2018

GCSE Biology, Foundation Tier, Paper 1F - 2018

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Higher Tier - 2014

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Foundation Tier - 2014

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Higher Tier - 2017

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Higher Tier - 2016

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Higher Tier - 2015

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Foundation Tier - 2017

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Foundation Tier - 2016

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Higher Tier - 2017

GCSE Chemistry: Unit Chemistry C3, Foundation Tier - 2015

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Higher Tier - 2014

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Foundation Tier - 2017

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Higher Tier - 2016

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Higher Tier - 2015

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Foundation Tier - 2016

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Foundation Tier - 2014

GCSE Additional Science: Chemistry C2, Foundation Tier - 2015

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Higher Tier - 2017

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Higher Tier - 2014

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Higher Tier - 2016

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Higher Tier - 2015

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Foundation Tier - 2017

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Foundation Tier - 2016

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Foundation Tier - 2014

GCSE Science A: Chemistry C1, Foundation Tier - 2015

GCSE Chemistry: 2H, Higher Tier - 2018

GCSE Chemistry: 2F, Foundation Tier - 2018

GCSE Chemistry: 1H, Higher Tier - 2018

GCSE Chemistry: 1F, Foundation Tier - 2018

GCSE Design and Technology: Food Technology, Unit 1 - 2015

GCSE Drama, Component 1, Understanding Drama - 2018 .pdf

GCSE Drama, Unit 1 Written Paper - 2016.pdf

GCSE Drama, Unit 1 Written Paper - 2015.pdf

GCSE Drama, Unit 1 Written Paper - 2014.pdf

GCSE English, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2014.pdf

GCSE English, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2016.pdf

GCSE English, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2015.pdf

GCSE English, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2014.pdf

GCSE English, Paper 1 Explorations in Creative Reading & Writing - 2017.pdf

GCSE English, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2014.pdf

GCSE English, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - 2016.pdf

GCSE English, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - June 2014.pdf

GCSE English, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Understanding & Producing Non-Fiction Texts - June 2015.pdf

GCSE English, Paper 1 Explorations in Creative Reading & Writing - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE English, Paper 2 Writers' Viewpoints & Perspectives - 2017.pdf

GCSE English, Paper 2 Writers' Viewpoints & Perspectives - June 2017.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Higher Tier, Unit 4 Approaching Shakespeare & English Literary Heritage - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Foundation Tier, Unit 4 Approaching Shakespeare & English Literary Heritage - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Higher Tier, Unit 2 Poetry Across Time - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 Poetry Across Time - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Exploring Modern Texts - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Exploring Modern Texts - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Paper 2 Modern Texts & Poetry - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Paper 2 Modern Texts & Poetry - 2017.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Paper 1 Shakespeare & 19th-Century Novel - 2014.pdf

GCSE English Literature, Paper 1 Shakespeare & 19th-Century Novel - 2017.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Paper 3 Reading - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Paper 4 Writing - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Paper 3 Reading - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Paper 4 Writing - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Paper 1 Listening - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 Listening - 2018.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Reading - 2016.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Reading - 2015.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Reading - 2014.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Listening - 2015.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Reading - 2016.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Reading - 2015.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Reading - 2014.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Listening - 2016.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Listening - 2016.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Listening - 2015.pdf

GCSE French, Higher Tier, Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE French, Foundation Tier, Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier, Managing Places - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier, Managing Places - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Higher Tier, Managing Places - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier, Managing Places - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier, Managing Places - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec B, Foundation Tier, Managing Places - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Paper 2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier, Physical Geography - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier, Physical Geography - 2014.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Higher Tier, Physical Geography - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Paper 1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier, Physical Geography - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Paper 3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier, Physical Geography - 2016.pdf

GCSE Geography, Spec A, Foundation Tier, Physical Geography - 2014.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Paper 3 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Paper 3 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Paper 4 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Paper 4 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - 2018.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - 2016.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - 2014.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - 2016.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE German, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE German, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE Computer Science, Unit 2 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Computer Science, Unit 2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Computer Science, Unit 2 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 3 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 3 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 3 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 3 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 3 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 3 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2017.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 - Jun 2014.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 3 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 3 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 3 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 2 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Higher Tier, Unit 1 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2015.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - Jun 2016.pdf

GCSE Mathematics, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 - Nov 2015.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Paper 2 - 2018.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Paper 1 - 2018.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 5 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 5 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 5 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 3 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 3 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Physical Education, Unit 1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P3 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P3 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P3 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P3 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P3 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P3 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P3 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P3 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P3 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P2 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P2 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P2 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P2 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P2 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P2 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P2 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P2 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Additional Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P2 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P1 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P1 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P1 - 2013.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P1 - 2017.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Higher Tier, Unit P1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P1 - 2016.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P1 - 2014.pdf

GCSE Science Physics, Foundation Tier, Unit P1 - 2015.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Paper 2H - 2018.pdf

GCSE Physics, Higher Tier, Paper 1H - 2018.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Paper 2F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Physics, Foundation Tier, Paper 1F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Sikhism - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Hinduism - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Sikhism - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Sikhism - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Hinduism - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Hinduism - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Buddhism - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Buddhism - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Buddhism - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Judaism - Afternoon 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Judaism - Morning 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Judaism Ethics - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Judaism - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Judaism - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam Ethics - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam Ethics - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam Ethics - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Philosophy of Religion - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec A Islam - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Lukes Gospel - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Philosophy of Religion- 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Philosophy of Religion- 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Lukes Gospel- 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Lukes Gospel- 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Marks Gospel- 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Marks Gospel- 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, St Marks Gospel- 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism Ethics - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism Ethics - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism Ethics - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity Ethics - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Roman Catholicism - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Religious Expression in Society - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity Ethics - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity Ethics - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Christianity - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religious Expression in Society - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religious Expression in Society - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religious Philosophy - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Life Issues - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religious Philosophy - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religious Philosophy - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Morality - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Citizenship - 2016.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Morality - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Morality - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Life Issues - 2014.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Life Issues - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Citizenship - 2015.pdf

GCSE Religious Studies, Spec B Religion and Citizenship - 2014.pdf

GCSE Combined Science Trilogy, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 Chemistry 1F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Combined Science Trilogy, Higher Tier, Paper 2 Biology 2H - 2018.pdf

GCSE Combined Science Trilogy, Higher Tier, Paper 1 Biology 1H - 2018.pdf

GCSE Combined Science Trilogy, Foundation Tier, Paper 2 Biology 2F - 2018.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier - June 2016.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Higher Tier - June 2017.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Higher Tier - June 2014.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Higher Tier - June 2015.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Higher Tier - June 2016.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Foundation Tier - June 2017.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Foundation Tier - June 2014.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Foundation Tier - June 2015.pdf

GCSE Additional Science A, Unit Biology B2, Foundation Tier - June 2016.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier - June 2016.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier - June 2017.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier - June 2015.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Higher Tier - June 2014.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier - June 2014.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier - June 2015.pdf

GCSE Science A, Unit Biology B1, Foundation Tier - June 2017.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Paper 3 Reading - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Paper 4 Writing - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Paper 3 Reading - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Paper 4 Writing - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Paper 1 Listening - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Paper 1 Listening - 2018.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2014.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2013.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2015.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2016.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2016.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2015.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2016.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2014.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 2 Reading - 2013.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2016.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2015.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2015.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Higher Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2013.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2014.pdf

GCSE Spanish, Foundation Tier, Unit 1 Listening - 2013.pdf

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Countdown To First GCSE Exam

Past Papers

Every single  GCSE maths past paper and iGCSE maths past paper that exists can be found in the folders at the bottom of this page.  The papers are available for all exam boards - Edexcel, AQA, OCR, Cambridge (CIE), WJEC, CCEA, and SQA. This page also contains everything that any student or parent could possibly want to know about GCSEs. 

What are GCSEs?

GCSEs are the most well-known and highly regarded qualification for students in the UK.  They are desined for students aged 14-16 and are a pre-requeisite for those wanting to study A Levels (students aged 16-18) before entering university in the UK.  GCSE results are a very important since they affect which qualifications and subjects a student is able to take at A Levels and their eligibility for a chosen university and course.  GCSEs affect your career prospects later down the line because several employers require job applicants to meet their minimum requirement in Maths and English at GCSE level.

At the time of applying to university, students will only have their GCSE results and their predicted A-level grades to apply with (not their final grades).  This means that this is the only information that a university will base its offer on (along with other elements of course such as personal statement, overall academic profile, extracurricular activities, hobbies, etc). 

What are iGCSEs?

GCSE Maths is only offered in the UK and is a compulsory GCSE subject in all state schools in the UK.  There is also an iGCSE Maths Qualification. The 'i' infront of GCSE stands for international. iGCSEs were developed by Edexcel and Cambridge to serve the large market abroad for British qualifications and therefore is offered both in the UK (only in private schools) and internationally. See Edexcel GCSE versus iGCSE below for more detail

How many GCSEs are taken?

Students take a minimum of 5 up to a maximum of 9 – 12 subjects at GCSE level. GCSE subject choices should be based on individual interests, future study and career plans, and of course which subjects a particular school offers. Top unis consider the quality of the GCSEs taken rather than the quantity.  Therefore a smaller number of GCSEs will not inhibit ones chances of a successful application, as long as strong grades are achieved in the subjects that you take. 

Exam Boards:

Each subject (at GCSE and A level) comes with different options for exam boards. There are 7 exam boards. The exam board studied depends on your school's choice and location and often schools use different exam boards for different subjects.  Always ask your school which exam board they are taking to make sure you are practising with the correct papers! 

• Edexcel is available as a GCSE or iGCSE course. Edexcel is the most common exam board taken in the UK and GCSE is offered more than iGCSE in UK schools which is only offered at some private schools. You will often see Pearson Edexcel written rather than just Edexcel as Pearson own Edexcel (Edexcel is a subsidiary of the publisher Pearson). The iGCSE is taken in over 80 countries.
• AQA is available as a GCSE and is available in the UK only
• OCR is available as a GCSE and is available in the UK only
• Cambridge (CIE) is only available as an iGCSE course. Cambridge iGCSE is not as commonly offered in the UK as Edexcel iGCSE. It is primarily used by overseas schools. This is the world's most popular international qualification and is taken in over 150 countries. O Levels are still awarded by the Cambridge exam board, but only in select locations.
• WJEC is available as a GCSE in Wales only
• CCEA is available as a GCSE in Northern Ireland only
• SQA is available as a GCSE in Scotland only

It is important to take from this that there are 6 GCSE exam boards (Edexcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC, CCEA and SQA), but only 2 iGCSE exam boards (Edexcel or Cambridge).  

All courses are a 2 year course. The most common GCSE Maths exam boards in order of difficulty from least to greatest are AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge .  Click Syllabi and Formula Sheets to see the full syllabus for each exam board located in each blue folder. The Edexcel/AQA/OCR GCSE Maths exams all have the same content. The content is not the same between GCSE and iGCSE exams though.

Edexcel GCSE Versus Edexcel iGCSE

The Edexcel iGCSE Maths exam is considered easier than the Edexcel/AQA/OCR GCSE Maths exam for the following reasons:

• Flexibility   - The GCSE exam can only be sat in May/June (with resits as an option November). The resits are for students seeking to improve their grade from the previous summer, or from students that had planned to enter in the summer but were unable to do so.  In contrast, iGCSE  Maths exams used to be sat in January and in May/June each year (and November during 2020 and 2021 due to Covid).  HOWEVER, Jan 2023 will be the final iGCSE exam series and a regular November series will start in 2023. Therefore from Nov 2023 onwards there will be no difference in flexibility of exams. 
• Predictability - The iGCSE exam is more formulaic and requires less problem solving skills.  There is a lot of solving and practical application of Maths in GCSE unlike iGCSE where there are many calculation style questions.  The quesitons are more routine in iGCSE due to the fact that this is an international exam where English is not the first language of most students. There is a formula sheet provided for the iGCSE exam whereas there is no formula sheet for the GCSE exam and students must have all formulae memorised
• Number Of Papers and Calculator Usage  - There are only 2 papers for the iGCSE (both calculator) whereas there are 3 for GCSE (one calculator and two non-calculator). Some students struggle with non-calculator papers and prefer having a calculator to hand.
• Content and Types Of Questions - Edexcel iGCSE used to have coursework, but it got removed many years ago. There are slightly fewer topics (roughly 20%) in GCSE, but they are studied in greater depth and application.  It should not really be a question of whether there are more or less topics in Edexcel iGCSE than GCSE since GCSE has topics which are not included in iGCSE and vice versa and the difficulty level doesn't stem from this, but instead stems from the 3 reasons mentioned above. See GCSE versus iGCSE Topic Comparison for a detailed comparison of topics.  Edexcel iGCSE does contain some additional challenging contents (such as basic calculus) that one would have to learn if they aspired to a level 9 grade and there is more actual maths involved (e.g. solving equations), but this can be prepared for well with practice and memorising/following set methods. Edexcel GCSE on the other hand has a significant chunk of marks allocated to functional and problem solving questions that many students seem to find hard to prepare for.

The contrast between Edexcel GCSEs and Edexcel iGCSEs is regarded as being so insignificant that either option is not recognized as ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than the other and therefore  GCSE and iGCSE regarded as ‘equivalent’ qualifications by all institutions  - in terms of access to A Level (and other level 3 courses) and university grade submisisons.  The ‘Russell Group’ universities in the United Kingdom (consisting of  the 24 most prestigious public research universities which includes the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE and Durham have openly reported that they do not make a single distinction between IGCSEs and GCSEs when considering students for acceptance into their undergrad degree courses.

Other differences which don't make any difference to the difficulty between the exam boards include the following:

Availiabilty By Country

GCSE qualifications are only available in the UK and certain schools in a small number of other countries such as Canada, Australia and India. The iGCSE is by nature 'international' and can be taken in over 150 countries worldwide.  It is only offered in private and international schools in the UK.  International schools offer iGCSE since it facilitates tranfers from other countries to the UK mid-course more easily.  

The iGCSE papers have different papers for different time zones due to their international nature.  This is so  that none of the papers get leaked. Otherwise someone who already had their exam in another time zone can leak the paper to a person in another country. These papers end in 'R' where 'R' stands for regional as these papers were specifically designed to cater for the different time zones. The 'R' papers are used by centers in the Asian/Pacific regions.  However, there is no difference in the syllabus content between different time zones. 

Number Of Courses Offered

iGCSE offers 2 courses/specifications (A and B), unlike GCSE where there is one set course. Specification A (4MA1) is available at foundation and higher tier. Specification B (4MB1)  is available at higher tier only and is quite a bit harder than A and offers some of the topics that are seen in GCSE Further/additonal maths and A Levels. Specification B is very rarely taken and I have never come across any schools offering B in the UK. 

Up until 2023, the Edexcel IGCSE (Spec A) has only been available in January and May/June (although though due to Covid they have some November sittings replacing in 2020 and 2021).  However,  from 2023, Pearson is bringing the Edexcel iGCSE into line with the other exam boards so Jan 2023 being the final January iGCSE series and a regular November series will start in 2023.  Therefore the exam dates will now be the same for both GCSE and iGCSE - May/June and Novemeber with a GCSE resit opportunity in November for GCSE and iGCSE for students who failed or who need to improve their grade. 

Click here to find GCSE past papers

Click here to find iGCSE A past papers

Click here to find iGCSE B past papers

Cambridge iGCSE Versus Edexcel iGCSE and Edexcel GCSE

Number of Courses Offered

Edexcel and Cambridge both offer more than one iGCSE course/specification, unlike GCSE where there is one set course.  Edexcel iGCSE offers 2 specifications (specification A 4MA1 and specification B 4MB1).  Specification B is available at Higher Tier only unlike specification A and is quite a bit harder than A. Specification B is very rarely taken and I have never come across any schools offering B in the UK. Cambridge has 4 specifications (0580, 0607, 0444-US only and 0980-UK only). 0580 and 0607 are the most popular and are similar courses overall. 0607 is just like an upgrade of 0580. 

Numer of Papers, Calculator Usage and Difficulty Level

Edexcel GCSE has 3 papers (one non calculator), Edexcel iGCSE has 2 papers (both calculator) and Cambridge has 2 or 3 papers (always one non calculator paper) depending on the specificiation chosen. There are 3 papers for 0607, whereas there are 2 papers for 0580.  There is not too much difference for the core (foundation level), but there is at higher (extended level). At extended level, 0607's syllabus is more extensive and the questions are a little tougher, but 0580 has some pre-calculus material which isn't in 0607 and a bunch of other topics. Overall, 0607 is definitely tougher. At extended level, there is an investigation-modelling paper (paper 6) which is a very different and challenging paper which isn't the case for 0580. You need to learn how to use the graphic display calculator (GDC) for both paper 4 and 6 in 0607 but only a regular scientific is allowed in 0580. 0607 prepares one better for A levels and IB. As far as the move to IB is concerned, it depends on the type of math the student wants to take. If they want to take IB Applications and Interpretation which is very stats based then 0580 is fine, but it they want to take Analysis and Approaches HL which is very theory based then 0607 is recommended. 

Cambridge iGCSE is regarded as having the same difficulty level as edexcel OVERALL, but there is great difference of opinion on this as it really depends on the subject! For example, Cambridge has a reputation for being easier than Edexcel for English but much harder for maths! In the case of maths, there are noticeable differences between Edexcel and Cambridge. Cambridge maths is considerably more difficult when compared to Edexcel maths. Not only does Cambridge have a lot more topics, but the questions are phrased to require a much deeper level of understanding. Cambridge usually compensate for this during the grading process though.  Cambridge have to maintain more of an international standard when compared to Edexcel since Edexcel is more focussed on the UK. In terms of worldwide recognition, Cambridge iGCSEs are accepted as equivalent to UK GCSEs by leading universities worldwide, just like Edxcel iGCSEs are. 

Grading 

IGCSE results were traditionally graded from A* – G, however, from June 2017, schools in England began introducing a 9 – 1 grading system for GCSEs and IGCSEs.  Howeverr, for the Cambridge exam board,  the A* – G system is still in place for the majority of students and countries (the new 9 – 1 system is available on an optional basis for schools in certain regions though). 

The Cambridge International (CIE) exam series are in November and May/June (which Edexcel iGCSE is now doing since 2023 as they scrapped their January exams from 2024 onwards and replaced them with November exams since 2023).  November exams are also for resit opportunities. 

Edexcel A iGCSE offers a foundarion and higher option.  Edexcel B offers a higher option only.  

Different time zones and indicated with an R at the end of the iGCSE Edexcel paper, whereas e ac h Cambridge iGCSE time zone is indicated by the second number. Cambridge papers have 2 numbers which are particular to the Cambridge exam board. The first number is the paper number and the second number is the time zone variant. A set of papers will always have the same final number  e.g. 11, 31, 51 or 12, 32, 52. The content of these exams is not specific to location (all locations have the same syllabus), so they can all be used for practice examinations. For every paper,  there are three time zone variants. Variant 1,2 and 3. These variants have papers that are different from the others. Countries are divided into zones which take the exam of their variant. For example, Pakistan is given variant 2. 

Click here to find iGCSE 0607 past papers

Click here to find iGCSE 0580 past papers

Click here to find iGCSE 0980 past papers

Further and Additional Maths Courses (GCSE and iGCSE)

There are also Further ( GCSE  and  iGCSE ) and Additional Maths ( GCSE  and  iGCSE ) courses for more able mathematicians who plan to study maths at A Level.  These courses are a great stepping stone between GCSE/iGCSE and A Level. Additional Maths is considered harder than further maths. Further Maths is a GCSE equivalent (known as a level 2 course), rather than a GCSE. Additional Maths is better than a GCSE, more like half an AS level (known as level 3 course) and gives UCAS points. Additional Maths will prepare a student a lot better than Further Maths will and has a lot of the content that is learnt during half of the first year of A Level maths. Further Maths is just an extension of GCSE knowledge.

The following courses are available:

• AQA GCSE Further  Maths .   This is only available in the UK.  Click  here  to find papers for this course. 
• Edexcel iGCSE Further  Maths. This is offered in the UK and internationally and is harder than AQA Further Maths.  Click  here  to find papers for this course. 
• OCR GCSE Additional  Maths. This is only available in the UK.  This is harder than both AQA Additional Maths and Edexcel Further Maths.  Click  here  to find papers for this course. 
• Cambridge iGCSE Additional  Maths   (spec 0606) .  This is offered in the UK and internationally. This is the hardest course of all.   Click  here  to find papers for this course. 

See  Further and Additional Maths  for a more detailed description of the differences between Further and Additional Maths. See  Additional and Further Maths Syllabus Checklist  for detailled topic checklists.

Topic Checklists and Comparsions Between Course Topics

Click here to see the list of topics and comparisons of topics for every available course. 

Grade Boundaries

Letter grades were replaced in 2017 and GCSE are now marked from grades 1-9 (although Cambridge specification 0580 and 0607 still uses the letter grading system). The new grade 9 is more valuable than the A* as it is awarded to fewer students than the A*, with top performing students now being awarded three grades (9, 8 and 7) rather than 2 grades (A* and A). So, under the new system, a smaller proportion of students achieve a grade 9. The grade boundaries are usually quite low, which makes it pretty easy for students to do well in GCSEs Maths. The boundaries fluctuate each year dependent on how difficult/easy the students found the exam. The grade boundaries also vary between exam board, so the following can only be used as a rough guide: 

• 9 High A* which is approx 85% 
• 8 Low A* or high A grade which is approx 70% 
• 7 Low A grade which is approx 55%. Grades 7 is the usual requirement for entry to an A-level maths course.  Approximately 50% of the marks on the higher paper are aimed at grade 7 and above.
• 6 High B grade which is approx 45% 
• 5 Low B or high C grade which is approx 30%. A 5 is considered a "strong pass." 
• 4 Low C grade which is roughly 25%. This is considered a "pass." 
• 3 D or high E grade which is roughly 20%) 
• 2 Low E or high F grade which is roughly 15% 
• 1 Low F or G grade which is roughly 10%
• U = Ungraded

Paper Format/Structure

As already mentioned, the UK Edexcel/AQA/OCR GCSE Maths exams papers all have the same content, albeit it a different difficulty level (OCR being the hardest and AQA being the easiest). The content is not the same between GCSE and the iGCSE (Edexcel and Cambridge) exams though. Cambridge iGCSE is by far the hardest exam and Edexcel GCSE and Edexcel iGCSE are regarded as as having the same level of difficulty (read Edexcel GCSE versus iGCSE section above). 

GCSE maths past papers (Edexcel, AQA and OCR) consists of 3 papers. One non calculator and two calculator papers each worth 80 marks and all 1.5 hours long.  The first paper is the non-calculator for GCSE Edexcel and AQA exam boards, whereas it is the second paper that is non-calculator for OCR.

Edexcel iGCSE maths past papers consist only of 2 papers (both calculator each worth 100 marks and 2 hours long). iGCSE have an A version and a B version.  The B version is harder (and has no foundation option) and prepares you better for an A level course better.  I have never come accross a school in the UK offering the B version.

Cambridge iGCSE maths past papers  either consist of 3 papers ( 0607 Spec ) or 2 papers ( 0580 Spec  or  0980 Spec ).  

Foundation Versus Higher

GCSE's papers are available in two tiers, foundation or higher level. Weaker students will take the foundation course. The highest grade one can obtain for a foundation tier course is 5. The foundation tier is designed for students who are aiming for grades 1-5 (capped at a grade 5), and Higher tier is designed for students who are looking for grades 4-9 and hence a minimum grade of 4.  So, in the higher tier you can only achieve grades 4-9 otherwise otherwiwse anything less than that is a fail (a U which stands for Ungraded). However, if a student only just misses out on a grade 4 then they may be awarded a grade 3 which means a "nearely a pass" grade. If you are achieving a grade 4, then you are better off taking the foundation paper as 50% of the marks on a higher paper is aimed at a grade 7  and above and hence the papers will be too difficult for someone doubtful of achieving a grade 4.  There are some questions which overlap in both foundation and higher papers  because everyone learns some of the same content – higher tier students learn what foundation tier students do plus extra. Foundation tier courses will therefore have less content and only content up until a grade 5. 

See the following for a list of topics

Foundation vs Higher Topic List

Everything up until grade 5 is in foundation.  Everything from grades 1-9 is in higher. 

Foundation Versus Higher Paper Structure

Edexcel, AQA and OCR exam boards Foundation level papers either end in F (1F, 2F, 3F) or have an F written on the front of the paper. Higher level papers either end in H (1H, 2H, 3H) or have an H written on the front of the paper.

OCR number their papers from 1-6 and papers 1-3 are foundation and 4-6 higher. 

The Cambridge exam board use the words 'core' and 'extended' rather than foundation and higher. They number their papers from:

• 1 - 6 for 0580 spec
• 1 - 4 for 0607 spec
• 1 - 4 for the 0980 spec

For 0607 and 0980, the extended papers (higher) are papers 2, 4, and 6 and core papers (foundation) are papers 1, 3, and 4. 

For 0580 the extended papers are papers 2 and 4 and core papers are 1 and 3.  A school will normally recommend that a student sit the foundation/core papers if they are struggle with maths.  

Different Time Zones

The content of these exams is not specific to location (all locations have the same syllabus), so they can all be used for practice examinations.

The iGCSE papers have different papers for different time zones. This is done so that none of the papers get leaked. Otherwise, due to time difference of countries someone who already had their exam can simply leak the paper to a person in another country. You will notice that some papers end in R for Edexcel iGCSE maths. 'R' stands for regional as these papers were specifically designed to cater for the different time zones. The 'R' papers are used by centers in the Asian/Pacific regions.

Eac h Cambridge iGCSE papers have 2 numbers which is particular to the Cambridge exam board. The first number is the paper number and the second number is the variant. A set of papers will always have the same final number  e.g. 11, 31, 51 or 12, 32, 52.  For every paper of each subject there are three variants. Variant 1,2 and 3. These variants have papers that are different from the others. Countries are divided into zones which take the exam of their variant. For example, Pakistan is given variant 2. 

Passing Grade and GCSE Grade Requirement For A Levels

Grade 4 is a pass.  Grade 5 is considered a strong pass (in either foundation or higher).  However, this will not be enough if you want to go on to study A Level maths.  Usually schools require a grade 6 (B) for entry onto an A Level maths course.  However, some will require a 7 or above.  If a student wants to ensure that they will not struggle with A Level maths then they should comfortably get an 8 in their GCSEs. If a student wants to do A Level maths then they will usually be required to have a grade 8 or above, but a grade 7 will be considered in exceptional circumstances.

GCSE Maths Past Papers On This Website

All papers for all exam boards and years can be found below.  Navigate to each relevant folder below for greater detail and explanation of each exam board, exam and paper setup. If you are not sure which exam board you are studying ask your teacher. 

You can download each of the exam board's papers by clicking the folders below.   All papers below have mark schemes provided by the exam board and also written detailed mark schemes (model answers) which show all steps and are easier to follow.  These documents end with MS which stands for Mark Scheme. 

In 2017, letter grades were replaced with a new 9-1 grading system.  All papers from 2017 for Edexcel GCSE are for the latest syllabus (you will notice that these papers require more solving skills than earlier papers) and all papers from 2018 are for the latest syllabus for Edexcel iGCSE.  All older (legacy) papers for all exam boards are also available below, but are always in a separate folder that start with old (apart from the Cambridge folders which have all papers inside).        

The most recent GCSE Maths 2020 , 2021 and 2022 Past Papers are available below.  Contact me with a verified teacher account for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Pearson Edexcel, AQA and OCR Maths past papers and mocks.        

GCSE maths grade boundaries vary based on how students did for that particular year.  Click the link to see the grade boundaries for exam board, year and paper.   Exam dates and timer countdowns are also available for every exam.

Use the facebook messenger chat or the contact form to request any papers from an older syllabus. 

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GCSE Maths Past Papers

This section includes recent GCSE Maths past papers from AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, OCR, WJEC, CCEA and the CIE IGCSE. This section also includes SQA National 5 maths past papers. If you are not sure which exam board you are studying ask your teacher. Past papers are a fantastic way to prepare for an exam as you can practise the questions in your own time. You can download each of the exam board's papers by clicking the links below.

From GCSE Maths past papers to the GCSE timetable 2023, explore countless resources for GCSE preparation, practice, and revision!

What does GCSE stand for?

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. Students typically appear for the GCSE exams in year 11 of their school education. There are a number of GCSE subjects they can choose from, including maths, English, physics, biology, chemistry, and history. ‍ At Quizizz, we recognize the central role that GCSEs play in shaping students’ futures. That is why we have put together a collection of resources so you can find all that you need to support students on their learning journeys. 

GCSE past papers

Practicing with GCSE past papers is a surefire way of boosting confidence before the exams. Not only does it provide insights into common question patterns, but it also helps improve test-taking strategies. From Edexcel GCSE maths past papers to AQA GCSE biology past papers, we have gathered a whole range of exam papers ready to be shared with your students!

Edexcel GCSE maths past papers

AQA GCSE maths past papers

GCSE English language paper 1

AQA GCSE biology past papers

AQA GCSE chemistry past papers

OCR GCSE maths past papers

Explore collections of GCSE past papers on Quizizz

You can find dozens of GCSE past papers on Quizizz, too! They’ve been designed to make GCSE revision more fun and engaging. Check out our collection of GCSE past papers, or create GCSE practice papers on Quizizz today! 

GCSE maths past papers

GCSE chemistry past papers

GCSE biology past papers

GCSE physics past papers

GCSE timetable 2023

Whether you’re looking to recall GCSE 2023 dates, prepare for the GCSE 2024 dates, or mark GCSE results day 2023 on your calendar, a timetable can be your best friend. Here, we have linked a GCSE 2023 timetable from each of the leading boards like AQA, Edexcel, CCEA, and OCR. Browse these timetables to highlight important dates for exams, GCSE results, and assessment or coursework submissions. 

AQA GCSE timetable 2023

Edexcel GCSE timetable 2023

CCEA GCSE timetable 2023

OCR GCSE timetable 2023

GCSE subject specifications 

The specifications for each GCSE subject list the core skills that students must possess, along with topics they are likely to be tested on. Getting familiar with the specifications will help students better prepare for their GCSEs. Click on the dropdown menus below to find an array of documents, including AQA GCSE chemistry specification, Edexcel GCSE maths specification, AQA GCSE biology specification, and more! 

GCSE AQA subject specifications

Gcse edexcel subject specifications, gcse revision with quizizz.

Quizizz is home to thousands of fun, engaging, and educational quizzes and lessons created by teachers just like you! These quizzes can quickly and easily double up as GCSE practice papers.  With subjects ranging from maths to physics, English to biology, and computer science to Spanish, there’s something here for everyone. Simply browse the Quizizz Library to find GCSE practice papers for your topic and share them right away! Check out the links below to get started. 

GCSE English

GCSE biology

GCSE physics

GCSE chemistry

GCSE computer science

GCSE history

GCSE geography

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What are the different exam boards?

How many papers does gcse english have, what are some past exam papers for english gcse, what are the benefits of using past papers as a revision tool.

It’s no secret that preparing for your GCSEs can be a stressful time, and you’ll want to use all the resources available to you in your revision process .

Fortunately, studying past exam papers is a great way to prepare for the exam season – you’ll get valuable insight into the types of questions that may come up on your exam, and it’s a fantastic learning tool.

Examination boards, also known as awarding bodies, are responsible for setting and awarding secondary education level qualifications (GCSEs, Standard Grades, A Levels, Highers and vocational qualifications) to UK students.

There are currently five exam boards available to state schools, and individual schools and colleges can choose freely between them. Most institutions use a mixture of boards for their GCSE qualifications, so if you’re unsure of what exam board is being used for your GCSE subject, you should check with your teacher. 

These are the UK exam boards: 

GCSE English is split into two main topics: language and literature. The English language GCSE is geared towards developing students’ skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, while the English literature GCSE is focused on developing knowledge and understanding of literary texts. 📖

As part of your GCSE English exam, you’ll sit two papers for English Language and two for English Literature. In addition, there is a separate Spoken Language Endorsement for the English Language GCSE – this doesn’t count towards your final grade, but you will get a pass, merit, or distinction depending on your performance.

Though you may feel nervous about your upcoming GCSE exams, preparing well can help you perform better and feel more comfortable when you sit your exam. Revising for your exams using an English GCSE past paper is a great way to prepare, and fortunately, there are many previous exam papers available online so you can get a better feel for what may come up on your exam. Keep reading to get links for recent English GCSE past papers from the different exam boards! 

There are many GCSE English past papers available. You can find recent GCSE English past papers from the different exam boards below. 

GCSE English Language past papers: 

November 2020: Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing (8700/1)

November 2020: Paper 2: Writer's Viewpoints and Perspectives (8700/2)

GCSE English Literature past papers: 

November 2020: Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel (8702/1)

November 2020: Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry (8702/2)

GCSE English Language Past Papers: 

November 2020: J351/01 Communicating Information and Ideas

November 2020: J351/02 Exploring effects and impact

GCSE English Literature Past Papers: 

November 2020: J352/01 Exploring Modern and Literary heritage texts

November 2020: J352/02 Exploring Poetry and Shakespeare

November 2020: Paper 1: 1EN0/01 English Language - Fiction and Imaginative Writing

November 2020: Paper 2: 1EN0/02 English Language - Non-Fiction and Transactional Writing 

November 2020: Paper 1: 1ET0/01 English Literature - Shakespeare and Post - 1914 Literature

November 2020: Paper 2: 1ET0/02 English Literature - 19th Century Novel and Poetry Since 1789

Summer 2021: Unit 1: Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

January 2020: Unit 1: Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

January 2020: Unit 4: Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-Fiction Texts

Summer 2021: Unit 1: The Study of Prose

Summer 2021: Unit 2: The Study of Drama and Poetry

November 2019: Unit 2: (3700U20-1) Reading and Writing: Description, Narration and Exposition

November 2019: Unit 3: (3700U30-1) Reading and Writing: Argumentation, Persuasion and Instructional  

June 2019: Unit 1: 3720U10-01 Foundation

June 2019: Unit 1: 3720UA0-01 Higher

June 2019: Unit 2A: 3720U20-01 Literacy Heritage, Drama and Contemporary Prose – Foundation

June 2019: Unit 2A: 3720UB0-01 Literacy Heritage, Drama and Contemporary Prose – Higher

June 2019: Unit 2B: 3720U30-01 Literacy Heritage, Drama and Contemporary Prose – Foundation

June 2019: Unit 2B: 3720UC0-01 Literacy Heritage, Drama and Contemporary Prose – Higher

There are many advantages to using past exam papers in the run-up to your GCSE exams, and it’s always recommended to include studying past papers in your revision plan. 

Past papers are a fantastic way to prepare for an exam because you get a chance to practise answering similar questions to what will come up on your exam at home, in your own time.

A great tip is to replicate exam conditions at home and complete a past exam paper – this will give you a better understanding of how to manage your time during the test and ensure you’ll be more comfortable on the day of the actual exam.

Be sure to review your completed paper afterwards to identify areas of improvement, and pay attention to the range of questions and themes in past papers to get a better idea of what you can expect on exam day.  

Many students may experience feelings of worry or anxiety during exam season , and preparing for your GCSEs can be a stressful time. Don’t forget to look after your mental health in the middle of everything, and reach out to a parent, teacher or someone else you trust if you find yourself getting overwhelmed. 🤍

Keep in mind that preparing well for an exam can help you feel more calm and ready when the exam date rolls around.

Planning and organising your study time ahead of exam season will help you feel on top of things and ensure you have time for all the necessary revision. There are plenty of resources online to help you as you study for your exams – why not download our free GCSE Revision Timetable to ensure you manage your time well?

If you could use a little extra support with your exam prep, GoStudent offers specialised GCSE tutoring – and you can’t go wrong with a free trial session ! 🚀

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Click on the subjects below to open the past papers of various exam boards.

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