GCSE Exam Boards & Curriculum

Click your child’s exam board to see how its exams work, then open a subject to see that board’s curriculum, sample questions with answers, and how AE1 teaches it.

1. Choose an exam board

AQAMost-used GCSE board in England OCRGateway sciences · J560 Maths Pearson Edexcel1MA1 Maths · widely used Compare boardsWhat is the same, what differs

2. Choose a subject

MathsCurriculum & sample questions BiologyCurriculum & sample questions ChemistryCurriculum & sample questions PhysicsCurriculum & sample questions Combined ScienceCurriculum & sample questions English LanguageCurriculum & sample questions English LiteratureCurriculum & sample questions

AQA (originally the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance)

AQA is an independent education charity that sets and marks exams in England. It was formed in 2000 from a merger of older exam boards and is widely reported to be the board with the most GCSE entries in England. Because it is a charity, money it makes goes back into running and developing its qualifications.

How the exams work	All of the GCSEs AE1 teaches are assessed only by written exams at the end of the course (usually May-June of Year 11). There is no coursework. Maths has three equal papers (one without a calculator). Single sciences have two papers each; Combined Science Trilogy has six shorter papers. English Language and English Literature have two papers each. Science practical work is done in school and then tested through questions in the written papers.
Grading & marking	Grades run from 9 (highest) to 1, with U for unclassified. Grade 4 is the 'standard pass' and grade 5 the 'strong pass' used in school performance tables. Maths and the sciences are tiered: Foundation papers lead to grades 1-5 and Higher papers to grades 4-9 (with a grade 3 allowed as a safety net). Combined Science gives a double grade such as 6-6 or 6-5. Papers are marked by trained examiners using published mark schemes, many of them marked on screen. Grade boundaries are set after marking each summer, so the mark needed for a grade can move from year to year.
What is special	Maths: three papers of 80 marks, each 1 hour 30 minutes; Paper 1 is non-calculator. Sciences: clear list of named 'required practicals' (10 in Biology, 8 in Chemistry, 10 in Physics, 21 in Combined Science Trilogy). Two Combined Science routes: Trilogy (8464, taught as separate biology, chemistry and physics) and Synergy (8465, the sciences mixed into themes). English Language: both papers are the same length (1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks); Paper 1 is fiction-based reading plus descriptive or narrative writing, Paper 2 is non-fiction plus writing to give a viewpoint. English Literature: weighted 40% (Paper 1) and 60% (Paper 2), closed book, with a wide modern-text list including newer additions such as Leave Taking, Princess & The Hustler and My Name is Leon, and a third poetry cluster 'Worlds and lives' (first examined 2025). Large bank of free past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on its website.
GCSE subjects	Maths (8300) Biology (8461) Chemistry (8462) Physics (8463) Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) Combined Science: Synergy (8465) English Language (8700) English Literature (8702)

🎁 Free AQA-style tests – sign up free and choose AQA as your exam board: your child sees free tests, sample papers, paid test series and classes for AQA only.
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Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations

OCR is a not-for-profit exam board that is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge. It was set up in 1998 and offers GCSEs, A-levels and vocational qualifications across England.

How the exams work	As with the other boards, the GCSEs AE1 teaches are assessed by written exams at the end of Year 11, with no coursework. Maths has three equal 100-mark papers per tier. OCR offers two science routes: Gateway (Suite A, the more widely used) with papers split by topic, and Twenty First Century Science (Suite B) with papers split by type of question (Breadth and Depth). English Language and English Literature each have two 2-hour components.
Grading & marking	Same 9-1 grading as all English GCSEs; grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 a strong pass. Maths and science are tiered (Foundation 1-5, Higher 4-9 with an allowed grade 3). OCR gives each tier its own paper numbers, for example Maths Foundation papers 1-3 and Higher papers 4-6. Combined Science gives a double grade. Grade boundaries are set after each exam series.
What is special	Maths papers are 100 marks each (1 hour 30 minutes) and the non-calculator paper is the middle paper (Paper 2 Foundation / Paper 5 Higher). Maths content is organised into 12 numbered teaching sections that map onto the six national content areas. Choice of two science styles: Gateway Science A (topic-based) or Twenty First Century Science B (context and story-led, with a 'Breadth' paper and a 'Depth' paper). Science practicals are grouped into Practical Activity Groups (PAGs) instead of a fixed list of named experiments, giving schools some choice of activities. English Language: two 2-hour papers, one centred on information and non-fiction ideas, one on literary effects and creative writing. English Literature: two 2-hour, 50/50 papers; poetry is from the 'Towards a World Unknown' anthology (refreshed with 15 new poems for first exams in 2024) and Leave Taking was added as a modern drama option.
GCSE subjects	Maths (J560) Biology A Gateway (J247) Biology B Twenty First Century (J257) Chemistry A Gateway (J248) Chemistry B Twenty First Century (J258) Physics A Gateway (J249) Physics B Twenty First Century (J259) Combined Science A Gateway (J250) Combined Science B Twenty First Century (J260) English Language (J351) English Literature (J352)

🎁 Free OCR-style tests – sign up free and choose OCR as your exam board: your child sees free tests, sample papers, paid test series and classes for OCR only.
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Pearson Edexcel (part of Pearson plc)

Edexcel is the exam brand of Pearson, a UK-based education company. Unlike AQA and OCR it is part of a commercial business. Pearson also runs BTEC and the International GCSE, so the Edexcel name is very well known both in the UK and overseas.

How the exams work	The GCSEs AE1 teaches are assessed by written exams at the end of Year 11 with no coursework. Maths has three 80-mark papers (Paper 1 non-calculator). Single sciences have two papers each; Combined Science has six shorter papers. English Language papers are unequal in length and weight (40% and 60%); English Literature has two 50/50 papers.
Grading & marking	Same 9-1 grading; grade 4 standard pass, grade 5 strong pass. Maths and sciences are tiered (Foundation 1-5, Higher 4-9 with an allowed grade 3). Combined Science gives a double grade. After results, Pearson's ResultsPlus service lets schools see how students did question by question. Grade boundaries are set after each series.
What is special	Maths papers mirror AQA in shape (three 80-mark, 1 hour 30 minute papers, Paper 1 non-calculator), though question styles differ. Science content is numbered into topics (for example Biology topics 1-9) with a 'Key concepts' topic that can be tested on every paper. Named 'core practicals' (8 in each single science, 18 in Combined Science). English Language (1EN0): Paper 1 uses a 19th-century fiction extract and imaginative writing (1 hour 45 minutes, 40%); Paper 2 uses two modern non-fiction texts and transactional writing (2 hours 5 minutes, 60%). Pearson also offers English Language 2.0 (1EN2), an alternative specification using contemporary texts only, with two equal 1 hour 55 minute papers. English Literature has the widest post-1914 text list of the three boards, including Refugee Boy, Coram Boy, Boys Don't Cry and The Empress alongside classics such as An Inspector Calls.
GCSE subjects	Maths (1MA1) Biology (1BI0) Chemistry (1CH0) Physics (1PH0) Combined Science (1SC0) English Language (1EN0) English Language 2.0 (1EN2) English Literature (1ET0)

🎁 Free Pearson Edexcel-style tests – sign up free and choose Pearson Edexcel as your exam board: your child sees free tests, sample papers, paid test series and classes for Pearson Edexcel only.
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Comparing the boards

Same core content: All three boards follow the same DfE subject content and Ofqual rules, so a grade 6 from one board is meant to be worth the same as a grade 6 from another.
No coursework: In Maths, the sciences and English, all three boards assess by written exams only. English Language includes a separate spoken-language endorsement (Pass/Merit/Distinction) that does not count toward the 9-1 grade.
Maths paper length: All three boards set three 1 hour 30 minute papers. AQA and Edexcel papers are 80 marks; OCR papers are 100 marks. AQA and Edexcel put the non-calculator paper first; OCR puts it second.
Science paper style: AQA and Edexcel each have one main science route. OCR offers two (Gateway A and Twenty First Century B). Combined Science is six papers of 1 hour 15 minutes (AQA Trilogy) or 1 hour 10 minutes (OCR Gateway, Edexcel).
Science practicals: AQA and Edexcel give a fixed list of named practicals; OCR groups practicals into PAGs. On every board, practical skills are tested in the written exams (at least 15% of science marks).
English set texts: Shakespeare and 19th-century novel lists overlap a lot (Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol, Jekyll and Hyde appear on all three). Modern texts and poetry anthologies differ by board.
Formulae sheets: For 2025-2027 exams all boards provide formulae sheets in GCSE Maths and equation sheets in Physics and Combined Science. Ofqual has since set conditions so this continues as an interim measure, expected to last until about 2030-2031.
Which is easiest?: There is no reliable evidence that one board is easier overall. Ofqual monitors standards across boards, and grade boundaries are adjusted so grades are comparable. The best board is the one your child's school uses.
Other boards: WJEC Eduqas also offers GCSEs in England, and Wales and Northern Ireland have their own systems. AE1 currently focuses on AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel.

Changes coming up

Formulae and equation sheets: Provided in GCSE Maths, Physics and Combined Science exams for 2025, 2026 and 2027 (government decision, autumn 2024). Ofqual conditions now require boards to keep publishing and supplying them for later years, as an interim arrangement expected to run until around 2030 or 2031.
Curriculum and Assessment Review: The independent review's final report (5 November 2025) recommended cutting total GCSE exam time by at least 10% and making triple science available to all pupils. Reported timeline: revised national curriculum published in 2027 for first teaching in 2028, with updated GCSEs taught from 2029 at the earliest (so first exams around 2031). Students in Years 8-11 in 2026-27 are expected to sit the current specifications; the government's final timetable should be checked before relying on dates.

GCSE Maths

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300)

Tiers	Foundation (grades 1-5) Higher (grades 4-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 30m	80	No	33.3%
Paper 2	1h 30m	80	Yes	33.3%
Paper 3	1h 30m	80	Yes	33.3%

What is taught

Number: place value and ordering, four operations with integers, fractions and decimals, factors, multiples, primes, HCF and LCM, powers, roots, standard form, surds (Higher), rounding, estimation and error intervals
Algebra: expressions, expanding and factorising, solving linear and quadratic equations, simultaneous equations, inequalities, sequences including nth term, straight-line and other graphs, functions, iteration and proof (Higher)
Ratio, proportion and rates of change: ratio and sharing, percentages and percentage change, direct and inverse proportion, compound measures (speed, density, pressure), growth and decay, gradients and rates of change from graphs
Geometry and measures: angles and polygons, construction and loci, transformations, perimeter, area and volume, Pythagoras and trigonometry, circle theorems (Higher), congruence and similarity, vectors
Probability: probability scales and experiments, sample spaces, Venn and tree diagrams, independent and conditional probability
Statistics: sampling, averages and spread, charts and graphs, scatter graphs and correlation, cumulative frequency, box plots and histograms (Higher)

Notes

All three papers cover any part of the content and must be taken at the same tier. A formulae sheet is supplied for 2025-2027 exams and continues under Ofqual's interim conditions.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 (Foundation) · 1 mark

1 Write ³⁄₈ as a decimal.
Circle your answer.
0.38 0.375 0.83 2.67 [1 mark]

Answer / mark scheme:
0.375

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

2 A recipe for 12 flapjacks uses 150 g of oats.
Work out how many grams of oats are needed for 30 flapjacks. [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
150 ÷ 12 = 12.5 g per flapjack (M1)
12.5 × 30 = 375 g (A1)
Alt: 150 × 30/12 or 150 × 2.5

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

3 Solve 3(2x − 1) = 4x + 9 [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
6x − 3 = 4x + 9 (M1 expanding)
2x = 12 (M1 collecting terms)
x = 6 (A1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

4 Here are the first five terms of a quadratic sequence.

4 11 22 37 56

Work out an expression for the nth term. [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
First differences 7, 11, 15, 19; second difference 4, so 2n² (M1)
Sequence − 2n²: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = n + 1 (M1)
2n² + n + 1 (A1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (J560)

Tiers	Foundation (grades 1-5): Papers 1, 2, 3 Higher (grades 4-9): Papers 4, 5, 6

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1 (Foundation) / Paper 4 (Higher)	1h 30m	100	Yes	33.3%
Paper 2 (Foundation) / Paper 5 (Higher)	1h 30m	100	No	33.3%
Paper 3 (Foundation) / Paper 6 (Higher)	1h 30m	100	Yes	33.3%

What is taught

Number: integers, fractions, decimals, percentages, indices, surds and standard form, approximation, estimation and bounds
Algebra: algebraic manipulation, equations and inequalities, sequences, graphs of equations and functions
Ratio, proportion and rates of change: ratio and proportion, percentage change, interest, growth and decay, compound measures
Geometry and measures: properties of shapes and angles, congruence and similarity, mensuration (area, volume, arc length), Pythagoras and trigonometry, vectors and transformations
Probability: single and combined events, tree and Venn diagrams, conditional probability (Higher)
Statistics: collecting and representing data, averages and spread, correlation and interpreting charts

Notes

OCR groups the same national content into 12 numbered teaching sections. Papers are 100 marks, longer in mark count than AQA/Edexcel but the same time. The non-calculator paper is the middle paper of each tier.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 (Foundation) · 2 marks

1 Work out 15% of £240. [2]

Answer / mark scheme:
10% = £24, 5% = £12 (M1) or 0.15 × 240
£36 (A1)

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

2 The angles of a triangle are x°, 2x° and (3x + 18)°.
Find the value of x. [3]

Answer / mark scheme:
x + 2x + 3x + 18 = 180 (M1)
6x = 162 (M1)
x = 27 (A1)

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

3 A bag contains only red, blue and yellow beads. There are 200 beads in the bag.
The probability of picking a red bead is 0.35. The probability of picking a blue bead is 0.4.
How many yellow beads are in the bag? [3]

Answer / mark scheme:
P(yellow) = 1 − 0.35 − 0.4 (M1) = 0.25 (A1)
0.25 × 200 = 50 yellow beads (A1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

4 In triangle ABC, AB = 7 cm, AC = 10 cm and angle BAC = 52°.
Calculate the length of BC.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures. [3]

Answer / mark scheme:
BC² = 7² + 10² − 2 × 7 × 10 × cos 52° (M1)
BC² = 62.80… (M1)
BC = 7.93 cm (A1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (1MA1)

Tiers	Foundation (grades 1-5) Higher (grades 4-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 30m	80	No	33.3%
Paper 2	1h 30m	80	Yes	33.3%
Paper 3	1h 30m	80	Yes	33.3%

What is taught

Number: structure and calculation, fractions, decimals and percentages, measures and accuracy, surds and indices
Algebra: notation and manipulation, graphs, solving equations and inequalities, sequences, functions and proof (Higher)
Ratio, proportion and rates of change: ratio, scale and proportion, percentages and growth/decay, compound measures and rates
Geometry and measures: properties and constructions, mensuration and calculation, trigonometry, circle theorems (Higher), vectors
Probability: experimental and theoretical probability, combined events, tree and Venn diagrams
Statistics: sampling, charts, averages and spread, histograms and cumulative frequency (Higher)

Notes

Paper shape is the same as AQA (three 80-mark papers, Paper 1 non-calculator). Formulae sheet supplied for 2025-2027 and continuing under Ofqual's interim conditions.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 (Foundation) · 2 marks

1 (a) Simplify 4m × 3n (1)
(b) Simplify y⁶ ÷ y² (1)
(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) 12mn (B1)
(b) y⁴ (B1)

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

2 Priya cycles 42 km. She takes 1 hour 45 minutes.
Work out her average speed in kilometres per hour.
(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Answer / mark scheme:
1 hour 45 minutes = 1.75 hours (M1)
42 ÷ 1.75 (M1)
= 24 km/h (A1)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

3 Expand and simplify (x + 5)(x − 3)
(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Answer / mark scheme:
x² − 3x + 5x − 15 (M1 for 3 of 4 terms correct)
x² + 2x − 15 (A1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

4 Tom buys a van for £18 500
The value of the van depreciates by 12% each year.
Work out the value of the van at the end of 3 years.
Give your answer to the nearest pound.
(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Answer / mark scheme:
Multiplier 0.88 (M1)
18 500 × 0.88³ (M1)
= £12 607 (A1)
(Using 0.12 × 3 = 36% simple depreciation scores 0)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE Maths

We teach Maths in topic blocks that follow the six national content areas – Number, Algebra, Ratio and proportion, Geometry, Probability and Statistics – in the order that builds skills best. Each week includes a short test that mixes calculator and non-calculator questions, because every board has one non-calculator paper. We show students how to use the formulae sheet properly and how to set out working so they pick up method marks. Foundation and Higher students are taught at their own level, and we help families and schools think about the right tier. In Year 11 we move to full three-paper mock sets in the style of AQA, OCR or Edexcel.

Autumn: Number and core Algebra
Spring: Ratio, proportion and Geometry
Summer: Probability, Statistics and mixed review

Every week: Live lessons on the current topic block; A short weekly test on what was taught; Homework or practice set in exam-paper style. Every month: Parent-teacher meeting (PTM) to review progress, test scores and next steps.

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GCSE Biology

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE Biology (8461)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

Cell biology: cell structure and microscopy, cell division and stem cells, transport: diffusion, osmosis, active transport
Organisation: digestive system and enzymes, heart, blood and circulation, non-communicable disease, plant tissues and transport
Infection and response: pathogens and disease, immune system and vaccination, antibiotics and drug development, monoclonal antibodies and plant disease (Biology only)
Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and limiting factors, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, metabolism
Homeostasis and response: nervous system and reflexes, hormones, blood glucose and reproduction, brain, eye, kidneys, plant hormones (Biology only)
Inheritance, variation and evolution: DNA, meiosis and genetic crosses, inherited disorders, evolution, selective breeding and genetic engineering, classification
Ecology: ecosystems and adaptations, cycles of materials, biodiversity and human impact, trophic levels and food security (Biology only)

Required practicals

Microscopy
Microbiology: effect of antiseptics/antibiotics (Biology only)
Osmosis
Food tests
Enzymes (effect of pH on amylase)
Photosynthesis (light intensity)
Reaction time
Plant responses to light or gravity (Biology only)
Field investigations (quadrats/transects)
Decay (effect of temperature) (Biology only)

Notes

10 required practicals, tested in the written papers. At least 10% of marks involve maths skills. Question types include multiple choice, structured, closed short-answer and 6-mark extended responses.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

01.1 Which part of a plant cell contains chlorophyll?
Tick (✓) one box.
☐ Cell wall
☐ Chloroplast
☐ Nucleus
☐ Permanent vacuole [1 mark]

Answer / mark scheme:
Chloroplast

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

02.1 A person eats a meal that is high in carbohydrate.
Describe how the body returns the blood glucose concentration to normal. [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Any three from:
• blood glucose concentration rises / is detected by the pancreas
• pancreas releases (more) insulin
• insulin causes glucose to move from the blood into cells
• (in liver and muscle cells) excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

03.1 A student wanted to estimate the number of daisies in a field.
The field has an area of 1200 m².
She placed 10 quadrats at random. Each quadrat had an area of 0.25 m².
She counted a total of 34 daisies in the 10 quadrats.
Estimate the number of daisies in the field. [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Mean per quadrat = 34 ÷ 10 = 3.4 (1)
Per m² = 3.4 ÷ 0.25 = 13.6 (1)
13.6 × 1200 = 16 320 daisies (1)
(Allow alternative: total area sampled 2.5 m²; 34 ÷ 2.5 × 1200)

Sample question 4 · 4 marks

04.1 Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder caused by a recessive allele (f).
Two parents do not have cystic fibrosis, but both are carriers (Ff).
Use a Punnett square to find the probability that their first child will have cystic fibrosis.
Give the probability as a percentage. [4 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Gametes F and f from each parent (1)
Offspring genotypes FF, Ff, Ff, ff shown correctly (1)
ff identified as having cystic fibrosis (1)
Probability = 25% (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Biology A (J247 (Gateway Biology A))

Tiers	Foundation: Papers 1 and 2 Higher: Papers 3 and 4

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1 (F) / Paper 3 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%
Paper 2 (F) / Paper 4 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%

What is taught

B1 Cell level systems: cell structures and microscopy, what happens in cells (DNA, enzymes), respiration, photosynthesis
B2 Scaling up: supplying the cell (transport, mitosis, stem cells), the challenges of size: exchange surfaces, circulation, plant transport
B3 Organism level systems: coordination and control: nervous system, hormones, maintaining internal environments
B4 Community level systems: ecosystems, cycling of materials, biotic and abiotic factors
B5 Genes, inheritance and evolution: genetics and inheritance, natural selection and evolution, classification
B6 Global challenges: monitoring and maintaining the environment, feeding the human race, monitoring and maintaining health (disease, immunity, treatments)

Required practicals

8 Practical Activity Groups (PAGs): microscopy; testing for biological molecules; sampling techniques; rates of enzyme-controlled reactions; photosynthesis; physiology, responses and respiration; microbiological techniques; transport in and out of cells

Notes

Schools choose activities within each PAG. At least 15% of marks test practical skills. OCR also offers Twenty First Century Biology B (J257): two papers per tier, 'Breadth in biology' and 'Depth in biology', each 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50%, built around context-led chapters.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

Section A
1 Which enzyme breaks down lipids?
A Amylase
B Lipase
C Protease
D Carbohydrase
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
B (lipase)

Sample question 2 · 1 mark

2 Which component of the blood helps the blood to clot at a wound?
A Plasma
B Platelets
C Red blood cells
D White blood cells
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
B (platelets)

Sample question 3 · 4 marks

Section B
3 Warfarin is a poison that was used to kill rats.
After many years, most rats in some areas were no longer killed by warfarin.
Explain how this population of rats became resistant to warfarin. [4]

Answer / mark scheme:
• (random) mutation gave some rats an allele for resistance / variation in the population (1)
• rats without resistance were killed by warfarin (1)
• resistant rats survived and reproduced (1)
• passed the resistance allele to offspring, so over many generations the allele became more common (1)

Sample question 4 · 3 marks

4 A student looked at cells from an onion root tip under a microscope.
She counted 320 cells. 48 of the cells were in mitosis.
(a) Calculate the percentage of cells that were in mitosis. [2]
(b) One complete cell cycle in these cells takes 20 hours.
The percentage of cells in mitosis shows the percentage of the cycle spent in mitosis.
Estimate how long the cells spend in mitosis. [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) 48 ÷ 320 × 100 (1) = 15% (1)
(b) 15% of 20 hours = 3 hours (1) (allow error carried forward from (a))

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Biology (1BI0)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

1 Key concepts in biology: cells and microscopy, enzymes, transport in and out of cells
2 Cells and control: mitosis and growth, stem cells, nervous system
3 Genetics: meiosis and DNA, inheritance, variation and mutation
4 Natural selection and genetic modification: evolution and human evolution, classification, selective breeding and GM
5 Health, disease and the development of medicines: communicable and non-communicable disease, immunity and vaccines, antibiotics and new medicines
6 Plant structures and their functions: photosynthesis, plant transport, plant hormones (Biology only)
7 Animal coordination, control and homeostasis: hormones, blood glucose and diabetes, thermoregulation and kidneys (Biology only)
8 Exchange and transport in animals: gas exchange, heart and blood, respiration
9 Ecosystems and material cycles: ecosystems and interdependence, biodiversity, carbon, water and nitrogen cycles

Required practicals

1.6 Microscopy
1.10 Effect of pH on enzyme activity
1.13B Food tests
1.16 Osmosis in potatoes
5.18B Effect of antiseptics/antibiotics/plant extracts on microbes
6.5 Light intensity and photosynthesis
8.11 Rate of respiration
9.5 Quadrats and belt transects

Notes

8 core practicals (B = Biology-only). Topic 1 'Key concepts' can appear on both papers.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

1 (a) What is the function of xylem in a plant?
Put a cross (☒) in the box next to your answer.
☐ A transporting sugars from the leaves
☐ B transporting water and mineral ions from the roots
☐ C making glucose by photosynthesis
☐ D controlling gas exchange in the leaf (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
B – transporting water and mineral ions from the roots

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

2 (a) FSH and LH are hormones that control the menstrual cycle.
(i) State the name of the gland that releases FSH and LH. (1)
(ii) State the effect of LH on the ovary. (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
(i) pituitary gland (1)
(ii) causes ovulation / release of an egg (1)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

3 In a food chain, the grass contains 25 000 kJ of energy.
The rabbits that eat the grass contain 2 100 kJ of energy.
Calculate the efficiency of energy transfer from the grass to the rabbits. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
2 100 ÷ 25 000 × 100 (1)
= 8.4% (1)

Sample question 4 · 4 marks

4 A person steps on a drawing pin and quickly lifts their foot.
Explain how a reflex arc causes this response. (4)

Answer / mark scheme:
• receptor (pain receptor in the skin) detects the stimulus (1)
• impulse passes along a sensory neurone to the spinal cord (1)
• relay neurone passes impulse to a motor neurone, across synapses (1)
• motor neurone carries impulse to the effector / muscle, which contracts; this is fast/automatic because it does not involve the conscious brain (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE Biology

Biology is taught topic by topic, from cells and organisation through to genetics and ecology, matching the order of your child's board papers. Each block ends with practice on long-answer (6-mark) questions, which need clear, well-ordered explanations. We go through every required or core practical (or OCR Practical Activity Group) on screen, explaining the method, results and likely exam questions, because practical skills are tested in the written papers. Weekly tests check key words and definitions, and monthly meetings keep you up to date.

Autumn: Cells, organisation, infection and response
Spring: Bioenergetics, homeostasis
Summer: Inheritance, evolution, ecology

Book a free demo / sign up Chat on WhatsApp

GCSE Chemistry

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

Atomic structure and the periodic table: atoms, isotopes, electron arrangement, development of the periodic table, groups 0, 1 and 7, transition metals (Chemistry only)
Bonding, structure and properties: ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, states of matter, giant structures, graphene and fullerenes, nanoparticles (Chemistry only)
Quantitative chemistry: conservation of mass and relative formula mass, moles (Higher), concentration, yield and atom economy (Chemistry only)
Chemical changes: reactivity series and extraction, acids, bases and salts, electrolysis
Energy changes: exothermic and endothermic reactions, bond energies (Higher), cells, batteries and fuel cells (Chemistry only)
Rates and equilibrium: factors affecting rate, collision theory and catalysts, reversible reactions and Le Chatelier (Higher)
Organic chemistry: crude oil and alkanes, cracking and alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids and polymers (Chemistry only)
Chemical analysis: purity and formulations, chromatography, gas tests, ion tests and instrumental methods (Chemistry only)
Chemistry of the atmosphere: evolution of the atmosphere, greenhouse gases and climate change, pollutants
Using resources: potable water and waste water, life cycle assessment and recycling, alloys, ceramics, Haber process and NPK fertilisers (Chemistry only)

Required practicals

Making salts
Neutralisation titration (Chemistry only)
Electrolysis
Temperature changes
Rates of reaction
Chromatography
Identifying ions (Chemistry only)
Water purification

Notes

8 required practicals. At least 20% of marks involve maths skills.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

01.1 Which gas relights a glowing splint?
Tick (✓) one box.
☐ Carbon dioxide
☐ Chlorine
☐ Hydrogen
☐ Oxygen [1 mark]

Answer / mark scheme:
Oxygen

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

02.1 Calculate the relative formula mass (M_r) of calcium nitrate, Ca(NO₃)₂
Relative atomic masses (A_r): N = 14 O = 16 Ca = 40 [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
40 + 2 × (14 + 3 × 16) (1)
= 164 (1)

Sample question 3 (Higher) · 3 marks

03.1 Magnesium burns in oxygen to form magnesium oxide.

2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO

Calculate the mass of magnesium oxide formed when 6.0 g of magnesium burns completely.
Relative atomic masses (A_r): O = 16 Mg = 24 [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Moles of Mg = 6.0 ÷ 24 = 0.25 mol (1)
Moles of MgO = 0.25 mol (1:1 ratio) and M_r MgO = 40 (1)
Mass = 0.25 × 40 = 10 g (1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

04.1 Ammonia is made in the Haber process.

N₂(g) + 3H₂(g) ⇌ 2NH₃(g)

The forward reaction is exothermic.
Explain the effect of increasing the pressure on the yield of ammonia at equilibrium. [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
• yield (of ammonia) increases (1)
• there are fewer molecules/moles of gas on the right-hand side (4 → 2) (1)
• so the position of equilibrium shifts to the right / towards the side with fewer molecules to reduce the pressure (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Chemistry A (J248 (Gateway Chemistry A))

Tiers	Foundation: Papers 1 and 2 Higher: Papers 3 and 4

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1 (F) / Paper 3 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%
Paper 2 (F) / Paper 4 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%

What is taught

C1 Particles: particle model, atomic structure
C2 Elements, compounds and mixtures: purity and separating mixtures, bonding, properties of materials
C3 Chemical reactions: equations and moles, energetics, acids, bases and electrolysis
C4 Predicting and identifying reactions and products: periodic table groups and transition metals, reactivity, identifying products (tests)
C5 Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions: concentration and yield, rates of reaction, equilibrium
C6 Global challenges: improving processes and products, organic chemistry, Earth's atmosphere and climate

Required practicals

Practical Activity Groups (PAGs) covering techniques such as separation and chromatography, electrolysis, titration, salt preparation, measuring rates, temperature changes and chemical tests for ions and gases

Notes

Practical skills are assessed in the written papers. OCR also offers Twenty First Century Chemistry B (J258) with Breadth and Depth papers (each 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50%).

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

Section A
1 What is the formula of sodium sulfate?
A NaSO₄
B Na₂SO₄
C Na(SO₄)₂
D Na₂SO₃
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
B (Na₂SO₄)

Sample question 2 · 1 mark

2 A student separates the dyes in a food colouring by paper chromatography.
One dye moves 3.6 cm. The solvent front moves 8.0 cm.
What is the R_f value of the dye?
A 0.45
B 2.22
C 4.4
D 0.36
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
A (3.6 ÷ 8.0 = 0.45)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

Section B
3 Describe a test to show that a solution contains chloride ions.
Include the result of the test. [2]

Answer / mark scheme:
Add dilute nitric acid then silver nitrate solution (1)
white precipitate forms (1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

4 A student dissolves 3.0 g of sodium hydroxide, NaOH, in water to make 250 cm³ of solution.
Relative formula mass (M_r) of NaOH = 40
Calculate the concentration of the solution in mol/dm³. [3]

Answer / mark scheme:
Moles = 3.0 ÷ 40 = 0.075 mol (1)
Volume = 250 ÷ 1000 = 0.250 dm³ (1)
Concentration = 0.075 ÷ 0.250 = 0.30 mol/dm³ (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Chemistry (1CH0)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

1 Key concepts in chemistry: atomic structure, periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, calculations and moles
2 States of matter and mixtures: states and changes of state, separating methods and chromatography
3 Chemical changes: acids and salts, electrolysis
4 Extracting metals and equilibria: reactivity and extraction, recycling and life cycle, reversible reactions
5 Separate chemistry 1: transition metals, alloys and corrosion, quantitative analysis and titration, dynamic equilibria and fertilisers, chemical cells and fuel cells
6 Groups in the periodic table: groups 1, 7 and 0
7 Rates of reaction and energy changes: rates and catalysts, heat energy changes and bond energies
8 Fuels and Earth science: crude oil and hydrocarbons, the atmosphere and climate change
9 Separate chemistry 2: qualitative analysis (ion tests), hydrocarbons, alcohols, carboxylic acids, polymers, bulk and surface properties, nanoparticles

Required practicals

2.11 Distillation and chromatography of ink
3.6 pH change on adding calcium hydroxide/oxide to acid
3.17 Preparing hydrated copper sulfate crystals
3.31 Electrolysis of copper sulfate solution
5.9C Acid-alkali titration
7.1 Rates of reaction
9.6C Identifying ions in unknown salts
9.28C Temperature rise from burning alcohols

Notes

8 core practicals (C = Chemistry-only). Topic 1 'Key concepts' can appear on both papers.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

1 (a) Which of these is a typical property of transition metals?
Put a cross (☒) in the box next to your answer.
☐ A low melting points
☐ B they form coloured compounds
☐ C they are less dense than water
☐ D they do not conduct electricity (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
B – they form coloured compounds

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

2 Sodium reacts with chlorine to form sodium chloride, an ionic compound.
Describe how sodium atoms and chlorine atoms form sodium chloride.
You should refer to electrons in your answer. (3)

Answer / mark scheme:
• each sodium atom loses one electron (1)
• each chlorine atom gains one electron (1)
• forming Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions, which are held together by strong electrostatic attraction between opposite charges (1)

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

3 A sample of a hydrocarbon contains 2.4 g of carbon and 0.6 g of hydrogen.
Calculate the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon.
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, C = 12) (3)

Answer / mark scheme:
C: 2.4 ÷ 12 = 0.2; H: 0.6 ÷ 1.0 = 0.6 (1)
ratio 0.2 : 0.6 = 1 : 3 (1)
empirical formula CH₃ (1)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

4 Hydrochloric acid and ethanoic acid solutions both have a concentration of 0.1 mol dm⁻³.
The hydrochloric acid has a lower pH.
Explain why. (3)

Answer / mark scheme:
• hydrochloric acid is a strong acid / fully ionised (dissociated) in water (1)
• ethanoic acid is a weak acid / only partially ionised (1)
• so hydrochloric acid has a higher concentration of hydrogen ions, H⁺ (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE Chemistry

Chemistry starts with atoms, the periodic table and bonding, since everything else builds on them, then moves to calculations, reactions, rates, organic chemistry and Earth chemistry. Calculation skills such as moles and concentration are practised a little every week so they become routine. We cover each required or core practical with worked examples of the questions boards ask about them. Weekly tests mix recall with calculation questions, and later in the course students sit timed papers in their board's style.

Autumn: Atomic structure, periodic table, bonding
Spring: Quantitative chemistry, chemical and energy changes
Summer: Rates, organic chemistry, analysis and resources

Book a free demo / sign up Chat on WhatsApp

GCSE Physics

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE Physics (8463)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

Energy: energy stores and transfers, work, power and efficiency, national and global energy resources
Electricity: circuits, current, potential difference, resistance, series and parallel, mains electricity and the National Grid, static electricity (Physics only)
Particle model of matter: density, internal energy, specific heat and latent heat, gas pressure
Atomic structure: model of the atom, radioactive decay and half-life, uses of radiation, fission and fusion (Physics only)
Forces: scalars, vectors, resultant forces, motion graphs and Newton's laws, momentum (Higher), stopping distances, pressure in fluids and moments (Physics only)
Waves: wave properties, electromagnetic spectrum, lenses, visible light and black-body radiation (Physics only)
Magnetism and electromagnetism: magnetic fields, motor effect, induced potential and transformers (Physics only)
Space physics (Physics only): solar system and life cycle of stars, orbits, red-shift and the Big Bang

Required practicals

Specific heat capacity
Thermal insulation (Physics only)
Resistance
I-V characteristics
Density
Force and extension
Acceleration
Waves
Light: reflection and refraction (Physics only)
Infrared radiation and absorption

Notes

10 required practicals. At least 30% of marks involve maths skills. A Physics equation sheet is supplied in exams (2025-2027 and continuing under Ofqual's interim conditions).

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

01.1 Which of these is a vector quantity?
Tick (✓) one box.
☐ Energy
☐ Mass
☐ Speed
☐ Velocity [1 mark]

Answer / mark scheme:
Velocity

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

02.1 A cricket ball has a mass of 0.16 kg. It is bowled at a speed of 25 m/s.
Calculate the kinetic energy of the ball.
Use the equation: kinetic energy = 0.5 × mass × speed² [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
0.5 × 0.16 × 25² (1)
= 50 J (1)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

03.1 The stopping distance of a car is the thinking distance plus the braking distance.
Give two factors that increase the braking distance of a car. [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Any two from: greater speed; wet or icy road; worn brakes; worn tyres; greater mass of the car (e.g. heavily loaded)
(Do not accept tiredness, alcohol or drugs – these affect thinking distance)

Sample question 4 (Higher) · 3 marks

04.1 A car of mass 1200 kg travels at 15 m/s. It hits a stationary car of mass 800 kg.
After the collision the two cars move together.
Calculate the velocity of the two cars just after the collision.
Use the equation: momentum = mass × velocity [3 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Momentum before = 1200 × 15 = 18 000 kg m/s (1)
Momentum is conserved: 18 000 = (1200 + 800) × v (1)
v = 9.0 m/s (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Physics A (J249 (Gateway Physics A))

Tiers	Foundation: Papers 1 and 2 Higher: Papers 3 and 4

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1 (F) / Paper 3 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%
Paper 2 (F) / Paper 4 (H)	1h 45m	90	Yes	50%

What is taught

P1 Matter: particle model and density, changes of state, specific and latent heat, gas pressure
P2 Forces: motion and graphs, Newton's laws and momentum, forces in action: springs, moments, pressure
P3 Electricity: static and charge, simple and complex circuits
P4 Magnetism and magnetic fields: magnetic fields, electromagnetism and the motor effect, induction and transformers
P5 Waves in matter: wave behaviour, electromagnetic spectrum, lenses and light
P6 Radioactivity: atoms and isotopes, decay, half-life and uses, fission and fusion
P7 Energy: work, power and efficiency
P8 Global challenges: physics on the move (stopping distances), powering Earth (energy resources, the National Grid), beyond Earth (space)

Required practicals

Practical Activity Groups (PAGs) covering techniques such as measuring density, specific heat capacity, resistance and I-V characteristics, forces and acceleration, springs, waves and light/radiation

Notes

OCR also offers Twenty First Century Physics B (J259) with Breadth and Depth papers (each 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50%).

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

Section A
1 What is the unit of power?
A joule (J)
B newton (N)
C watt (W)
D pascal (Pa)
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
C (watt)

Sample question 2 · 1 mark

2 A force of 30 N acts on an area of 0.15 m².
What is the pressure?
A 4.5 Pa
B 200 Pa
C 0.005 Pa
D 450 Pa
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
B (30 ÷ 0.15 = 200 Pa)

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

Section B
3 A tuning fork produces a sound wave with a frequency of 680 Hz.
The speed of sound in air is 340 m/s.
Calculate the wavelength of the sound wave. [3]

Answer / mark scheme:
wave speed = frequency × wavelength (1)
wavelength = 340 ÷ 680 (1)
= 0.5 m (1)

Sample question 4 · 4 marks

4 A spring has a spring constant of 40 N/m. It is stretched by 0.15 m. The limit of proportionality is not exceeded.
(a) Calculate the force needed to stretch the spring. [2]
(b) Calculate the energy stored in the stretched spring. [2]

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) force = spring constant × extension = 40 × 0.15 (1) = 6 N (1)
(b) energy = ½ × 40 × 0.15² (1) = 0.45 J (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Physics (1PH0)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%
Paper 2	1h 45m	100	Yes	50%

What is taught

Paper 1 topics: 1 Key concepts of physics (units, SI, maths skills), 2 Motion and forces, 3 Conservation of energy, 4 Waves, 5 Light and the electromagnetic spectrum, 6 Radioactivity, 7 Astronomy (Physics only)
Paper 2 topics: 8 Energy – forces doing work, 9 Forces and their effects, 10 Electricity and circuits, 11 Static electricity (Physics only), 12 Magnetism and the motor effect, 13 Electromagnetic induction, 14 Particle model, 15 Forces and matter

Required practicals

2.19 Force, mass and acceleration
4.17 Wave speed, frequency and wavelength
5.9 Refraction in glass blocks
5.19P Thermal radiation from different surfaces
10.17 I-V characteristics and circuits
14.3 Density
14.11 Specific heat capacity and melting ice
15.6 Spring extension and work done

Notes

8 core practicals (P = Physics-only). Equation sheet supplied in exams (2025-2027 and continuing under Ofqual's interim conditions).

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

1 (a) Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum has the longest wavelength?
Put a cross (☒) in the box next to your answer.
☐ A gamma rays
☐ B visible light
☐ C radio waves
☐ D X-rays (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
C – radio waves

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

2 A car speeds up from 4 m/s to 22 m/s in 6 s.
Calculate the acceleration of the car. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
(22 − 4) ÷ 6 (1)
= 3 m/s² (1)

Sample question 3 · 3 marks

3 Describe how a plotting compass can be used to show the shape of the magnetic field around a bar magnet. (3)

Answer / mark scheme:
• place the magnet on paper and put the compass near one pole (1)
• mark the direction the compass needle points, move the compass to that mark and repeat (1)
• join the marks to form a field line, and repeat from different starting points around the magnet (1)

Sample question 4 · 3 marks

4 A stone is dropped from rest from a height of 45 m. Ignore air resistance.
Calculate the speed of the stone just before it hits the ground.
Use the equation: (final velocity)² − (initial velocity)² = 2 × acceleration × distance
(gravitational field strength, g = 10 N/kg) (3)

Answer / mark scheme:
v² − 0² = 2 × 10 × 45 (1)
v² = 900 (1)
v = 30 m/s (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE Physics

Physics is taught in blocks such as energy, electricity, particles, atoms, forces, waves and magnetism. Because a large share of Physics marks need maths, every lesson includes equation practice: choosing the right equation from the sheet, rearranging it, using units and showing working. Required or core practicals are explained step by step with the graphs and data analysis that exams ask for. Weekly tests and monthly parent-teacher meetings help us spot and fix gaps early.

Autumn: Energy and electricity
Spring: Particle model, atomic structure, forces
Summer: Waves, magnetism (and space for separate Physics)

Book a free demo / sign up Chat on WhatsApp

GCSE Combined Science

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464 (Trilogy))

Tiers	Foundation (grades 1-1 to 5-5) Higher (grades 4-4 to 9-9, with 4-3 allowed)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Biology Paper 1	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%
Biology Paper 2	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%
Chemistry Paper 1	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%
Chemistry Paper 2	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%
Physics Paper 1	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%
Physics Paper 2	1h 15m	70	Yes	16.7%

What is taught

Biology: cell biology, organisation, infection and response, bioenergetics, homeostasis and response, inheritance, variation and evolution, ecology
Chemistry: atomic structure and periodic table, bonding, structure and properties, quantitative chemistry, chemical changes, energy changes, rates and equilibrium, organic chemistry, chemical analysis, chemistry of the atmosphere, using resources
Physics: energy, electricity, particle model of matter, atomic structure, forces, waves, magnetism and electromagnetism

Required practicals

21 in total: Biology 7 (microscopy, osmosis, food tests, enzymes, photosynthesis, reaction time, field investigations); Chemistry 6 (making salts, electrolysis, temperature changes, rates, chromatography, water purification); Physics 8 (specific heat capacity, resistance, I-V characteristics, density, force and extension, acceleration, waves, infrared radiation)

Notes

Worth two GCSEs, awarded as a double grade on a 17-step scale (9-9 down to 1-1). Same topic names as the separate sciences, with less depth and no 'separate science only' content. AQA also offers Combined Science: Synergy (8465): four papers of 1h 45m and 100 marks (25% each), mixing the sciences into themes.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

01.1 (Biology) Which organ produces bile?
Tick (✓) one box.
☐ Kidney
☐ Liver
☐ Pancreas
☐ Stomach [1 mark]

Answer / mark scheme:
Liver

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

02.1 (Chemistry) Magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid.
Complete the word equation.
magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + ____________ [1 mark]
02.2 Describe the test for the gas produced. Give the result. [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
02.1 hydrogen (1)
02.2 hold a lighted splint at the mouth of the test tube (1); squeaky pop (1)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

03.1 (Physics) A metal block has a mass of 540 g and a volume of 200 cm³.
Calculate the density of the metal in g/cm³.
Use the equation: density = mass ÷ volume [2 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
540 ÷ 200 (1)
= 2.7 g/cm³ (1)

Sample question 4 · 4 marks

04.1 (Biology) The inner surface of the small intestine is covered in villi.
Explain how the villi are adapted for the efficient absorption of digested food. [4 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
• villi give a large surface area (1)
• walls are one cell thick / short diffusion distance (1)
• good blood supply / network of capillaries maintains a steep concentration gradient (1)
• cells have many mitochondria to release energy for active transport (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Combined Science A (J250 (Gateway Combined Science A))

Tiers	Foundation: Papers 1-6 Higher: Papers 7-12

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1 (F) / 7 (H): Biology	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%
Paper 2 (F) / 8 (H): Biology	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%
Paper 3 (F) / 9 (H): Chemistry	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%
Paper 4 (F) / 10 (H): Chemistry	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%
Paper 5 (F) / 11 (H): Physics	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%
Paper 6 (F) / 12 (H): Physics	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.7%

What is taught

Biology B1-B6: cell level systems, scaling up, organism level systems, community level systems, genes, inheritance and evolution, global challenges
Chemistry C1-C6: particles, elements, compounds and mixtures, chemical reactions, predicting and identifying reactions and products, monitoring and controlling chemical reactions, global challenges
Physics P1-P6: matter, forces, electricity and magnetism, waves and radioactivity, energy, global challenges
CS7 Practical skills: tested on every paper

Required practicals

16 Practical Activity Groups across the three sciences (5 biology, 5 chemistry, 6 physics); schools choose activities within each group

Notes

Double grade 9-9 to 1-1. OCR also offers Twenty First Century Combined Science B (J260): four 1h 45m papers per tier – Biology, Chemistry and Physics (95 marks each, 26.4%) plus a Combined Science paper (75 marks, 20.8%).

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

Section A
1 (Biology) Which of these is a non-communicable disease?
A Cholera
B HIV
C Lung cancer
D Malaria
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
C (lung cancer)

Sample question 2 · 1 mark

2 (Physics) A 60 W lamp is switched on for 2 minutes.
How much energy does it transfer?
A 120 J
B 7200 J
C 30 J
D 3600 J
Your answer ☐ [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
B (60 × 120 s = 7200 J)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

Section B
3 (Chemistry) Explain why metals are good conductors of electricity. [2]

Answer / mark scheme:
metals have delocalised electrons (1)
which are free to move through the structure and carry charge (1)

Sample question 4 · 4 marks

4 (Chemistry) A student adds calcium carbonate to an acid and collects the gas in a gas syringe.
In the first 30 seconds, 15 cm³ of gas is collected.
(a) Calculate the mean rate of reaction in the first 30 seconds. Give the unit. [2]
(b) The rate of reaction decreases as the reaction continues. Explain why. [2]

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) 15 ÷ 30 = 0.5 (1) cm³/s (1)
(b) the acid is used up / concentration of acid decreases (1); so there are fewer collisions per second / lower frequency of collisions (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Combined Science (1SC0)

Tiers	Foundation Higher

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Biology Paper 1	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%
Biology Paper 2	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%
Chemistry Paper 1	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%
Chemistry Paper 2	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%
Physics Paper 1	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%
Physics Paper 2	1h 10m	60	Yes	16.67%

What is taught

Biology: key concepts, cells and control, genetics, natural selection and GM, health, disease and medicines, plant structures and functions, animal coordination, control and homeostasis, exchange and transport in animals, ecosystems and material cycles
Chemistry: key concepts, states of matter and mixtures, chemical changes, extracting metals and equilibria, groups in the periodic table, rates of reaction and energy changes, fuels and Earth science
Physics: key concepts, motion and forces, conservation of energy, waves, light and the EM spectrum, radioactivity, energy – forces doing work, forces and their effects, electricity and circuits, magnetism and the motor effect, electromagnetic induction, particle model, forces and matter

Required practicals

18 core practicals: Biology 6 (microscopy, pH and enzymes, osmosis, photosynthesis, respiration, quadrats/transects); Chemistry 5 (chromatography/distillation, pH change, copper sulfate crystals, electrolysis, rates); Physics 7 (acceleration, waves, refraction, I-V circuits, density, specific heat capacity, spring extension)

Notes

Double grade 9-9 to 1-1. Practical questions appear in all six papers; there is no separate practical exam.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

1 (a) (Biology) Which substance in red blood cells carries oxygen?
Put a cross (☒) in the box next to your answer.
☐ A haemoglobin
☐ B glycogen
☐ C plasma
☐ D insulin (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
A – haemoglobin

Sample question 2 · 3 marks

2 (Chemistry) Chlorine water is added to potassium bromide solution. The solution turns orange.
(a) Write the word equation for the reaction. (1)
(b) Explain why this reaction happens. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) chlorine + potassium bromide → potassium chloride + bromine (1)
(b) chlorine is more reactive than bromine (1); so chlorine displaces bromine from its compound / salt (1)

Sample question 3 · 2 marks

3 (Physics) A water wave has a time period of 0.04 s.
Calculate the frequency of the wave. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
frequency = 1 ÷ time period = 1 ÷ 0.04 (1)
= 25 Hz (1)

Sample question 4 · 5 marks

4 (Physics) A 12 Ω resistor and an 18 Ω resistor are connected in series to a 6.0 V battery.
(a) Calculate the total resistance of the circuit. (1)
(b) Calculate the current in the circuit. (2)
(c) Calculate the power supplied by the battery. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) 12 + 18 = 30 Ω (1)
(b) I = V ÷ R = 6.0 ÷ 30 (1) = 0.2 A (1)
(c) P = I × V = 0.2 × 6.0 (1) = 1.2 W (1)

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE Combined Science

Combined Science covers Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with six exam papers in total and a double grade at the end. We rotate between the three sciences across the term so no subject is left until the last minute, and the weekly test always draws on more than one science. Required or core practicals for all three sciences are covered. Students who may sit Higher or Foundation are taught at their level, and in the exam year we run timed mock papers that match the length of their board's papers (70 minutes or 75 minutes).

Each term: one block from each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with a mixed review week

Book a free demo / sign up Chat on WhatsApp

GCSE English Language

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE English Language (8700)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing	1h 45m	80	–	50%
Paper 2: Writers' viewpoints and perspectives	1h 45m	80	–	50%

What is taught

Reading: finding and interpreting information, language and structure analysis, evaluating a text critically, comparing writers' viewpoints
Writing: creative description and narrative, argument, persuasion and viewpoint writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary
Spoken language: formal presentation, questions and feedback

Notes

All texts are unseen. Spoken Language is a separate endorsement (Pass, Merit, Distinction) reported alongside but not part of the 9-1 grade.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 4 marks

Paper 2 style: Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives

Source A – a newspaper article (21st century)
¹ Every second Saturday, the back room of Fenwick Street library becomes a hospital for broken things. ² By ten o’clock the queue already stretches past the returns desk: a toaster with a sulking element, ³ a child’s scooter missing a wheel, a lamp that last glowed in 1987. The volunteers – a retired ⁴ electrician, two sixth-formers and a woman who once mended watches for a living – work at trestle ⁵ tables under a hand-painted sign: NOTHING IS RUBBISH UNTIL WE SAY SO. Nobody pays. Visitors are ⁶ asked only to stay and watch, so that next time they might fix it themselves.

01 Read again Source A, lines 1 to 6.
Choose four statements below which are TRUE.
Shade the boxes of the ones that you think are true. Choose a maximum of four statements.
☐ A The repair café takes place every Saturday.
☐ B The repair café is held in a library.
☐ C People are queueing by ten o’clock.
☐ D One volunteer used to mend watches.
☐ E All the volunteers are retired.
☐ F Visitors pay a small fee.
☐ G Visitors are asked to stay and watch.
☐ H The sign was printed by a machine. [4 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
B, C, D, G – 1 mark for each correct answer (maximum 4; if more than four boxes are shaded, award no marks for the extra answers).

Sample question 2 · 8 marks

02 You need to refer to Source A (with question 01) and Source B (with question 03) for this question.
The atmosphere in the two places is very different.
Use details from both sources to write a summary of the differences. [8 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Top level (7–8): perceptive, detailed synthesis and inferences about the differences.
Indicative content:
• Source A is calm, friendly and co-operative (volunteers, ‘Nobody pays’, people taught to fix things) – infers a sense of community and patience.
• Source B is chaotic, loud and overwhelming (‘roared’, ‘shrieked’, porters ‘flung themselves’) – infers stress and rudeness from strangers (the gentleman in the tall hat).
• Both end positively: A with hope that people learn; B with the writer’s excitement as the train leaves.
Credit clear inferences supported by references from both sources; summary, not language analysis.

Sample question 3 · 12 marks

Source B – a letter dated 1868 (an original text written for AE1 Learning)
My dear Harriet, I have this morning survived the terminus at Kingsbridge, though I confess I did not expect to. The noise was a living creature: it roared beneath the iron roof, it shrieked from every engine, it crept into one’s very bones until I could no longer hear my own thoughts. Porters flung themselves at our trunks as gulls fling themselves at a fishing boat, and a gentleman in a tall hat trod upon my foot with the air of a man conferring an honour. Smoke hung so thick that the great clock appeared only by fits and starts, like a moon behind cloud. Yet I own, dear sister, that when the whistle sounded and the whole iron beast heaved itself forward, my heart leapt with it.

03 You now need to refer only to Source B, the letter dated 1868.
How does the writer use language to describe her experience of the railway station? [12 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Top level (10–12): detailed, perceptive analysis; judicious quotations; sophisticated subject terminology.
Indicative content:
• personification/metaphor ‘The noise was a living creature’ and triple verbs ‘roared… shrieked… crept’ make the noise threatening and inescapable.
• simile ‘as gulls fling themselves at a fishing boat’ suggests greedy, chaotic porters.
• irony in ‘with the air of a man conferring an honour’ mocks the rude gentleman.
• simile ‘like a moon behind cloud’ shows how the smoke hides things.
• metaphor ‘iron beast’ and ‘my heart leapt with it’ show her fear turning to excitement; hyperbole ‘survived’.

Sample question 4 · 40 marks

05 ‘Young people today spend far too much time looking at screens and not enough time outdoors.’
Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you argue for or against this statement.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Content and organisation (24): top band – compelling, convincing argument; tone and register matched to a broadsheet article; extensive, ambitious vocabulary; varied rhetorical devices; fluently linked, structurally varied paragraphs.
Technical accuracy (16): top band – sentence demarcation consistently secure; wide range of punctuation; varied sentence forms for effect; ambitious vocabulary spelt accurately.
Possible ideas: health and wellbeing, friendships, learning online, safety, balance between screens and the outdoors.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) English Language (J351)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Component 01: Communicating information and ideas	2h	80	–	50%
Component 02: Exploring effects and impact	2h	80	–	50%

What is taught

Reading: retrieving and summarising, analysing language and structure, comparing texts, critical evaluation
Writing: non-fiction for audience and purpose, imaginative and creative writing, technical accuracy
Spoken language: separate endorsement

Notes

Longer 2-hour papers than AQA and Edexcel. Spoken Language endorsement reported separately.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 4 marks

Component 01 style: Communicating information and ideas

Text 1 – from a memoir (written for AE1 Learning)
¹ I started at Pellow’s Bakery at four o’clock on a January morning, when the town was still a rumour ² of streetlamps. Mr Pellow handed me an apron stiff with old flour and pointed at a sack bigger than I was. ³ ‘Two hundred loaves before the buses start,’ he said, as if this were a reasonable thing to say to a ⁴ fifteen-year-old. The ovens breathed like sleeping animals. Within an hour my arms ached, my eyelashes were ⁵ white and I had burnt my thumb twice. But at half past six, when the first trays slid out golden and crackling, ⁶ Mr Pellow broke a loaf in half, handed me the steaming heel and said nothing at all. ⁷ It was the best thing anyone had ever said to me.

Section A
1 Look again at lines 1–6.
(a) At what time did the writer start work? [1]
(b) Give two details that show the work was physically hard. [2]
(c) What did Mr Pellow give the writer at half past six? [1]

Answer / mark scheme:
(a) four o’clock (in the morning) (1)
(b) any two: the sack was ‘bigger than I was’; two hundred loaves to make; ‘my arms ached’; burnt his/her thumb twice (2)
(c) half a loaf / the steaming heel of a loaf (1)

Sample question 2 · 6 marks

2 Look again at the whole of Text 1 (with question 1).
Explore how the writer uses language and structure to present Mr Pellow. Support your ideas with detailed reference to the text. [6]

Answer / mark scheme:
Top level (5–6): detailed exploration of language and structure with well-chosen references.
Indicative content:
• few words, blunt speech ‘Two hundred loaves before the buses start’ – demanding, matter-of-fact.
• narrator’s comment ‘as if this were a reasonable thing to say’ adds humour and shows how tough he seems.
• structural shift at ‘But at half past six’ reveals a kinder side; the gesture of sharing bread.
• paradox in the short final line – his silence ‘was the best thing anyone had ever said’ – shows unspoken approval.

Sample question 3 · 12 marks

3 ‘In this text, the writer shows that hard work can be rewarding.’
How far do you agree with this statement? Use evidence from Text 1 to support your answer. [12]

Answer / mark scheme:
Top level (10–12): perceptive, critical evaluation with a well-developed personal response and precise references.
Indicative content:
• agree: the effort (aching arms, burnt thumb) is contrasted with the reward of loaves ‘golden and crackling’; the reward is pride and respect, not money.
• the sensory language of the ending makes the reward feel vivid and deserved.
• possible challenge: the early start in the dark and the harsh demands could suggest exploitation; the reward is small and unspoken.
• credit evaluation of how the writer’s methods shape the reader’s view.

Sample question 4 · 40 marks

Section B
4 Write a speech for a school assembly persuading students in Year 10 to take on a part-time job or a volunteering role.
(24 marks for communication and organisation, 16 marks for vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation) [40]

Answer / mark scheme:
Communication and organisation (24): top level – sophisticated, persuasive speech clearly aimed at a teenage audience; confident use of rhetorical devices (direct address, anecdote, rhetorical questions, triplets); clear, cohesive structure with a strong opening and ending.
Vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation (16): top level – ambitious, precise vocabulary; varied sentences for effect; accurate spelling and a wide range of punctuation.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Language (1EN0)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1: Fiction and Imaginative Writing	1h 45m	64	–	40%
Paper 2: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing	2h 5m	96	–	60%

What is taught

Reading: 19th-century fiction analysis, non-fiction analysis and comparison, evaluation
Writing: imaginative writing, transactional writing for audience and purpose, SPaG
Spoken language: separate endorsement

Notes

Papers are not equal: Paper 2 is longer and worth 60%. Pearson also offers English Language 2.0 (1EN2): Paper 1 Non-Fiction Texts and Paper 2 Contemporary Texts, each 1h 55m, 80 marks, 50%, using contemporary texts only; first examined 2022.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 1 mark

Paper 1 style: Fiction and imaginative writing

Extract – from a short story set in the 19th century (written for AE1 Learning)
¹ Miss Thorne had lived in the house on Crane Lane for forty years, and in all that time no visitor ² had passed beyond the parlour. ³ The parlour itself was a museum of dust: the curtains, once crimson, had faded to the colour of ⁴ weak tea; the clock upon the mantel had stopped at twenty minutes past nine; and a single chair ⁵ stood before the cold grate as though waiting for a guest who would never come. ⁶ On the evening the letter arrived, however, Miss Thorne did a thing she had not done in a decade. ⁷ She lit the fire. She drew back the curtains. And, with hands that shook only a little, ⁸ she set out a second cup.

1 From lines 1–2, identify how long Miss Thorne had lived in the house on Crane Lane. (1)

Answer / mark scheme:
forty years (1)

Sample question 2 · 2 marks

2 From lines 3–5, give two ways in which the writer describes the parlour.
You may use your own words or quotations from the text. (2)

Answer / mark scheme:
Any two (1 mark each): a ‘museum of dust’ / very dusty; the curtains had faded (from crimson to the colour of weak tea); the clock had stopped (at twenty past nine); a single chair stood before a cold grate / there was no fire.

Sample question 3 · 6 marks

3 In lines 6–8, how does the writer use language and structure to show the change in Miss Thorne?
Support your views with reference to the text. (6)

Answer / mark scheme:
Level 3 (5–6): exploration of language and structure with well-chosen references and accurate subject terminology.
Indicative content:
• ‘however’ signals a turning point after the stillness of the parlour description.
• short, simple sentences ‘She lit the fire. She drew back the curtains.’ and repetition of ‘She’ show decisive action.
• contrast: light and warmth replace the ‘cold grate’ and faded curtains.
• ‘hands that shook only a little’ shows nervousness overcome; the final detail ‘a second cup’ links back to the empty chair and suggests hope of company.

Sample question 4 · 40 marks

5 Write about a time when you, or someone you know, received some unexpected news.
Your response could be real or imagined.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for vocabulary, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation) (40)

Answer / mark scheme:
AO5 (24): top level – communication is convincing and compelling; tone, style and register are skilfully matched to purpose; well-crafted structure with varied, inventive paragraphing.
AO6 (16): top level – extensive, ambitious vocabulary; full range of sentence structures used for effect; accurate spelling and punctuation.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE English Language

English Language is all about skills, because the reading texts in the exam are unseen. We work on one skill at a time – finding information, analysing language and structure, comparing texts, evaluating, and then creative and viewpoint or transactional writing – using extracts like those your child's board sets, including 19th-century texts. Each week students complete a short timed reading or writing task and get written feedback. We teach how each question is marked and how long to spend on it, then build up to full timed papers. We can also help students prepare for the spoken language presentation.

Autumn: Reading skills on fiction
Spring: Non-fiction reading and comparison
Summer: Creative and viewpoint writing, timed practice

Book a free demo / sign up Chat on WhatsApp

GCSE English Literature

Open your board’s folder to see the curriculum and sample questions.

AQA · AQA GCSE English Literature (8702)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel	1h 45m	64	–	40%
Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry	2h 15m	96	–	60%

What is taught

Paper 1 Section A: Shakespeare: extract-to-whole-play essay
Paper 1 Section B: 19th-century novel: extract-to-whole-novel essay
Paper 2 Section A: Modern prose or drama: essay from a choice of two questions
Paper 2 Section B: Poetry anthology: compare a named poem with one other from the chosen cluster
Paper 2 Section C: Unseen poetry: analyse one unseen poem, then compare with a second

Set texts

shakespeare: ['Macbeth', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'The Tempest', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Julius Caesar']
nineteenth_century_novel: ['The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', 'A Christmas Carol', 'Great Expectations', 'Jane Eyre', 'Frankenstein', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'The Sign of Four']
modern_drama: ['An Inspector Calls', 'Blood Brothers', 'DNA', 'A Taste of Honey', 'Leave Taking', 'Princess & The Hustler']
modern_prose: ['Lord of the Flies', 'AQA Anthology: Telling Tales', 'Animal Farm', 'Anita and Me', 'Pigeon English', 'My Name is Leon']
poetry_clusters: ['Love and relationships', 'Power and conflict', 'Worlds and lives']

Notes

Closed book (no texts in the exam). Some marks are for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Leave Taking, Princess & The Hustler, My Name is Leon and the Worlds and lives cluster were first examined in 2025; The History Boys, Never Let Me Go and The Curious Incident were last examined in 2024.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 34 marks

Paper 1, Section A: Shakespeare – Macbeth

Extract (Act 1 Scene 7) – Macbeth is alone, thinking about killing King Duncan.
I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’ other.

Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents the dangers of ambition in Macbeth.
Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents ambition in this speech
• how Shakespeare presents ambition in the play as a whole.
[30 marks] AO4 [4 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
AO1/AO2/AO3 (30); AO4 spelling, punctuation and grammar (4).
Indicative content:
• horse-riding metaphor (‘spur’, ‘prick the sides’): Macbeth admits ambition is his only motive; ‘Vaulting ambition… falls on th’ other’ foreshadows his downfall.
• across the play: the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s persuasion, the murders of Banquo and Macduff’s family, guilt, isolation and death.
• context: Jacobean belief in the Divine Right of Kings and the Great Chain of Being; regicide as a sin against God; James I and the Gunpowder Plot.
Top level (26–30): critical, exploratory, conceptualised response; judicious references; fine-grained analysis; detailed links between context and text.

Sample question 2 · 30 marks

Paper 1, Section B: The 19th-century novel – A Christmas Carol

Extract (Stave One)
Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.

Starting with this extract, explore how Dickens presents Scrooge as isolated from other people.
Write about:
• how Dickens presents Scrooge in this extract
• how Dickens presents Scrooge’s isolation in the novel as a whole. [30 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content:
• list of present participles (‘squeezing, wrenching, grasping…’) creates a relentless, greedy image; exclamatory narrative voice.
• simile ‘Hard and sharp as flint’ and ‘solitary as an oyster’ – cold and closed off, yet an oyster may hide a pearl (potential for change).
• whole novel: rejects Fred’s invitation and the charity collectors; lonely childhood shown by the Ghost of Christmas Past; Belle leaves him; transformation and reconnection in Stave Five.
• context: Victorian poverty, the Poor Law and workhouses; Dickens’s message about social responsibility and Christian charity.

Sample question 3 · 34 marks

Paper 2, Section A: Modern texts – An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)
How does Priestley use the character of Sheila to explore ideas about responsibility?
Write about:
• what Sheila says and does
• how Priestley presents her changing attitudes.
[30 marks] AO4 [4 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content (no extract is printed – students write from memory):
• Sheila begins as privileged and self-absorbed; her part in Eva Smith’s dismissal from Milwards.
• she accepts her guilt quickly and becomes increasingly perceptive, warning the others about the Inspector.
• by the end she refuses to return to her parents’ attitudes – she represents the younger generation and the hope of change.
• context: written in 1945, set in 1912; Priestley’s socialist views; class and gender; dramatic irony.
Plus AO4 (4 marks) for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Sample question 4 · 24 marks

Paper 2, Section C: Unseen poetry

Her Hands (a poem written for AE1 Learning)
Her hands were maps of every year she’d worked –
the knuckles hills, the veins slow rivers, blue.
They kneaded bread at dawn and never shirked
the scrubbing, sewing, all the jobs she knew.
Now, folded on the blanket, still and small,
they rest like birds that will not fly again;
and I, who never thanked her much at all,
hold one, and feel it holding me. Like then.

27.1 In ‘Her Hands’, how does the poet present the speaker’s feelings about the woman in the poem? [24 marks]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content:
• extended metaphor of hands as ‘maps’ (‘knuckles hills’, ‘veins slow rivers’) – her life’s work is written on her body; respect and admiration.
• listing of tasks shows her hard work; volta at ‘Now’ shifts to frailty; simile ‘like birds that will not fly again’ suggests approaching death and sadness.
• regular rhyme and iambic rhythm give a calm, tender tone; the confession ‘who never thanked her much’ shows regret.
• final line reversal ‘feel it holding me’ and the short sentence ‘Like then.’ show love and a memory of childhood comfort.
Top level (21–24): critical, exploratory response; judicious references; analysis of the writer’s methods.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the AQA style – not taken from real exam papers.

OCR · OCR GCSE (9-1) English Literature (J352)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Component 01: Exploring modern and literary heritage texts	2h	80	–	50%
Component 02: Exploring poetry and Shakespeare	2h	80	–	50%

What is taught

Component 01 Section A: Modern prose or drama: comparison of an extract with a linked unseen extract, or essay
Component 01 Section B: 19th-century prose: extract-based or essay question
Component 02 Section A: Poetry across time: compare an anthology poem with an unseen poem, further question on the anthology cluster
Component 02 Section B: Shakespeare: extract-based or essay question

Set texts

modern_prose_or_drama: ['Anita and Me', 'Never Let Me Go', 'Animal Farm', 'An Inspector Calls', 'DNA', 'Leave Taking']
nineteenth_century_prose: ['Great Expectations', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'The War of the Worlds', 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', 'Jane Eyre', 'A Christmas Carol']
shakespeare: ['Romeo and Juliet', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing']
poetry_clusters: ['Towards a World Unknown anthology: Love and Relationships', 'Conflict', 'Youth and Age']

Notes

Closed book. Leave Taking replaced My Mother Said I Never Should, and 15 new anthology poems were added, for first teaching 2022 / first exams 2024.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 40 marks

Component 01, Section B: 19th-century prose – Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Extract (Chapter 1) – Mr Enfield describes Mr Hyde to Mr Utterson.
He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why.

Explore how Stevenson presents Hyde as disturbing in this extract and elsewhere in the novel. [40]

Answer / mark scheme:
AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO4 assessed.
Indicative content:
• Enfield cannot describe Hyde – vagueness (‘something wrong’, repetition of ‘something’) makes him more frightening; the reader’s imagination fills the gap.
• the strong reaction ‘downright detestable’ without reason suggests something unnatural or evil.
• elsewhere: trampling the girl, the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, ape-like descriptions, the fog-filled settings, Jekyll’s final statement.
• context: Victorian respectability and repression, fears about degeneration after Darwin, duality of human nature.

Sample question 2 · 40 marks

Component 02, Section B: Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet
‘Romeo and Juliet is a play about the dangers of acting too quickly.’
How far do you agree with this view? Explore at least two moments from the play to support your ideas. [40]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content:
• agree: the lovers marry within a day of meeting; Romeo kills Tybalt in a moment of rage; Capulet suddenly brings the wedding to Paris forward; Romeo’s rushed suicide in the tomb.
• Friar Laurence’s warning ‘they stumble that run fast’ and imagery of lightning and gunpowder.
• alternative view: fate (‘star-cross’d lovers’), the feud and the older generation are equally to blame.
• context: Elizabethan ideas of fate, honour, obedience to parents and arranged marriage.
Top level: a sustained, critical and well-argued personal response with precise references.

Sample question 3 · 20 marks

Component 02, Section A: Poetry – unseen practice

The Last Bus (a poem written for AE1 Learning)
The last bus coughs and leaves without me.
Rain writes its long excuses on the glass
of the shelter, where a poster for the sea
peels slowly, blue curling into grey.
I count my coins. Not enough. I count again.
Somewhere a dog complains about the night.
And yet – the streetlight hums a single note
so steady I could almost sing along.

Explore how the poet presents feelings of loneliness in ‘The Last Bus’. [20]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content:
• personification ‘coughs and leaves without me’ – the speaker feels abandoned.
• ‘Rain writes its long excuses’ and the peeling poster (‘blue curling into grey’) create a dreary mood and lost hope.
• short sentences ‘I count my coins. Not enough. I count again.’ show anxiety and helplessness; the dog that ‘complains’ echoes the speaker’s mood.
• turn at ‘And yet’ – the steady hum of the streetlight offers comfort, ending on a quietly hopeful note.
Top level: perceptive analysis of language, form and structure with apt references.

Sample question 4 · 20 marks

Component 01, Section A: Modern drama – An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)
Explore how Priestley presents Eva Smith as a victim of the society she lives in.
Refer to the play as a whole. [20]

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content (no extract is printed – students write from memory):
• Eva never appears on stage – she represents the many working-class people without a voice.
• each Birling and Gerald plays a part: sacked for asking for higher wages, dismissed from Milwards, used and abandoned, refused help by a charity committee.
• her changes of name suggest how easily the poor are replaced or forgotten; the Inspector’s final speech links her to countless others like her.
• context: 1912 setting versus 1945 audience; class, gender, lack of a welfare state; Priestley’s socialist message.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the OCR style – not taken from real exam papers.

Pearson Edexcel · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Literature (1ET0)

Tiers	Untiered (grades 1-9)

Exam papers

Paper	Time	Marks	Calculator	Weight
Paper 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature	1h 45m	80	–	50%
Paper 2: 19th-century Novel and Poetry since 1789	2h 15m	80	–	50%

What is taught

Paper 1 Section A: Shakespeare: extract question plus whole-play essay (40 marks)
Paper 1 Section B: Post-1914 British play or novel: essay (40 marks)
Paper 2 Section A: 19th-century novel: extract plus whole-novel question (40 marks)
Paper 2 Section B: Poetry: anthology comparison (20 marks), unseen poetry comparison (20 marks)

Set texts

shakespeare: ['Macbeth', 'The Tempest', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Twelfth Night', 'The Merchant of Venice']
post_1914: ['An Inspector Calls', "Hobson's Choice", 'Blood Brothers', "Journey's End", 'Animal Farm', 'Lord of the Flies', 'Anita and Me', 'The Woman in Black', 'The Empress', 'Refugee Boy', 'Coram Boy', "Boys Don't Cry"]
nineteenth_century_novel: ['Jane Eyre', 'Great Expectations', 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', 'A Christmas Carol', 'Silas Marner', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Frankenstein']
poetry_clusters: ['Relationships', 'Conflict', 'Time and Place', 'Belonging']

Notes

Closed book. Widest post-1914 text choice of the three boards.

Sample questions (with answers)

Sample question 1 · 20 marks

Paper 1, Section A: Shakespeare – The Tempest

Extract (Act 1 Scene 2) – Caliban speaks to Prospero.
This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother,
Which thou tak’st from me.

(a) Explore how Shakespeare presents the conflict between Caliban and Prospero in this extract.
Refer closely to the language of the extract in your answer. (20)

Answer / mark scheme:
AO2 assessed.
Indicative content:
• possessive ‘This island’s mine’ – Caliban asserts his right to the land through his mother; a direct challenge to Prospero’s power.
• the accusation ‘Which thou tak’st from me’ presents Prospero as a usurper; use of the informal ‘thou’ shows lack of respect.
• in the wider scene: insults on both sides, Prospero’s threats of punishment (cramps, pinches), Caliban speaking in verse showing he is more than a ‘monster’.
Top level (17–20): perceptive, detailed analysis of language, form and structure with well-chosen references.

Sample question 2 · 20 marks

Paper 2, Section A: 19th-century novel – Frankenstein

Extract (Chapter 5)
I beheld the wretch – the miserable monster whom I had created.

(b) In Frankenstein, Victor feels both horror and regret about what he has done.
Explain how these feelings are shown elsewhere in the novel.
In your answer you must consider the context of the novel. (20)

Answer / mark scheme:
AO1 and AO3 assessed.
Indicative content:
• Victor flees the creature immediately after it comes to life and falls ill with fever.
• guilt after the deaths of William and Justine – he calls himself the true murderer but stays silent.
• destroys the female creature; loses Clerval and Elizabeth; chases the creature to the Arctic, warning Walton against ambition.
• context: scientific experiments of the time (galvanism), Romantic warnings about over-reaching ambition, the Prometheus myth.

Sample question 3 · 20 marks

Paper 2, Section C: Unseen poetry

Poem 1: First Snow (written for AE1 Learning)
Overnight the street forgot its name.
The cars became soft hills; the bins wore hats.
Each footprint was a small, astonished claim
on something new. My brother flung himself flat
and made an angel, laughing, arms spread wide,
as if the sky had opened just for us outside.

Poem 2: Thaw (written for AE1 Learning)
By Tuesday it was grey along the kerb,
a tired slush that sulked in every drain.
The snowman’s head had slipped; his carrot nose
lay pointing at the gutter and the rain.
We walk to school and do not say a word.
Something has ended. Neither of us says what.

Compare the ways the writers present a change in mood in Poem 1 and Poem 2.
Support your answer with reference to both poems. (20)

Answer / mark scheme:
AO1 and AO2 assessed (comparison of the two poems).
Indicative content:
• Poem 1: magical, joyful mood – personification ‘the street forgot its name’, playful images (‘bins wore hats’), the brother’s laughter; alternate rhyme closing on a rhyming couplet (‘wide’/‘outside’) gives energy.
• Poem 2: tired, gloomy mood – ‘grey’, ‘slush that sulked’, the fallen snowman as a symbol of lost fun; silence of the siblings.
• comparison: Poem 1 opens possibilities, Poem 2 closes them (‘Something has ended’); shift from past-tense excitement to present-tense quiet; the snow links both poems.
Top level: sustained, perceptive comparison with well-integrated references.

Sample question 4 · 40 marks

Paper 1, Section B: Post-1914 British drama – An Inspector Calls (J.B. Priestley)
Explore how Priestley uses the Inspector as a dramatic device to deliver his message to the audience.
You must refer to the context of the play in your answer. (40)

Answer / mark scheme:
Indicative content (no extract is printed – students write from memory):
• the Inspector controls the pace and order of the questioning; arrives at a key moment, interrupting Mr Birling’s speech about every man looking after himself.
• acts as Priestley’s mouthpiece: his final speech about collective responsibility and its warning of what will happen if people do not learn.
• mysterious identity and the final phone call – is he real? This makes the audience reflect on their own behaviour.
• context: 1912 setting, two world wars by 1945, Priestley’s socialism and the post-war welfare state.
Includes marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Original AE1 Learning practice questions written in the Pearson Edexcel style – not taken from real exam papers.

How AE1 teaches GCSE English Literature

For English Literature we teach the exact set texts your child's school has chosen – for example a Shakespeare play, a 19th-century novel, a modern play or novel and a poetry cluster – plus unseen poetry. Each text is studied in chunks: plot and characters, themes, context, key quotations and the writer's methods. Weekly tests check quotation recall and understanding, and students regularly write timed essay paragraphs and full essays to the board's question style. Because the exams are closed book, we build steady quotation practice into every week, and monthly meetings let you see how essays are improving.

Autumn: Shakespeare play
Spring: 19th-century novel and poetry cluster
Summer: Modern text and unseen poetry

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Information is a parent guide written by AE1 Learning from official council, school and exam-board sources (checked October 2026). Arrangements can change each year, so always confirm dates and rules with your local council, the school or the exam board. Exam board names are used only to describe the exams; AE1 Learning is not linked to any exam board. © 2026-27 AE1 Learning · Online learning classes across the UK.