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AQA English Language (9-1) 8700

Important dates

GCSE results 2024

22 August 2024

Past Papers

Why should you do past papers?

Practising past exam papers is an invaluable strategy for English Language GCSE revision. Engaging with these papers familiarises students with the exam format, question types, and time constraints, reducing exam-day anxiety. It enables students to identify common themes and recurring topics, honing their ability to structure coherent, persuasive responses. Additionally, past papers provide a practical opportunity to apply analytical skills and improve critical thinking. Reviewing marked papers highlights strengths and areas for improvement, guiding focused revision. Overall, this practice enhances exam readiness, boosts confidence, and maximises the potential for achieving high grades in the English Language GCSE.

Specimens for new specifications (2014)

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

Specimen 2014

Question Paper includes extract 

from Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

Specimen 2014

Question Paper

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

Specimen 2014

Insert includes newspaper article entitled "Could you do your child's homework?" and two letters from the 1820s.

June 2017

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

June 2017

Question Paper

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

June 2017

Insert includes extract from The Tiredness of Rosabel by Katherine Mansfield

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

June 2017

Question Paper

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

June 2017

Insert includes a newspaper article entitled "How can my son be a year old already?" and Boy Lost, an extract from a Victorian newspaper

November 2017

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

November 2017

Question Paper

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

November 2017

Insert includes an extract from Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

November 2017

Question Paper

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

November 2017

Insert includes an extract from The Other Side of the Dale and The Ragged School, an extract from a diary of a teacher from 1849.

June 2018

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

June 2018

Question Paper

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

June 2018

Insert includes an extract from Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

June 2018

Question Paper

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

November 2017

Insert includes an extract from Morning Glass and The Hawaiian Archipelago, an extract from a letter by Isabella Bird.

November 2018

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

November 2018

Question Paper

8700/1 Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing

June 2018

Insert includes an extract from A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

November 2018

Question Paper

8700/2 Paper 2 Writers' viewpoints and perspectives

November 2017

Insert includes a newspaper article entitled "All cyclists fear bad drivers" and On a bicycle in the streets of London, a magazine article published in 1896.

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