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Exam Board: AQA
Grading System: 9-1
Higher Paper: Grades 9-4
Foundation Paper: Grades 5-1
What will be assessed in the Spanish exams?
What will be assessed in the Spanish exams?
The exam covers three themes across all four skills:
Theme 1: People and Lifestyle
Theme 1: People and Lifestyle
Identity and relationships
Healthy living and lifestyle
Education and work
Theme 2: Popular Culture
Theme 2: Popular Culture
Free-time activities
Customs, festivals, and celebrations
Celebrity culture
Theme 3: Communication and the World Around Us
Theme 3: Communication and the World Around Us
Travel and tourism
Media and technology
The environment and where people live
Students must be able to understand and respond to Spanish across these themes in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
How is it assessed?
How is it assessed?
There are 4 exam papers: lisetning, speaking,reading and writing. GCSE Spanish has a Foundation tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.
Paper 1: Listening
Paper 1: Listening
What's assessed
• Understanding and responding to spoken extracts comprising the defined vocabulary and grammar for each tier
• Dictation of short, spoken extracts
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 35 minutes (Foundation tier), 45 minutes (Higher tier)
• 40 marks (Foundation tier), 50 marks (Higher tier)
• 25% of GCSE
Paper 2: Speaking
Paper 2: Speaking
What's assessed
• Speaking using clear and comprehensible language to undertake a Role-play
• Carry out a Reading aloud task
• Talk about visual stimuli
How it's assessed
• Non-exam assessment (NEA)
• 7–9 minutes (Foundation tier) + 15 minutes' supervised preparation time
• 10–12 minutes (Higher tier) + 15 minutes' supervised preparation time
• 50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier)
• 25% of GCSE
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 3: Reading
What's assessed
• Understanding and responding to written texts which focus predominantly on the vocabulary and grammar at each tier
• Inferring plausible meanings of single words when they are embedded in written sentences
• Translating from Spanish into English
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 45 minutes (Foundation tier), 1 hour (Higher tier)
• 50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier)
• 25% of GCSE
Paper 4: Writing
Paper 4: Writing
What's assessed
• Writing text in the language in a lexically and grammatically accurate way in response to simple and familiar stimuli
• Translating from English into Spanish
How it's assessed
• Written exam: 1 hour 10 minutes (Foundation tier), 1 hour 15 minutes (Higher tier)
• 50 marks (for each of Foundation tier and Higher tier)
• 25% of GCSE
What does revision in Spanish look like?
What does revision in Spanish look like?
Revision should be active, not passive, covering all four key skills:
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
The best way to revise for each skill is through regular practice using a variety of resources.
Students should engage with the four skills through the following resources:
Grammar, Vocabulary and Translation Workbook - Students have access to this workbook through their Google Classroom. There are a range of exercises to complete.
Exercise books – containing vocabulary, grammar explanations, and example answers.
Seneca - students can login using their school google account.
Duolingo – students can sign up using their school Google accounts.
AQA GCSE exam assessment resources website – including past papers, mark schemes, and example answers.
How much Spanish revision should my child be doing?
How much Spanish revision should my child be doing?
Quality over quantity is key, but students should aim for at least 90 minutes per week of independent revision. Time should be balanced equally across the four skills:
Listening – Practise listening to spoken Spanish and translating passages into English.
Reading – Read Spanish texts and translate them into English, focusing on understanding key vocabulary and structures.
Writing – Translate English passages into Spanish and practise responding to typical exam questions.
Speaking – Read passages aloud and practise spoken responses to common exam questions.
A recommended study routine could be:
Monday: 20 minutes – Listening (e.g., practice dictation and comprehension).
Wednesday: 30 minutes – Writing (e.g., translation and structured responses).
Friday: 40 minutes – Reading & Speaking (e.g., translating texts and practising pronunciation).
What does my child need to be able to revise for Spanish effectively?
What does my child need to be able to revise for Spanish effectively?
Students should have access to:
A notebook dedicated to Spanish revision.
A quiet space for study (school extended study or home).
A device with internet access for online resources and revision platforms.
A Duolingo account – linked to their school email for additional vocabulary practice.
How will my child know their strengths and areas for development?
How will my child know their strengths and areas for development?
To support targeted revision, students will receive:
Guided revision tasks in the run-up to mock exams, focusing on different topics.
Feedback from past assessments, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
AQA online grammar and vocabulary guidance, which includes:
Grammar explanations for key structures.
Communication strategies to improve fluency.
The full AQA vocabulary list – essential for success in all exam sections.
If students identify gaps in their knowledge, they should speak to Miss Quested, who can direct them to additional resources.
So how exactly can I help?
So how exactly can I help?
Help your child to get organised and give them a quiet space to work
Help your child to get organised and give them a quiet space to work
Help your child to come up with a revision timetable and plan that is manageable. Remember spaced practice is better than cramming.
Check that your child is sticking to their revision timetable, or when they are not able to, that they make up the time.
Check that your child is meeting deadlines through Google Classroom.
Get your child to organise their flashcards and notes around the 3 main themes of study:
Give your child written or speaking tasks linked to the themes.
Give your child written or speaking tasks linked to the themes.
Ask your child to speak to you in Spanish, and give them a topic from the themes to talk about, or even better a direct question. Then ask them to translate what they have said to you. Finally get them to check that their vocabulary was accurate using a translator or dictionary.
For example, using the themes you could ask them to:
"describe your family, including their appearance."
"describe how you use social media."
Likewise ask your child to write a passage in Spanish, and give them a topic from the themes to write about. Then ask them to translate what they have written back to English. Finally get them to check their Spanish spelling and grammar using a translator or dictionary..
Talk to your child about their revision at the end of each study session
Talk to your child about their revision at the end of each study session
Even if you know little or no Spanish, ask your child to explain what they have been working on.
"What themes have you been working on? What skills have you been working on?"
"Can you tell me what are the key things you need to know in that theme?"
"What types of questions/tasks are you finding difficult? Do you know how to correct them? Can you explain how you would correct them please?"
"Are there any things that you keep forgetting? Do you need to make a flashcard for that?"
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