GCSE English language: Exam Structure by Board
Your Teacher Information Pack for GCSE English language: how the exams are built for each board, the key dates for summer 2027, and links to specifications, past papers and grade boundaries.
- Qualification
- GCSE (9 to 1)
- Years
- Year 10 and Year 11 (KS4)
- Boards covered
- AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC Eduqas
- Entries 2026 (England)
- 844,455 (no. 3 by entries)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Entries: Ofqual provisional entries, summer 2026 (rounded).
The national curriculum content behind this GCSE: KS4 English programme of study.
Exam structure by board
Pick your board to see every paper with its length, marks and weighting, plus practicals, tiers and links.
AQA GCSE English Language (8700)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing | 1 h 45 min | 80 | 50% |
| Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives | 1 h 45 min | 80 | 50% |
| Non-exam assessment: Spoken Language Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately |
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Language (1EN0)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Fiction and Imaginative Writing | 1 h 45 min | 64 | 40% |
| Component 2: Non-fiction and Transactional Writing | 2 h 5 min | 96 | 60% |
| Spoken Language Endorsement: Spoken Language Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately |
Full Pearson Edexcel pack · specification on the Pearson Edexcel website
OCR GCSE (9-1) English Language (J351)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Communicating information and ideas | 2 h | 80 | 50% |
| Component 02: Exploring effects and impact | 2 h | 80 | 50% |
| Component 03/04: Spoken language Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately |
Eduqas GCSE (9-1) English Language (C700QS)
Tiers: No tiers (one paper set for all) · first taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: 20th Century Literature Reading and Creative Prose Writing | not stated | 80 | 40% |
| Component 2: 19th and 21st Century Non-Fiction Reading and Transactional/Persuasive Writing | not stated | 80 | 60% |
| Component 3: Spoken Language Endorsement | 10 min | – | Reported separately |
Full WJEC Eduqas pack · specification on the WJEC Eduqas website
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Official documents
- Ofqual subject-level conditions and requirements (GOV.UK)
- Grade boundaries: AQA
- Grade boundaries: Pearson Edexcel
- Grade boundaries: OCR
- Grade boundaries: WJEC Eduqas
- JCQ access arrangements
More packs
Other GCSEs: GCSE Combined science, GCSE Mathematics, GCSE English literature, GCSE History, GCSE Geography, GCSE Religious studies, GCSE Art and design, GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry, GCSE Physics. Find another TIP
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How many papers are there in GCSE English language?
AQA 8700: 2 exam papers; Pearson Edexcel 1EN0: 2 exam papers; OCR J351: 2 exam papers; WJEC Eduqas C700QS: 2 exam papers. Check the board's specification for options and routes.
Is GCSE English language tiered?
No. All students sit the same papers.