AQA GCSE English Language

Linear qualification

Source: official AQA specification, verified 2026-08-28. Directly confirmed against the official AQA specification-at-a-glance page: linear, not tiered, two written papers each 1h45/80marks/50% of GCSE, each split 40/40 marks between a reading section and a writing section. Paper 1 (Explorations in creative reading and writing): Section A Reading (one literature fiction extract, 40 marks) + Section B Writing (descriptive/narrative, 40 marks). Paper 2 (Writers' viewpoints and perspectives): Section A Reading (two linked non-fiction extracts, 40 marks) + Section B Writing (viewpoint-based, 40 marks). In addition to the two written papers, every candidate also completes a compulsory Spoken Language endorsement -- a separate, internally assessed and centre-marked speaking/listening activity, reported on the certificate as Pass/Merit/Distinction/Not Classified. Ofqual rules require it to be reported separately and it does NOT contribute to the overall GCSE grade -- it is NOT modeled as a component here (the validator requires marks > 0 on every component, and the endorsement carries no numeric mark at all, only a qualitative grade), but is disclosed here so the two written papers are not mistaken for the qualification's full assessment picture. First teaching September 2015, first examination June 2017.