For parents & carers
A parent’s guide to the GCSE English exam
Especially if your child is sitting an AQA exam — here’s exactly how it’s marked, how the marks are allocated, and what last year’s grade boundaries looked like.
Two papers, 160 marks, no tiers
AQA GCSE English Language (8700) is assessed entirely by exam — there’s no coursework, and it isn’t split into foundation and higher tiers, so every student sits the same papers.
Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing
80 marks in total — 40 for reading (analysing an extract of fiction) and 40 for writing (a piece of descriptive or narrative writing).
Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives
80 marks in total — 40 for reading (comparing two non-fiction texts) and 40 for writing (a piece of transactional, viewpoint-driven writing).
How marks are allocated
Across both papers, 160 marks are available in total — split evenly between reading (80 marks) and writing (80 marks). Within the writing marks, technical accuracy — spelling, punctuation and grammar — makes up 20% of the overall GCSE, spread across the two writing tasks. It’s a significant slice of the final grade, which is why workbooks that focus specifically on sentence control and punctuation can make a real difference.
June 2025 grade boundaries
Grade boundaries are set after the exam, based on how students actually perform that year, so they shift slightly year to year. These were the boundaries for the June 2025 series, out of 160 total marks — useful context, but not a guarantee of what this year’s boundaries will be.
| Grade | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marks needed (out of 160) | 119 | 109 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 | 54 | 35 | 16 |
Grade 4 is the “standard pass”, and grade 5 the “strong pass” typically referenced by colleges and sixth forms.
What actually moves the mark
Once the basics are in place, the biggest gains usually come from precise, exam-specific practice rather than general revision — understanding exactly how an answer earns marks, not just covering the topic again. That’s the gap our workbooks are built to close.
Get the free vocabulary sampler
Ambitious Vocabulary for Level 4 — The Essential Words. Twenty-six hand-picked words across two units, the same eight exercises the paid workbooks use, and a full answers section. A working slice of the series, not a teaser with the useful bits removed.
- 18 pages, free, downloads straight away
- Unit 1 aimed at Paper 2, Unit 2 at Paper 1
- Full answers and model responses included
Download it now
Download the free sampler (PDF)
No email address needed and nothing to sign up for. Save it, print it, or work through it on screen.