See how to find exam GCSE exam past papers for your 2023 exam revision! See sources for AQA, OCR, Pearson, Edexcel, Eduqas and CCEA below.
Exam season is almost upon us, and thousands of students across the UK will sit their GCSEs between 15 May and 21 June this year. If you’re taking your GCSEs this year, you might have already started revising for your exams.
There are lots of different ways to revise. You can use written, visual, or audio content, team up with a friend and test each other, create flash cards, or play revision games to test your memory. Another great way to revise is to use past exam papers.
Why Use Past Papers for Revision?
Past exam papers are those that were set for the real exam in previous years, and they can be a tremendously useful revision tool as you prepare for your GCSEs.
Past papers can help you get familiar with the format and style of the questions you’ll face during the exam, spot any areas where you may be struggling, and get a good picture of how you’re doing and whether you might need some extra revision support.
Using past papers to revise can also give you a realistic idea of how difficult the exam is likely to be. You’ll see the types of questions that are likely to be asked and be able to create a strategy for how much time you should allocate to each section.
You’ll feel more confident, reduce your exam anxiety, develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and improve your exam technique, all of which will help you to perform at your best for the real thing.
How to Use Past Papers Effectively
As with any revision technique, past papers will only serve you if you use them properly. Here are a few of our top tips to help you use past papers effectively in your GCSE revision:
- Before you attempt a past paper, study the exam board’s marking scheme so you can understand what is expected of you.
- Familiarise yourself with the format of the exam, the number of questions, the time limit, how marks are allocated for each question, and the types of questions that are typically asked.
- Take past papers under exam conditions: timed, in silence, and with access only to materials you will have available to you during the real exam.
- When you’re finished, mark your past paper using the exam board’s answer sheet or marking guide. You can also ask a teacher to mark your past paper for you and provide feedback on your answers, if they have time. This will highlight what you’re doing well and where you need to improve.
- Make notes of any mistakes, misunderstandings, or difficulties you have, and use these to inform the next stage of your revision process.
- Ideally, do several past papers in the course of your revision.
Where to Find Past Exam Papers
There are several exam boards that set, mark, and oversee GCSEs. The main ones are AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson (under its Edexcel brand), and WJEC (which also operates the Eduqas brand.) To find out which exam boards your GCSEs are offered with, check with your school or the relevant subject teachers.
In this section, we will show you where to find past papers for each of the main UK exam boards.
AQA Past Papers
Visit the AQA Past Papers and Mark Schemes website and use the easy dropdown menus to find your subject and qualification level. You’ll then be able to download a selection of past papers from various years in PDF format.
OCR Past Papers
Visit the OCR Past Paper Finder and use the dropdown menus to select “GCSE” and then find your subject. Papers, mark schemes, examiners’ reports, and practice materials are all available to download.
Pearson Edexcel Past Papers
Use the search function on the Pearson Edexcel Past Papers website to find the past papers you need. Under “Qualification Family”, enter “GCSE”, and then start typing in the name of your subject. The “Exam Series” box allows you to choose papers from a specific year.
Eduqas Past Papers
Start typing your subject name into the Eduqas Past Papers website search box. You’ll then be able to select and download papers by year. Be sure to choose the options marked “GCSE”, as A Level papers are also available on this page.
CCEA Past Papers
CCEA has a web page specifically for past GCSE papers, with subjects ordered alphabetically. Scroll down to your subject and then click through to download past papers and marking schemes.
Getting Past Papers from Your School
Many schools also keep a stock of past papers to help students out with their revision. Ask your subject teachers if they have any past papers you can study.
