SKILLS
GCSE English Language
examination guides
This section contains guides for the AQA English Language GCSE questions. The short answer question guides provide a recommended structure for each answer, plus some steps to take when planning and writing. The guides to creative writing questions provide links to the relevant guides elsewhere on the site.
NOTE FOR YEAR 11: On 30th January 2025 AQA announced that they are making changes to the English Language GCSE questions for 2026. You can read more about these changes on this page from AQA. As a result, our guidance for certain questions has changed slightly. There are note (like this one) on each guide that we have changed for 2026.
Paper 1 Question 2 - analysing language
Paper 1 Question 3 - analysing structure
Paper 1 Question 4 - evaluating the statement
Paper 1 Question 5 - writing to describe/narrate
Paper 2 Question 2 - comparing the sources
Paper 2 Question 3 - analysing language
Paper 2 Question 4 - comparing the writers
Paper 2 Question 5 - writing to argue/persuade
How to get good marks for AO6 - part 1
How to get good marks for AO6 - part 2