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Updates simplify wording, align prompts, and amend mark schemes to clarify expectations for learners, teachers, and examiners. Improvements include a multiple-choice format for Paper 1 Question 1, rewording questions to target single effects or clearer assessment focus, adding descriptive and narrative prompts, and introducing “typical features” columns in the mark scheme.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/gcse-english-language-small-changes-meaningful-difference-first-exam-summer-2026/622804/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/gcse-english-language-small-changes-meaningful-difference-first-exam-summer-2026/622804.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Indoniesian Boy","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-07","2026-10-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"When will the updated GCSE English Language papers first be examined?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The updated papers are first examined in summer 2026, with new papers examined in May/June 2026.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What changes are made to Paper 1 Question 1?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Question 1 is changed to a multiple-choice question, offering a lower-demand start, while keeping the question allocation at 4 marks focused on the opening of the given extract.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How do the mark schemes and prompts change for clearer assessment?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Mark schemes are amended for extra clarity, including the addition of “typical features” columns, and prompts are simplified and aligned so learners can structure relevant responses with greater confidence.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},622804,1792527643,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962090760608,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","GCSE English Language:  \nSmall changes, meaningful difference  \nFirst exam Summer 2026  \n© 2025 AQA  \nA more positive English Language exam experience for you and your learners is coming in summer 2026  \nFollowing your feedback, we’re making small but meaningful changes to our GCSE English Language papers to be first examined in summer 2026. We’ve listened to teachers and worked with our senior examiners to inform the decisions we’ve made. The updates will improve the exam experience, helping learners of all abilities to access the questions, giving them the confidence to show their learning and answer to the best of their ability.  \nWe’re implementing the changes you’ve asked for to make our papers clearer for learners, by simplifying the language and offering clear prompts. We’re also amending the mark schemes to add extra clarity for teachers and examiners.  \nNo big changes to teaching or learning are required. The updates come into play in 2026. We’ll ensure that you’re supported every step of the way with resources and access to our expert team of subject specialists.  \nContact us  \nLet us support you every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most – your learners.  \nTel: 0161 953 7504  \nEmail: [english-gcse@aqa.org.uk](english-gcse@aqa.org.uk)  \nX: @AQAEnglish  \n[aqa.org.uk/english-language-changes](aqa.org.uk/english-language-changes)  \n2  \nIt’s great to be able to implement the feedback we’ve had from teachers. By simplifying language, aligning prompts, and adjusting the mark scheme, our aim is to improve the experience of the learners answering the questions, and the teachers and examiners marking them.   \nStephanie Keenan,  \nHead of Product – English  \n© 2025 AQA 3  \nWhat’s changing?  \nPaper 1  \nQuestion  \nDetails  \n\n| 1 | • Question 1 is being changed to a multiple-choice question, offering the learners a low demand question to help settle them into the exam.\u003Cbr>• The mark allocation for the question remains as 4 marks and will still be focused on the opening of the given extract. |\n| --- | --- |\n| 3 | • Question 3 is being reworded slightly to focus the question on a single effect to help learners focus their answers and support them in writing succinct, relevant responses.\u003Cbr>• Learners will also be provided with extra guidance in the bullet points by giving generic structural features that they could comment on. |\n| 4 | • We have removed the reference to a ‘learner’making the statement in Question 4. This is to help focus learners on the statement itself, ensuring that their response offers a critical judgement of the writer and the text, rather than what the imaginary speaker (the learner) is saying.\u003Cbr>• We have changed the second bullet from ‘evaluate to ‘comment on’methods to clarify that the focus of this AO is evaluation of the text in relation to the statement. This should be supported by analysis of the different methods used by the writer. |\n| 5 | • We have added a prompt to the descriptive question stating that learners can use ‘their imagination’, with the image providing further ‘ideas’, to remind them that they don’t have to describe the exact picture they have been given.\u003Cbr>• In the narrative question, learners will now be asked to write the opening of a narrative rather than a full narrative.\u003Cbr>• The mark scheme has had the addition of‘typical features’ columns for both narrative and descriptive writing at each level. This will offer extra clarity for teachers and examiners when assessing learner responses. |\n| Paper 2\u003Cbr>Question | Details |\n| 2 | • Question 2 has had meaningful changes made to the wording of the question to make it clearer to learners what they need to do to gain marks. We believe this is fairer and allows all learners to demonstrate their ability to select, infer meaning and synthesise information, as required by the assessment objective. |\n| 4 | • We have changed the second bullet from ‘compare’ to ‘comment on’ to clarify the focus ofthisAO is the comparison betw","cbCaifD15xh7DzNG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifD15xh7DzNG","pdf",657817,"English","# What’s changing?\n## Paper 1\n## Paper 2\n# Key dates\n# How will the changes benefit learners?\n# Support and resources","[{\"question\":\"When will the updated GCSE English Language papers first be examined?\",\"answer\":\"The updated papers are first examined in summer 2026, with new papers examined in May/June 2026.\"},{\"question\":\"What changes are made to Paper 1 Question 1?\",\"answer\":\"Question 1 is changed to a multiple-choice question, offering a lower-demand start, while keeping the question allocation at 4 marks focused on the opening of the given extract.\"},{\"question\":\"How do the mark schemes and prompts change for clearer assessment?\",\"answer\":\"Mark schemes are amended for extra clarity, including the addition of “typical features” columns, and prompts are simplified and aligned so learners can structure relevant responses with greater confidence.\"}]","GCSE English Language - Small changes, meaningful difference - First exam Summer 2026 | PDF",1792467106,18]