How many papers are in Edexcel GCSE Spanish?

Four papers, one per skill, each worth 25% (50 marks). Paper 1 (Speaking) is teacher-conducted, externally assessed. Paper 2 (Listening + dictation) is a written exam. Paper 3 (Reading + translation from Spanish) and Paper 4 (Writing + translation into Spanish) are also written exams. All sat at the end of Year 11.

Foundation or Higher?

Two tiers. Foundation covers grades 5-1; Higher covers grades 9-4 with a safety net grade 3. All 4 papers must be sat at the same tier. Your school picks based on your predicted grade.

What's the dictation?

New in the 2024 spec, Paper 2 (Listening) Section B is a 10-mark dictation. You listen to short passages in Spanish and transcribe them into written Spanish, with marks awarded for spelling accuracy based on the sound-symbol correspondences listed in Appendix 2. Practise weekly - accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) and ñ count. Easy marks if you drill it.

What's the defined vocabulary list?

From 2024, Pearson publishes a defined vocab list per tier: ~1200 words Foundation, ~1700 Higher. Every word in the exam is drawn from these lists. Learn the list systematically. You can still produce vocabulary outside the list in writing/speaking for extra credit.

How does Edexcel differ from AQA?

Both are 4 papers at 25% each with defined vocab and grammar lists from 2024, and both include a dictation section in the Listening paper. Edexcel's listening paper is 45m (F) / 60m (H) and 50 marks at both tiers; AQA's is 35m (F) / 45m (H) with 40 marks at Foundation and 50 at Higher. Content is broadly comparable. Your school picks based on preference.

Does Cognito cover Edexcel GCSE Spanish?

Cognito has past papers and mark schemes for Edexcel GCSE Spanish (1SP1). Use them for timed practice and check your answers against the official mark schemes as you go.

Edexcel GCSE Spanish (1SP1) Specification

Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish (1SP1) is a two-tier linear qualification (Foundation and Higher) with four externally-marked papers testing speaking, listening, reading and writing across defined thematic contexts. Each skill is worth 25% (50 marks per paper) and all papers are sat at the end of Year 11.

Download the official spec (PDF)

specification overview

1. My personal world
All papers
- Family and friends
- Interests and free time
- Daily routines
2. Lifestyle and wellbeing
All papers
- Health, food and diet
- Sport and exercise
- Environment and sustainability
3. My neighbourhood and travel
All papers
- Local area, home region, Spanish-speaking countries
- Travel, tourism, transport
- Global cultures and celebrations
4. Media and technology
All papers
- Social media, mobile devices, technology in daily life
- Music, film, TV, celebrity culture
5. Study and future plans
All papers
- School life, subjects, education systems
- Careers, jobs, future plans

subject content

Paper	What's assessed	Length	Marks	Weight	Question types
Paper 1 (Speaking)	Speaking across thematic contexts	7-9m F / 10-12m H (+15m preparation)	50	25%	Task 1: read aloud (12 marks). Task 2: role play (10 marks). Task 3: picture task (12 marks) with conversation (16 marks). Internally conducted, externally assessed by Pearson.
Paper 2 (Listening)	Listening comprehension + dictation across thematic contexts	45m F / 60m H (including 5m reading time)	50	25%	Section A: Listening (40 marks) - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer questions set in English. Section B: Dictation (10 marks) - transcribe spoken Spanish into written Spanish.
Paper 3 (Reading)	Reading comprehension + translation from Spanish to English	45m F / 60m H	50	25%	Section A: Reading and Understanding (40 marks) - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer questions set in English. Section B: Translation into English (10 marks).
Paper 4 (Writing)	Written production + translation from English to Spanish	1h 15m F / 1h 20m H	50	25%	Foundation: picture-based task (8 marks), open-response formal (14 marks), open-response informal (18 marks), translation into Spanish (10 marks). Higher: open-response informal (18 marks), open-response formal (22 marks), translation into Spanish (10 marks).

PaperPaper 1 (Speaking)

What's assessedSpeaking across thematic contexts

Length7-9m F / 10-12m H (+15m preparation)

Marks50

Weight25%

Question typesTask 1: read aloud (12 marks). Task 2: role play (10 marks). Task 3: picture task (12 marks) with conversation (16 marks). Internally conducted, externally assessed by Pearson.

PaperPaper 2 (Listening)

What's assessedListening comprehension + dictation across thematic contexts

Length45m F / 60m H (including 5m reading time)

Marks50

Weight25%

Question typesSection A: Listening (40 marks) - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer questions set in English. Section B: Dictation (10 marks) - transcribe spoken Spanish into written Spanish.

PaperPaper 3 (Reading)

What's assessedReading comprehension + translation from Spanish to English

Length45m F / 60m H

Marks50

Weight25%

Question typesSection A: Reading and Understanding (40 marks) - multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer questions set in English. Section B: Translation into English (10 marks).

PaperPaper 4 (Writing)

What's assessedWritten production + translation from English to Spanish

Length1h 15m F / 1h 20m H

Marks50

Weight25%

Question typesFoundation: picture-based task (8 marks), open-response formal (14 marks), open-response informal (18 marks), translation into Spanish (10 marks). Higher: open-response informal (18 marks), open-response formal (22 marks), translation into Spanish (10 marks).

All four papers must be sat at the same tier. Paper 2 (Listening) includes a dictation section (Section B, 10 marks - introduced in the 2024 spec). Paper 1 (Speaking) is conducted by the teacher and recorded, then externally marked by Pearson.

assessment structure

AO	What it means	Overall
AO1	Understand and respond to spoken language in speaking and in writing.	35%
AO2	Understand and respond to written language in speaking and in writing.	45%
AO3	Demonstrate knowledge and accurate application of the grammar and vocabulary prescribed in the specification.	20%

AOAO1

What it meansUnderstand and respond to spoken language in speaking and in writing.

Overall35%

AOAO2

What it meansUnderstand and respond to written language in speaking and in writing.

Overall45%

AOAO3

What it meansDemonstrate knowledge and accurate application of the grammar and vocabulary prescribed in the specification.

Overall20%

assessment objectives

Aspect	Foundation tier	Higher tier
Grades available	5-1	9-4 (with safety net grade 3)
Vocabulary list	~1200 defined words	~1700 defined words
Grammar range	Present, preterite, near future, imperfect	Full range: pluperfect, conditional, subjunctive, more complex sentence structures
Speaking length	7-9 mins total	10-12 mins total

AspectGrades available

Foundation tier5-1

Higher tier9-4 (with safety net grade 3)

AspectVocabulary list

Foundation tier~1200 defined words

Higher tier~1700 defined words

AspectGrammar range

Foundation tierPresent, preterite, near future, imperfect

Higher tierFull range: pluperfect, conditional, subjunctive, more complex sentence structures

AspectSpeaking length

Foundation tier7-9 mins total

Higher tier10-12 mins total

higher vs foundation

Practise dictation
New in 2024: Paper 2 (Listening) Section B is a 10-mark dictation. Practise weekly, listen and write down what you hear accurately, including accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) and ñ.
Learn the defined vocab list
Pearson publishes a defined vocab list per tier (~1200 F, ~1700 H). Every exam word is drawn from this list. Drill systematically.
Master the tenses on your tier
Foundation: present, preterite, imperfect, near future. Higher adds pluperfect, conditional, subjunctive. Learn -ar, -er, -ir regular endings plus key irregulars.
Learn ser vs estar cold
Spanish uses two verbs for 'to be'. Ser = permanent/essential. Estar = temporary/location. Drill the distinction until automatic.
Practise translation both ways
Papers 3 and 4 include translation. Practise weekly, focus on tense accuracy, gender agreement, ser vs estar, por vs para.
Learn opinion phrases
Higher writing rewards opinions with justification. Learn: en mi opinión, creo que, pienso que, me parece que, lo que me gusta/molesta.

key tips for success

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GCSE Spanish (Edexcel)

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GCSE Spanish (Edexcel) grade boundaries

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GCSE Spanish (1SP1) Specification

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