AQA GCSE English Language: what changed from 2026

Paper 1: what changed

• Question 1 is now four multiple-choice questions, where you shade a circle for each. It used to ask you to list four things. It’s still worth 4 marks.
• Question 3 now names one effect, such as “How has the writer structured the text to create tension?”, and says where the text comes from, such as the middle of a novel. It used to ask about interesting the reader.
• Question 4 no longer has a statement from “a student”. It asks how far you “agree and/or disagree”, and it always says which part of the source to use.
• Question 5’s description is now from your imagination. You may use the picture for ideas, but you don’t have to describe it. The story option now asks for the opening of a story, so you don’t need to finish it.
• Question 2 hasn’t changed.

Paper 2: what changed

• Question 1 has the same task, choosing four true statements, in the same shading layout as Paper 1 Question 1.
• Question 2 is reworded. It now asks what you can infer about the differences between two things, in place of “write a summary”. It’s the same skill: inferences from both sources, brought together.
• Question 4 has one reworded bullet point, which makes clear that the writers’ methods are there to show their ideas and perspectives.
• Questions 3 and 5 ask for the same things as before.

What to do differently

• On Paper 1 Question 3, write about the effect the question names in every paragraph. A general answer about structure won’t focus on what’s being asked.
• On Paper 1 Question 4, you can now freely partly agree. Decide your view before you write, and use the part of the source you’re told to.
• On Paper 1 Question 5, don’t try to squeeze a whole plot into a story opening. You can end on a question, which often reads better anyway.
• If you practise on older papers, the skills still count. Just answer them as though they had the new wording.

Questions people ask

Did the marks change in AQA English Language in 2026?

No. The number of questions, the marks and the assessment objectives on each paper stayed the same. AQA changed the wording and improved the mark schemes.

Can I still use old AQA English Language past papers?

Yes. The skills are the same. Some questions are worded differently, especially Paper 1 Questions 1, 3, 4 and 5 and Paper 2 Question 2, so check how they’re asked now.