Your guide to Edexcel GCSE Spanish

If you’re taking Edexcel GCSE Spanish, this guide walks you through exactly what to expect, from how the exam is structured to how you can prepare effectively.

Whether you’re just starting revision or getting closer to exam day, understanding the format, assessment objectives, and key topics will help you feel calm, confident, and in control.

Key takeaways

• Edexcel GCSE Spanish is made up of four exam papers, all taken at the end of the course.
• You’ll be assessed on Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
• There is no coursework; your final grade is based entirely on exams.
• The speaking exam is conducted by your teacher but marked externally.
• Exams are available at Foundation and Higher tiers.
• Strong vocabulary knowledge, grammar accuracy, and exam technique are essential for top grades.

What’s the format for Edexcel Spanish GCSE?

The Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Spanish qualification consists of:

• Four assessments, all taken at the end of Year 11
• One paper for each skill:
  
  • Speaking
  • Listening
  • Reading
  • Writing
• 200 total marks across all four papers
• Foundation tier (grades 1–5) and Higher tier (grades 4–9)
• Your final grade is based entirely on exam performance

Each paper is worth 25% of your final grade, so balanced preparation across all four skills really matters.

What’s the difference between the Papers for Edexcel Spanish GCSE?

Each paper tests a different language skill, but they all draw on the same six thematic contexts, including personal life, wellbeing, technology, and future plans.

Paper 1: Speaking in Spanish

• Conducted in school with your teacher, then externally marked
• Foundation: 7–9 minutes + 15 minutes preparation
• Higher: 10–12 minutes + 15 minutes preparation
• 50 marks (25%)

You’ll complete three tasks:

1. Read aloud, with a short, unprepared interaction
2. Role play in a realistic, everyday setting
3. Picture task and conversation, based on a thematic context you choose in advance

This paper rewards clear pronunciation, confident communication, and the development of your ideas.

Paper 2: Listening and understanding in Spanish

• Written exam
• Foundation: 45 minutes (including reading time)
• Higher: 60 minutes
• 50 marks (25%)

You’ll be tested on:

• Understanding spoken Spanish and answering questions in English‍
• A dictation task, where you write down what you hear to show accurate spelling and sound–symbol knowledge 

Paper 3: Reading and understanding in Spanish

• Written exam
• Foundation: 45 minutes
• Higher: 60 minutes
• 50 marks (25%)

You’ll be tested on:

• Understanding written Spanish texts and answering questions in English
• A translation task, translating a short passage from Spanish into English 

Paper 4: Writing in Spanish

• Written exam
• Foundation: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Higher: 1 hour 20 minutes
• 50 marks (25%)

You’ll be tested on:

• Writing in Spanish for different purposes and audiences
• Short and longer written responses

What are examiners looking for?

Edexcel Spanish uses three assessment objectives, shared across all four papers:

• AO1 (35%) – Understand and respond to spoken language
• AO2 (45%) – Understand and respond to written language
• AO3 (20%) – Apply grammar and vocabulary accurately 

To reach the top grades, examiners want to see that you can:

Use a wide range of vocabulary

Avoid repeating the same basic words. Using more precise or varied vocabulary shows confidence and helps you access higher marks.

Apply grammar accurately

Tense choice, adjective agreement, word order, and verb endings really matter, especially at Higher tier.

Develop your ideas

In speaking and writing, longer answers score better when you include opinions, reasons, and extra detail, not just short statements.

Answer the question clearly

Focused answers that stick closely to the task always score higher than long responses that drift off topic.

What are the grade boundaries for Edexcel Spanish GCSE?

It’s important to remember that the exact grade boundaries for your GCSE exams will change every year. Exam boards adjust grade boundaries after an exam, depending on the exam's difficulty and how the cohort performed.

This is so students don’t have an advantage or disadvantage because of the year they took the paper. For example, if your paper were harder, grade boundaries would be lowered so that a grade 5 reflects the same level of knowledge as in previous years.

To give a sense of what to expect, here are the grade boundaries for Spanish Edexcel GCSE from the last year:

Higher Spanish: 

‍

Foundation Spanish:

‍

What key topics do I need to know for Edexcel Spanish GCSE?

Edexcel Spanish is built around six broad thematic contexts:

1. My personal world
2. Lifestyle and wellbeing
3. My neighbourhood
4. Media and technology
5. Studying and my future
6. Travel and tourism

Across these themes, you’ll use the vocabulary and grammar set out in the Edexcel Spanish vocabulary list.

That includes:

• Around 1,200 core words at both tiers
• An additional 500 higher-tier words
• A clearly defined grammar list, including tenses, agreements, and sentence structures 

All exam questions are designed so that full marks can be achieved using the vocabulary from the specification.

Where can I find past papers and mark schemes?

Practising with past papers and mark schemes is one of the most effective ways to prepare for GCSE Spanish.

Past papers help you understand question styles, see how marks are awarded, and build confidence with real exam timing and structure.

Head to the Edexcel website to find past papers and mark schemes from previous GCSE Spanish exams. 

How can I prepare for Edexcel Spanish GCSE?

Feeling confident in Edexcel Spanish comes from clear, manageable revision and regular practice, not from doing everything at once. 

When you understand what you’re working on and why it matters, progress starts to feel much more achievable.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Build secure vocabulary knowledge

Vocabulary supports every exam paper: listening, reading, speaking, and writing, which is why it’s such a good place to start.

• Learn words in short phrases or sentences, so you see how they’re actually used
• Revisit key vocabulary regularly, especially common verbs, opinions, and time phrases
• Notice simple changes like gender, plurals, and verb endings; you don’t need to memorise rules perfectly, just recognise patterns

Secure vocabulary makes everything else, grammar, comprehension, and fluency, much easier.

Make a start and download the Edexcel Spanish vocabulary list.

2. Practise grammar in context

Grammar is important, but it works best when it’s learned through use, not in isolation.

• Practise grammar through short writing or speaking tasks
• Get comfortable using past, present, and future time frames, even in simple sentences
• Take your time checking agreements (for example, adjectives and articles matching the noun: masculine/feminine and singular/plural)

The goal isn’t to use complex grammar all the time; it’s to use the right grammar accurately.

3. Practise all four skills regularly

Each paper is worth 25% of the final grade; uneven preparation can significantly hold back marks.

• Rotate between listening, reading, speaking, and writing in your revision
• Don’t avoid weaker skills; improving them will have the biggest impact on your overall grade
• Use timed practice so exam conditions feel familiar and manageable

Balanced practice builds confidence and prevents surprises on exam day.

4. Use exam-style questions early

Edexcel Spanish has a very predictable structure, and exam technique matters.

• Use Edexcel-style questions alongside your revision so formats feel familiar
• Learn what common command words mean, so you know how to approach each task
• Get comfortable with translation tasks, which appear in both Reading and Writing

The more familiar the question formats feel, the easier it is to focus on your Spanish.

5. Learn from feedback, not just scores

Improvement comes from understanding why marks were gained or lost.

• Look closely at feedback to see where accuracy, detail, or development is missing
• Identify patterns: is it verbs, tenses, or vocabulary range that’s holding you back?
• Apply that feedback immediately in your next answer

This turns revision into steady, visible progress, not guesswork.

The best revision feels structured, targeted, and manageable. You always know what to work on next, and why it matters.

With a clear plan and regular, focused practice, Edexcel Spanish is a course you can feel confident mastering.