GCSE exam boards compared
Four exam boards set most GCSEs in England: AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas. They all teach the same subject content, but they set out their exams differently. These tables compare maths, English and combined science.
Edexcel is not a separate board from Pearson: Edexcel is Pearson’s exam board, which is why its GCSEs are called Pearson Edexcel. Each board has a guide with every paper in more detail: AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas.
What is the same at every board
- Every GCSE is graded from 9 (the highest) to 1.
- The subject content is set by the Department for Education, so the topics are the same whichever board a school uses.
- Maths and combined science have a Foundation tier and a Higher tier. English Language and English Literature have no tiers.
- The exams are taken at the end of the course. English Language also has a Spoken Language assessment, marked by the teacher and reported separately from the grade.
Maths
| Board | Code | Papers | Marks | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8300 | 3 papers, 1 hour 30 minutes each | 80 each (240 in total) | Foundation (grades 1 to 5) or Higher (grades 4 to 9) |
| Pearson Edexcel | 1MA1 | 3 papers, 1 hour 30 minutes each | 80 each (240 in total) | Foundation (grades 1 to 5) or Higher (grades 4 to 9) |
| OCR | J560 | 3 papers, 1 hour 30 minutes eachThe non-calculator paper is the second one, not the first. | 100 each (300 in total) | Foundation, papers 1 to 3 (grades 1 to 5), or Higher, papers 4 to 6 (grades 4 to 9) |
| WJEC Eduqas | C300 | 2 papers, 2 hours 15 minutes eachTwo longer papers instead of three. | 120 each (240 in total) | Foundation or Higher |
English Language
| Board | Code | Papers | Marks | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8700 | 2 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes eachSpoken Language is assessed by the teacher and reported separately. | 80 each (160 in total) | No tiers |
| Pearson Edexcel | 1EN0 | 2 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours 5 minutesThe Spoken Language Endorsement is graded Pass, Merit or Distinction and reported separately. | 64 and 96 (160 in total) | No tiers |
| OCR | J351 | 2 papers, 2 hours eachAll exam texts are unseen. Spoken Language is assessed separately. | 80 each (160 in total) | No tiers |
| WJEC Eduqas | C700 | 2 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hoursThe two papers have the same number of marks but different weightings. | 80 each (160 in total) | No tiers |
English Literature
| Board | Code | Papers | Marks | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8702 | 2 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours 15 minutesClosed book: students may not take the texts into the exam. | 64 and 96 (160 in total) | No tiers |
| Pearson Edexcel | 1ET0 | 2 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours 15 minutesClosed book: students may not take the texts into the exam. | 80 each (160 in total) | No tiers |
| OCR | J352 | 2 papers, 2 hours eachClosed book: students may not take the texts into the exam. | 80 each (160 in total) | No tiers |
| WJEC Eduqas | C720 | 2 papers, 2 hours and 2 hours 30 minutesClosed book: students may not take the texts into the exam. | 80 and 120 (200 in total) | No tiers |
Combined Science
| Board | Code | Papers | Marks | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 8464 | 6 papers, 1 hour 15 minutes eachWorth two GCSEs, graded on a double scale such as 6–5. | 70 each (420 in total) | Foundation or Higher |
| Pearson Edexcel | 1SC0 | 6 papers, 1 hour 10 minutes eachWorth two GCSEs. Calculators may be used in every paper. | 60 each (360 in total) | Foundation (grades 1–1 to 5–5) or Higher (grades 4–4 to 9–9) |
| OCR | J250 | 6 papers, 1 hour 10 minutes eachWorth two GCSEs. | 60 each (360 in total) | Foundation, papers 1 to 6 (grades 1–1 to 5–5), or Higher, papers 7 to 12 (grades 4–4 to 9–9) |
| WJEC Eduqas | See Eduqas | 4 papers, 1 hour 45 minutes eachWorth two GCSEs. Four papers, the last one mixing all three sciences. | 90 each (360 in total) | Foundation or Higher |
The differences worth knowing
- Maths: AQA and Pearson Edexcel set three papers of 80 marks, the first without a calculator. OCR also sets three, of 100 marks, but its non-calculator paper is the second one. Eduqas sets two longer papers of 120 marks.
- English Language: AQA and OCR split the grade equally between two papers. Pearson Edexcel and Eduqas weight the second paper more (60%).
- English Literature: Pearson Edexcel and OCR split the grade equally. AQA and Eduqas weight the second paper more (60%).
- Combined science: AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR set six papers, two for each science. Eduqas sets four, the last mixing all three sciences.
Practising for any board
Because the subject content is the same, practising a topic helps whichever board your child is taking. Questions on Oakling Secondary Scholars are written in the style of AQA papers, and a few details, such as which maths paper allows a calculator, differ between boards. See the practice topics.
Common questions
- Which GCSE exam boards are there in England?
- Four boards set most GCSEs taken in England: AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas. Edexcel is Pearson’s exam board, so Edexcel and Pearson are the same board.
- Is one exam board easier than another?
- No board is meant to be easier. Every board teaches the same subject content set by the Department for Education and grades from 9 to 1. What differs is how the papers are set out: how many there are, how long they last and how the marks are shared.
- How do I find out which exam board my child is taking?
- Ask the school: it chooses the board for each subject, and it can be a different board for different subjects. The exam timetable or statement of entry also shows the code, such as 8300 for AQA maths or 1MA1 for Pearson Edexcel maths.
- Can a student choose their own exam board?
- Not usually. The school decides which board it enters students for in each subject, because it teaches to that board’s specification.
- Are the questions on Oakling Secondary Scholars from these exam boards?
- No. They are original questions written for this site in the style of GCSE papers. We are not connected with AQA, Pearson, OCR or WJEC.
Where these details come from
Each board’s own specification for the subject, checked on 22 October 2026. Boards update their specifications, so check the current one before an exam.
- AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300)
- AQA GCSE English Language (8700)
- AQA GCSE English Literature (8702)
- AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464)
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Mathematics (1MA1)
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) English Language (1EN0)
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) English Literature (1ET0)
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Combined Science (1SC0)
- OCR GCSE (9–1) Mathematics (J560)
- OCR GCSE (9–1) English Language (J351)
- OCR GCSE (9–1) English Literature (J352)
- OCR GCSE (9–1) Combined Science A (Gateway Science) (J250)
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9–1) Mathematics (C300)
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9–1) English Language (C700)
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9–1) English Literature (C720)
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9–1) Combined Science
Exam details change. Always check the current specification on the exam board’s own website. Oakling Secondary Scholars is not connected with AQA, Pearson, OCR or WJEC.