OCR GCSE exam guide
OCR (now part of Cambridge) sets GCSEs in England in most subjects. Its science comes in two versions, Gateway and Twenty First Century; the table shows Gateway (Combined Science A). This guide sets out the OCR exams in maths, English Language, English Literature and combined science.
The specifications at a glance
| Subject | Code | Papers | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | J560 | 3 papers | Foundation, papers 1 to 3 (grades 1 to 5), or Higher, papers 4 to 6 (grades 4 to 9) |
| English Language | J351 | 2 papers | No tiers |
| English Literature | J352 | 2 papers | No tiers |
| Combined Science | J250 | 6 papers | Foundation, papers 1 to 6 (grades 1–1 to 5–5), or Higher, papers 7 to 12 (grades 4–4 to 9–9) |
Maths (J560)
| Paper | Time | Marks | Share of the grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 or 4 (calculator) | 1 hour 30 minutes | 100 | 33⅓% |
| Paper 2 or 5 (no calculator) | 1 hour 30 minutes | 100 | 33⅓% |
| Paper 3 or 6 (calculator) | 1 hour 30 minutes | 100 | 33⅓% |
Tiers: Foundation, papers 1 to 3 (grades 1 to 5), or Higher, papers 4 to 6 (grades 4 to 9). The non-calculator paper is the second one, not the first.
English Language (J351)
| Paper | Time | Marks | Share of the grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Communicating information and ideas | 2 hours | 80 | 50% |
| Component 2: Exploring effects and impact | 2 hours | 80 | 50% |
There are no tiers: every student sits the same papers. All exam texts are unseen. Spoken Language is assessed separately.
English Literature (J352)
| Paper | Time | Marks | Share of the grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Exploring modern and literary heritage texts | 2 hours | 80 | 50% |
| Component 2: Exploring poetry and Shakespeare | 2 hours | 80 | 50% |
There are no tiers: every student sits the same papers. Closed book: students may not take the texts into the exam.
Combined Science (J250)
| Paper | Time | Marks | Share of the grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 or 7 (Biology) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
| Paper 2 or 8 (Biology) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
| Paper 3 or 9 (Chemistry) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
| Paper 4 or 10 (Chemistry) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
| Paper 5 or 11 (Physics) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
| Paper 6 or 12 (Physics) | 1 hour 10 minutes | 60 | 16.7% |
Tiers: Foundation, papers 1 to 6 (grades 1–1 to 5–5), or Higher, papers 7 to 12 (grades 4–4 to 9–9). Worth two GCSEs.
How OCR compares with other boards
The topics are the same at every board, because the Department for Education sets the subject content. The papers are what differ. Compare AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas side by side.
Practising for OCR exams
Questions on Oakling Secondary Scholars are written in the style of AQA papers. Because the subject content is shared, practising a topic helps for OCR too. For practice on the exact paper format, use the past papers on the OCR website. See the practice topics.
Common questions
- How many papers are there in OCR GCSE maths?
- Three, each 1 hour 30 minutes and 100 marks. Foundation students sit papers 1 to 3 and Higher students papers 4 to 6.
- Which OCR maths paper is the non-calculator one?
- The second paper of each tier: paper 2 at Foundation and paper 5 at Higher. The first and third papers allow a calculator.
- How long are the OCR English Language papers?
- Both components last 2 hours and are worth 80 marks, and each counts for half of the grade. All the exam texts are unseen.
- Which OCR science does this guide cover?
- Combined Science A (Gateway Science), J250: six papers of 1 hour 10 minutes and 60 marks each. OCR also offers a Twenty First Century version, so check which one your school uses.
- Are the questions on this site OCR questions?
- No. They are original questions written for this site in the style of GCSE papers. We are not connected with OCR.
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.
- 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)
Exam details change. Always check the current specification on the OCR website. Oakling Secondary Scholars is not connected with OCR.