AQA GCSE German (8662) Past Papers, Mark Schemes & Examiner Tips
Prepare for AQA GCSE German (8662) with new-specification past papers and official mark schemes for Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing, covering both Foundation and Higher tiers. Practise real exam-style questions, understand how marks are awarded and improve your technique for the 2027 exams. You can also jump to our examiner tips or read the frequently asked questions for practical revision guidance.
2027 AQA GCSE German New Specification (8662) – Sample Papers and Mark Schemes
AQA GCSE German (8662) – New Specification | Downloads | |
Paper / component | Question paper and additional materials | Mark scheme |
Paper 1 Listening – Foundation (8662/LF), Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 1 Listening – Higher (8662/LH), Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 2 Speaking – Foundation and Higher, Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 3 Reading – Foundation (8662/RF), Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 3 Reading – Higher (8662/RH), Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 4 Writing – Foundation (8662/WF), Sample Set 1 | ||
Paper 4 Writing – Higher (8662/WH), Sample Set 1 | ||
Sample Set 2 – all German assessment materials | Included in ZIP |
2025 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2025 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
2024 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2024 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
2023 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2023 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
2022 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2022 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
2021 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2021 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
2020 AQA GCSE German (8668) Past Papers
2020 AQA GCSE German | Question Paper and Transcript | Mark Scheme |
Paper 1 Listening Foundation (8668/LF) | ||
Paper 1 Listening Higher (8668/LH) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Foundation (8668/RF) | ||
Paper 3 Reading Higher (8668/RH) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Foundation (8668/WF) | ||
Paper 4 Writing Higher (8668/WH) |
AQA GCSE German 2027 FAQs: New Specification 8662
1. Which AQA GCSE German syllabus will be examined in 2027?
Students taking AQA GCSE German in 2027 will follow the new specification 8662, introduced for first teaching in 2024 and first examined in 2026. Make sure revision resources are labelled 8662, as materials for the previous specification may use different tasks and assessment structures.
2. How many AQA GCSE German exams are there?
There are four assessments:
Paper 1: Listening
Paper 2: Speaking
Paper 3: Reading
Paper 4: Writing
Each component contributes 25% of the final GCSE grade. Students must complete all four assessments at the same tier and in the same examination series.
3. What is the difference between Foundation and Higher tier?
Foundation tier awards grades 1–5. Higher tier normally awards grades 4–9, although an allowed grade 3 may be awarded to a Higher-tier student who narrowly misses grade 4.
The entry codes are:
8662F: Foundation tier
8662H: Higher tier
Students cannot mix tiers between skills—for example, taking Foundation Listening and Higher Writing.
4. Which themes are covered in the new AQA GCSE German syllabus?
All four papers assess language through three themes:
Theme 1: People and lifestyle
Theme 2: Popular culture
Theme 3: Communication and the world around us
Students should revise the prescribed vocabulary and grammar across all three themes. Questions may also test whether students can transfer familiar language into less familiar situations.
5. What is included in AQA GCSE German Paper 1 Listening?
Foundation Listening lasts approximately 35 minutes and is worth 40 raw marks. Higher Listening lasts approximately 45 minutes and is worth 50 raw marks. These timings include five minutes of reading time and two minutes of checking time.
The paper contains:
Section A: Listening comprehension answered in English or non-verbally
Section B: Dictation of short German sentences
Comprehension extracts are played twice. Each dictation sentence is heard three times: once in full, once in sections and once again in full. Dictation can include a small number of words outside the prescribed vocabulary list, so knowledge of German sound–spelling patterns is essential.
6. What happens in the new AQA GCSE German Speaking exam?
The Speaking assessment contains three tasks:
Role-play
Reading aloud followed by a short unprepared conversation
Photo card discussion followed by an unprepared conversation
Students receive 15 minutes of supervised preparation time. The assessment lasts approximately 7–9 minutes at Foundation tier and 10–12 minutes at Higher tier.
The introduction of a reading-aloud task means pronunciation should be revised systematically. Practise umlauts, ei and ie, ch, j, w, final consonants and other sound–symbol correspondences.
7. What is included in AQA GCSE German Paper 3 Reading?
Foundation Reading lasts 45 minutes, while Higher Reading lasts one hour. Both papers are worth 50 marks and contain:
Section A: Reading comprehension answered in English or non-verbally
Section B: Translation from German into English
Students may also be asked to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word from its context. Use the surrounding sentence, word type, German word families and similarities with known vocabulary rather than guessing from the unfamiliar word alone.
8. What questions appear in the new AQA GCSE German Writing paper?
Foundation Writing lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and includes:
Five short sentences responding to a photo
Approximately 50 words covering five compulsory bullets
Five short grammar tasks
Translation from English into German
An approximately 90-word response covering three compulsory bullets
Higher Writing lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and includes:
Translation from English into German
An approximately 90-word response covering three compulsory bullets
An approximately 150-word open-ended response covering two bullets
For the 90- and 150-word tasks, students choose between two questions. All bullet points must be addressed clearly.
9. Can I use past papers from the old AQA GCSE German specification?
Older papers can still help with vocabulary, grammar, reading and translation practice, but their task formats do not fully match the new 8662 specification.
For accurate 2027 exam preparation, prioritise:
New-specification 8662 past papers
Official specimen and sample assessment materials
Current mark schemes
New-format dictation and reading-aloud practice
Older questions only as additional language practice
Do not use an old paper as a timed mock without checking whether its structure matches the current specification.
10. What is the best way to revise for AQA GCSE German in 2027?
Base revision on the new specification’s prescribed vocabulary, grammar and sound–symbol correspondences. A balanced weekly plan should include:
Vocabulary retrieval across all three themes
Listening and dictation practice
Reading aloud and pronunciation
German-to-English and English-to-German translation
Short spontaneous speaking responses
Timed 50-, 90- and 150-word writing
Grammar correction using mark schemes
When completing past papers, record each mistake as a vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, pronunciation, spelling or task-reading error. Revisit the same question several days later without looking at the answer. This is more effective than completing papers without correcting the patterns behind lost marks.
Six Top Examiner Tips for AQA GCSE German
1. Translate Every Word and Include Precise Details
Students frequently lose marks by overlooking small but important words such as nur, ziemlich, vormittags and nicht mehr. Prepositions and time expressions must also be translated precisely.
For example:
neben means next to, not simply “near”
vormittags means in the mornings
nur am Samstag means only on Saturday
Read the completed translation again and check that every part of the German sentence appears in the English version. In comprehension answers, include the exact detail requested rather than giving a vague summary.
2. Build Past and Future Tenses Correctly
A past participle cannot form the perfect tense on its own. It requires the correct form of haben or sein:
Ich habe Fußball gespielt.
For the future tense, use the correct form of werden and place the infinitive at the end:
Ich werde nächstes Wochenende Fußball spielen.
Do not write constructions such as Ich Fußball gespielt or Ich werde Fußball gespielt. Before finishing a writing task, check that every past tense has an auxiliary and every future construction ends with an infinitive.
3. Check Which Language the Answer Requires
Students can lose all the marks for a response by answering in English when German is required—or in German when the instructions require English.
During reading time, underline instructions such as:
Answer in English
Answer in German
Write the correct letter
Complete the sentence
Write a short reminder beside the relevant section before answering. Never assume that every question in the same paper requires the same language.
4. Cover Every Bullet Point Without Overwriting
Writing far beyond the recommended length often produces repetition, irrelevant material and additional grammatical errors. More words do not automatically mean more marks.
Before writing:
Underline each bullet point.
Identify every sub-part within it.
Decide which tense or time frame is required.
Tick each bullet after addressing it.
If a prompt asks for both Vorteile and Nachteile, you must discuss both. If it asks where your school is located, describing the school without giving its location does not fully answer the task.
5. Put the Verb at the End After Subordinating Conjunctions
Conjunctions such as weil, obwohl, dass and wenn send the conjugated verb to the end of the clause:
Ich lerne Deutsch, weil es interessant ist.
Obwohl das Wetter schlecht war, sind wir schwimmen gegangen.
Do not rely on weil in every sentence. Improve range by using different conjunctions, modal verbs, relative clauses and conditional forms such as ich würde, ich hätte and ich wäre. Use complex structures only when you can form them accurately.
6. Watch for Negatives and Listening Distractors
In listening and reading questions, students often choose an answer after recognising one familiar word. However, the speaker or text may then correct, reject or contrast that idea.
Look and listen carefully for:
nicht – not
kein – no/not any
nie – never
nicht mehr – no longer
nur – only
aber, jedoch and trotzdem – but/however/nevertheless
Wait until the complete sentence or passage has finished before selecting an answer. A repeated keyword may be included deliberately as a distractor, while the real answer appears after a negative or contrasting expression.