Edexcel IGCSE Arabic Past Papers & Mark Schemes | 4AA1
Prepare confidently for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Arabic (First Language) 4AA1 with past papers and official mark schemes for Paper 1: Reading, Summary and Grammar and Paper 2: Writing. Organised by exam series and year, these resources help you strengthen your Arabic reading comprehension, summarising, grammar, language analysis and extended writing skills. Use the mark schemes to understand how your answers are assessed, identify where marks are commonly lost and improve your exam technique. You can also jump to our examiner tips or read the frequently asked questions for further guidance on the Edexcel IGCSE Arabic exams.
June 2025 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
June 2025 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
November 2024 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
November 2024 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
June 2024 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
June 2024 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
November 2023 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
November 2023 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
June 2023 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
June 2023 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
January 2023 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
January 2023 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
June 2022 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
June 2022 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
November 2021 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
November 2021 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
June 2021 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
June 2021 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
November 2020 Edexcel International GCSE Arabic First Language (4AA1) – Past Papers & Mark Schemes
November 2020 Edexcel IGCSE Arabic | Question Papers | Mark Schemes |
Paper 1 (4AA1/01) – Reading, Summary and Grammar | ||
Paper 2 (4AA1/02) – Writing |
Six Examiner Tips for Edexcel International GCSE Arabic
1. Answer the Exact Question Instead of Using a Memorised Essay
Do not begin every response with a long, pre-learned introduction or fill your answer with quotations and expressions that are unrelated to the question. These sections use valuable time and rarely earn marks.
Read the task carefully and begin answering it straight away. Use your own ideas and adapt your language to the specific topic, audience and purpose. In reading analysis, do not simply name a technique. Identify it, quote a precise example and explain how it affects the meaning or supports the writer’s viewpoint.
2. Compare Both Texts Throughout Question 9
Question 9 requires a genuine comparison of two texts. Avoid writing a complete analysis of Text 1 followed by a separate analysis of Text 2, as this often produces description rather than comparison.
Organise each paragraph around one comparative feature. For example, compare the texts’ purposes, audiences, levels of formality, tones, vocabulary, literary devices or sentence structures. Use phrases such as “In contrast”, “Similarly” and “Whereas” to make the comparison clear. Finish with a brief conclusion explaining the most important similarities and differences.
3. Support Reading Answers With Short, Accurate Quotations
In two-mark reading questions, you will often need to give an explanation and support it with evidence from the text. Do not provide only a quotation, and do not copy an entire paragraph.
First, answer the question clearly in your own words. Then select the shortest quotation that proves your point and place it inside quotation marks. This makes your understanding clear and prevents irrelevant material from weakening an otherwise correct answer.
4. Strengthen Your Arabic Grammar and Sentence Analysis
Grammar questions require precise knowledge of Arabic sentence structure. Make sure you can distinguish between grammatical roles such as the subject, passive subject, object, adjective and specification. You should also practise deriving nouns from roots, including nouns of instrument and place.
When rewriting a sentence, change only what the question instructs you to change. Do not add, remove or replace unrelated words. In writing tasks, check case, verb conjugation, noun-adjective agreement and masculine or feminine forms carefully.
5. Write in Accurate Modern Standard Arabic
Use formal Modern Standard Arabic throughout the examination. Avoid dialect, English words and literal translations of English expressions, as these can make your writing sound unnatural and reduce your language marks.
Pay particular attention to commonly confused letters, Hamzat al-Wasl and Hamzat al-Qat, and the differences between ة, ت and ه. Regular dictation practice is one of the most effective ways to improve spelling. Always leave time at the end to check verb endings, pronouns, gender agreement and punctuation.
6. Plan Your Essay and Follow Every Instruction Carefully
Before writing, identify the exact topic, required format, intended audience and point of view. Do not copy the guidance bullet points as an introduction or treat them as a script. Use them to help generate relevant ideas while keeping your response focused on the main task.
Plan a clear structure with an introduction, two or three developed paragraphs and a conclusion. Use punctuation and paragraph breaks to prevent long, confusing sentences. Finally, check that you have answered in the correct space, used black ink and written every final answer in the Question Booklet rather than the unscanned text booklet.
Edexcel International GCSE Arabic 2027: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Edexcel International GCSE Arabic exam structure for 2027?
Edexcel International GCSE Arabic (First Language), qualification code 4AA1, has two externally assessed papers:
Paper 1: Reading, Summary and Grammar (4AA1/01) — 2 hours 15 minutes, 75 marks and 60% of the qualification
Paper 2: Writing (4AA1/02) — 1 hour 30 minutes, 50 marks and 40% of the qualification
It is a linear qualification, so both papers must be taken at the end of the course.
2. What is included in Edexcel IGCSE Arabic Paper 1?
Paper 1 contains three sections:
Reading — 49 marks
Summary — 6 marks
Grammar — 20 marks
In the Reading section, you answer questions on two unseen texts and compare how the writers communicate their ideas. The Summary section uses a third text, while the Grammar section assesses your understanding and manipulation of Arabic language structures.
3. How should I manage my time in Edexcel IGCSE Arabic Paper 1?
Pearson recommends approximately:
1 hour 15 minutes for Reading
30 minutes for Summary
30 minutes for Grammar
Do not spend too long copying quotations or writing lengthy answers to low-mark questions. If you become stuck, leave space and return later. Reserve the final few minutes to check that every question has been attempted and that your answers are written in the correct spaces.
4. How should I answer the writer’s craft questions in Paper 1?
Questions 4 and 8 assess how writers create meaning and effects through linguistic and structural techniques. Each question is worth 10 marks.
A strong paragraph should:
Identify the writer’s idea or intended effect.
Select a short, precise quotation.
Identify the relevant language or structural technique.
Explain how the quotation creates the effect.
Link the analysis to the writer’s purpose or viewpoint.
Avoid simply listing techniques such as repetition, metaphor or rhetorical questions. The important part is explaining how each technique shapes the reader’s response.
5. How do I answer the 15-mark comparison question in Edexcel IGCSE Arabic?
Question 9 requires you to compare both texts. Do not write one complete section about Text 1 followed by a separate section about Text 2.
Compare the texts directly throughout your response, considering features such as:
Purpose and intended audience
Main ideas and viewpoints
Tone and level of formality
Vocabulary and imagery
Linguistic techniques
Sentence structures and organisation
Use balanced evidence from both texts and explain how the writers’ choices create similar or different effects.
6. How can I score well on the Arabic summary question?
Identify only the main points required by the question. Remove examples, repetition, minor details and personal opinions. Present the information clearly and concisely, preferably in your own words.
Before writing, underline the relevant points in the source text and group similar ideas together. After finishing, check that every sentence contains useful information and that you have not introduced anything that was absent from the passage.
7. Which grammar topics should I revise for Edexcel IGCSE Arabic 4AA1?
Important areas include:
Nominative, accusative and genitive cases
Definite and indefinite nouns
Singular, dual and plural forms
Broken plurals
Idafa constructions
Noun and adjective agreement
Verbal and nominal sentences
Kana, inna and their related forms
Active and passive constructions
Perfect and imperfect verbs
Subjunctive and jussive forms
Gender and pronoun agreement
Parsing and grammatical terminology
Word roots and derived noun forms
Rewriting sentences without changing their meaning
Practise applying these rules to complete sentences. Memorising definitions alone will not prepare you for grammar manipulation and parsing questions.
8. What do I have to write in Edexcel IGCSE Arabic Paper 2?
Paper 2 requires you to answer two extended-writing questions from a choice of three. Each response is worth 25 marks, and Pearson recommends writing approximately 300 words for each answer.
Possible formats include:
Discursive essay
Narrative
Description
Letter
Article
Email
Speech
Information leaflet
You may be asked to argue, persuade, explain, inform, narrate or describe. Always match your vocabulary, tone and structure to the required purpose and audience.
9. How can I achieve high marks in Edexcel IGCSE Arabic writing?
Plan each response before writing. Identify the topic, audience, purpose, format and viewpoint required by the question.
Your answer should contain:
Relevant and sufficiently developed ideas
Clear paragraphs
Logical links between points
Varied vocabulary
Accurate spelling
A mixture of simple and complex sentences
Correct gender, number and case agreement
A tone appropriate to the intended reader
Avoid memorised introductions, unrelated quotations and unnecessarily complicated sentences. Accurate, purposeful writing is more effective than language that sounds impressive but does not answer the task.