GCSE Spanish
Syllabus

The Path to Success under the Guidance of Studylon: Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish Syllabus Review

As Studylon, while preparing our students for the world’s most prestigious schools, we also closely follow current academic curricula.

With this vision, we have detailed for you the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish syllabus, which aims to adapt language learning to today’s world, enabling students to explore different cultures and grow as global citizens.

The exams are designed in a structure that is transparent, accessible and focused on letting students show what they know.

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Basic Structure and Operation of the Exam

The teaching of the syllabus begins in September 2024, and the first certification will take place in 2026.

Students’ listening, reading, writing and speaking skills are assessed with four separate exam papers.

Each exam paper can be selected as Foundation or Higher tier.

Students must enter all exam sections from a single tier.

All exams are externally assessed and graded by Pearson.

The Foundation tier targets grades from 1 to 5.

The Higher tier targets grades from 4 to 9.

Exam Sections and Assessment Criteria

Speaking

This section constitutes 25% of the total grade.

It is assessed out of 50 points.

The Foundation tier lasts 7-9 minutes.

The Higher tier lasts 10-12 minutes.

Right before the exam, students are given a 15-minute preparation time.

Task 1: Reading Aloud and Short Interaction

Students read a short text aloud and then engage in a short, unscripted interaction related to the text.

This task is assessed out of 12 points.

Task 2: Role-play

Students complete a formal or casual role-play activity set in a specific scenario.

These scenarios may include a café, shop, hotel or station.

This task is assessed out of 10 points.

Task 3: Picture Description and Conversation

Students describe a picture belonging to a previously selected theme and then participate in an extended conversation over this theme.

This task is assessed out of 28 points.

Listening and Understanding

This section constitutes 25% of the total grade.

It is assessed out of 50 points.

The Foundation tier lasts 45 minutes.

The Higher tier lasts 60 minutes.

A 5-minute reading allowance is included in these durations.

Part A: Listening Comprehension

Part A consists of multiple-choice and short-answer listening comprehension questions.

It is assessed out of 40 points.

All questions in this section are asked in English and answered in English.

Part B: Dictation

Students transcribe the Spanish speech they hear into Spanish.

This task is assessed out of 10 points.

Reading and Understanding

This section constitutes 25% of the total grade.

It is assessed out of 50 points.

The Foundation tier lasts 45 minutes.

The Higher tier lasts 60 minutes.

The use of a dictionary is prohibited.

Part A: Reading Comprehension

Part A includes reading comprehension questions based on various texts such as blogs, advertisements, articles or emails.

It is assessed out of 40 points.

Questions are asked in English and answered in English.

Part B: Translation

Students translate a Spanish passage into English.

This task is assessed out of 10 points.

Writing

This section constitutes 25% of the total grade.

It is assessed out of 50 points.

The Foundation tier lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The Higher tier lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Students produce texts of different lengths to express their ideas in formal and informal contexts.

At the Foundation tier, there are picture descriptions, open-ended questions and translation from English to Spanish.

At the Higher tier, there are more complex open-ended questions and an extended translation paragraph.

Core Skills Developed

Speaking Skills

Students develop the ability to read aloud, respond naturally in short interaction, complete role-play tasks and take part in an extended conversation based on a selected theme.

Listening and Dictation Skills

Students develop the ability to understand Spanish audio materials and accurately transcribe Spanish speech into Spanish.

Reading and Translation Skills

Students build the ability to understand written Spanish texts and translate a Spanish passage into English.

Writing and Expression Skills

Students learn to produce written Spanish texts in formal and informal contexts and complete English-to-Spanish translation tasks.

Vocabulary Structure

The syllabus includes a 1200-word list selected from the most frequently used words that is common for both Foundation and Higher tiers.

An additional 500 words reflecting linguistic and conceptual complexity have been determined for Higher tier students.

Inclusivity and Cultural Familiarity

In order for students not to experience confusion during the exam due to cultural differences, human names in the texts are selected from a predefined list.

The syllabus cares about the evolution of language and inclusivity.

Assessments fully accept and equally credit the use of gender-neutral language, relevant pronouns and alternative spellings for trans and non-binary students.

GCSE Spanish Preparation with Studylon

As the Studylon family, we are always by your side in your career planning and exam preparation processes with our experienced academic coaches and private tutors.

Specification PDF