AQA GCSE French specification (8658)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your AQA GCSE French exam. It lays out exactly what you need to learn, how you'll be assessed, and what skills the examiners seek. Whether you're working through the course for the first time or revising for your final exams, the specification helps you stay focused and confident in your preparation.
We've included helpful revision tools to support you in putting the specification into practice. Wherever you're starting from, you'll find everything you need to feel prepared, from the official specification to high-quality resources designed to help you succeed.
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In the next section, you'll find a simplified summary of the official AQA GCSE French specification, along with a breakdown of key topics, assessment structure, and useful study resources. We've also included links to topic-level guides and revision tools to help you put the specification into practice.
Contents
Disclaimer
This page includes a summary of the official AQA GCSE French (8658) specification, provided to support your revision. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, Save My Exams is not affiliated with the awarding body.
For the most complete and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend consulting the official AQA specification PDF.
Specification overview
The AQA GCSE French specification enables students to develop confident communication skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It encourages enjoyment of language learning and broadens understanding of French-speaking cultures. The course prepares students for further language study and helps them develop transferable skills for education and employment. It aims to equip students with the ability to understand and use language in real-life contexts and express themselves clearly and accurately across various themes and situations.
Subject content breakdown
3.1 Themes
- Theme 1: Identity and culture
- Me, my family and friends
- Technology in everyday life
- Free-time activities
- Customs and festivals in French-speaking countries/communities
- Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Home, town, neighbourhood and region
- Social issues
- Global issues
- Travel and tourism
- Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
- My studies
- Life at school/college
- Education post-16
- Jobs, career choices and ambitions
3.2 Scope of study
- Listening: Understand spoken language, deduce meaning, interpret tone, and respond to key information across familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Speaking: Communicate and interact using spontaneous speech, express ideas/opinions, develop conversations, and use accurate pronunciation.
- Reading: Understand and respond to written texts, deduce meaning, and translate from French into English.
- Writing: Communicate clearly for different purposes, use varied vocabulary and structures, manipulate language creatively, and translate into French.
3.3 Grammar
- Foundation and Higher tiers have detailed grammar coverage, including:
- Nouns, articles, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, verbs (tense and mood), prepositions, conjunctions, and number expressions.
- Specific Higher Tier additions include complex tenses, relative pronouns, object pronouns, and the subjunctive mood.
3.4 Communication strategies
- Strategies for understanding (reading/listening): using visual/verbal context, grammatical markers, cognates, and patterns between French/English.
- Strategies for production (speaking/writing): using paraphrase, gestures, simplified structures, creative language use, and requests for help.
3.5 Vocabulary
- Core and theme-based vocabulary (Foundation and Higher Tiers), including general vocabulary, question forms, greetings, time expressions, colours, weights/measures, and topic-specific words tied to each theme.
Assessment structure
Paper 1: Listening
- Written exam: 35 mins (Foundation), 45 mins (Higher) including 5 mins reading time
- 25% of GCSE
- Section A: questions in English
- Section B: questions in French
Paper 2: Speaking
- Non-exam assessment: 7–9 mins (Foundation), 10–12 mins (Higher)
- 25% of GCSE
- Role-play (15 marks), Photo card (15 marks), General conversation (30 marks)
Paper 3: Reading
- Written exam: 45 mins (Foundation), 1 hour (Higher)
- 25% of GCSE
- Section A: questions in English
- Section B: questions in French
- Section C: translation from French into English
Paper 4: Writing
- Written exam: 1 hour (Foundation), 1 hour 15 mins (Higher)
25% of GCSE
Foundation Tier
- Q1: Message (4 sentences) – 8 marks
- Q2: Short passage (approx. 40 words) – 16 marks
- Q3: English to French translation – 10 marks
- Q4: Structured writing task (approx. 90 words, choice of 2) – 16 marks
Higher Tier
- Q1: Structured writing task (approx. 90 words, choice of 2) – 16 marks
- Q2: Open-ended writing task (approx. 150 words, choice of 2) – 32 marks
- Q3: English to French translation (minimum 50 words) – 12 marks
Tiers
- Foundation Tier (grades 1–5)
- Higher Tier (grades 4–9)
- All papers taken in same tier and exam series
Key tips for success
Doing well in your AQA GCSE French isn't just about how much you study, but how you study. Here are a few proven tips to help you stay on track
- Start with a clear plan: Break the subject into topics and create a revision schedule that allows enough time for each. Start early to avoid last-minute stress.
- Focus on understanding, not memorising: Use our revision notes to build a strong foundation in each topic, making sure you actually understand the material.
- Practise regularly: Attempt past papers to familiarise yourself with the exam format and timing. Mark your answers to see how close you are to full marks.
- Be strategic with your revision: Use exam questions by topic to focus on weaker areas, and flashcards to reinforce important facts and terminology.
- Learn from mistakes: Whether it's from mock exams or practice questions, spend time reviewing what went wrong and why. This helps prevent repeat mistakes in the real exam.
- Stay balanced: Don't forget to take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep, a healthy routine makes revision much more effective.
With the right approach and consistent practice, you'll build confidence and improve your chances of exam success.
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