A Level German Topics by Exam Board: Full List

With several different exam boards offering A Level German, it can be difficult to know exactly what you need to study.

While specifications contain your syllabus, they’re often much longer and more detailed than you need them to be. What’s more useful is a clear picture of how each theme, topic or area fits into the assessment structure.

This article includes an official and complete breakdown of the topics you need to revise for A Level German. We’ve split the content by the four major exam boards – AQA (opens in a new tab), Cambridge International Education (CIE) (opens in a new tab), Pearson Edexcel (opens in a new tab) and WJEC Eduqas (opens in a new tab) – to show you exactly what you need to know. We’ll also explain how to use these lists to revise in the most effective way.

Key Takeaways

• The major exam boards currently offering A Level German are AQA, CIE, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC Eduqas

• All exam boards will assess your grammar throughout your exams, building on what is learnt in GCSE German

• Avoid revising unnecessary content by only going by what your exam board specification says

• Use topic and theme lists to create a revision plan and organise your notes

Why It's Important to Know Your Exam Board

Although subject content often overlaps across exam boards, each exam board has a different syllabus. This means that the same subject can be taught very differently in one exam board compared to another, with varying topics, skills and assessment methods.

Knowing exactly which topics your exam board covers means you can create a focused revision plan. You won't waste time studying content that won't be tested, and you'll know exactly what to expect when it comes to exams.

If you’re not sure which exam board you’re using, check with your German teacher.

AQA A Level German Topics (7662)

AQA (opens in a new tab) is split into themes and sub-themes:

Theme 1. Social issues and trends

• Aspects of German-speaking society

  • The changing state of the family

  • The digital world

  • Youth culture

• Multiculturalism in German-speaking society

  • Immigration

  • Integration

  • Racism

Theme 2. Political and artistic culture

• Artistic culture in the German-speaking world

  • Festivals and traditions

  • Art and architecture

  • Cultural life in Berlin, past and present

• Aspects of political life in the German-speaking world

  • Germany and the European Union

  • Politics and youth

  • German reunification and its consequences

The table below shows what each AQA exam paper covers:

CIE A Level German - Language & Literature Topics (9897)

CIE (opens in a new tab) bases its content around six topic areas, which can all appear in all three papers:

Culture

• Entertainment

• Identity and culture

• The arts

Health and well-being

• Health and fitness

• Nutrition

• Managing well-being

Education and future plans

• Life at school

• Further/higher education

• Career/work choices

Community and society

• Equality and diversity

• Lifestyle

• Society

Our responsibility for the planet

• The environment

• Sustainable living

• Protecting our world

Science and technology

• Scientific and technological innovation

• Social media

• Technology

The table below shows what each CIE exam paper covers:

Pearson Edexcel A Level German Topics (9GN0)

Pearson Edexcel (opens in a new tab) is also split into themes and sub-themes:

Theme 1. Gesellschaftliche Entwicklung in Deutschland (Germany only)

• Natur und Umwelt: environmental awareness, recycling, renewable energy, sustainable living

• Bildung: education system, student experience, vocational training

• Die Welt der Arbeit: working life, business and industry, work ethic

Theme 2. Politische und künstlerische Kultur im deutschen Sprachraum (German-speaking world)

• Musik: trends and influence of music on popular culture

• Die Medien: television, digital and print media, impact on society and politics

• Feste und Traditionen: festivals, celebrations, customs, traditions

Theme 3. Immigration und die deutsche multikulturelle Gesellschaft (Germany only)

• Positive impacts of immigration: economic and cultural contributions

• Challenges of immigration and integration: exclusion, alienation, local responses

• State and social responses: extremism, political and public responses to immigration

Theme 4. Die Wiedervereinigung Deutschlands (Germany only)

• Life in the GDR before reunification: work, housing, communist principles

• Events leading to reunification: collapse of communism, Berlin Wall

• Germany since reunification: East–West migration, unemployment, education impact

The table below shows what each Pearson Edexcel A Level German exam paper covers:

WJEC Eduqas A Level German Topics (A820QS)

WJEC Eduqas (opens in a new tab) splits its content into themes and sub-themes:

Theme 1. Being a young person in German-speaking society

• Families and citizenship

• Youth trends and personal identity

• Education and employment opportunities

Theme 2. Diversity and difference

• Migration and integration

• Cultural identity and marginalisation

• Cultural enrichment and celebrating difference

• Discrimination and diversity

Theme 3. Understanding the German-speaking world

• Regional culture and heritage in Germany, German-speaking countries and communities

• Media, art, film and music in the German-speaking world

Theme 4. The making of modern Germany: 1989 onwards

• Initial and subsequent process of reunification

• Social cohesion in present-day Germany

• The economic impact of a united Germany

How to Use Topic Lists for Revision

Create a revision plan

Print or copy out the themes or paper content into a checklist. Use the traffic light system (opens in a new tab) to prioritise weaker areas, and tick each area off as you revise. Seeing progress is really motivating, and it stops you from accidentally skipping anything important.

For grammar, look at the appendices on your exam board specification. Revise important grammatical rules and write as many sentences as you can.

Organise your notes and flashcards by topic

Separating your notes and flashcards according to topic will make it much easier to find information quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to revise all A Level German topics for the exam?

Yes – whichever exam board you’re using, you need to revise all topics. 

Use a checklist to make your revision more manageable, and check what each paper assesses to help create a relevant revision plan.

Are these topics the same across all exam boards?

The content is broadly the same – for example, AQA, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC Eduqas all include set literary texts, films and an independent research project – but the topics often come under different names.

CIE is the most different of the exam boards, as it’s A Level German - Language & Literature.

It’s important to only go by what is in your exam board’s specification, as there are differences between how and what each exam board teaches.

How do I know which topics I struggle with most?

Alongside the traffic light system, look at which topics you tend to get the lowest marks on in mock exams or past paper questions. Prioritise revising the areas you’re least confident in.

Do all topics come up in every exam paper?

The listening, reading and writing/translation exams tend to feature content from all relevant themes. However, speaking exams generally only test your knowledge of one theme or sub-theme, and the works exam will just be based on your set literary texts or and/or films.

Final Thoughts

Using theme and topic lists to structure your A Level German revision means you'll know exactly what to study, how it's tested, and how to allocate your time between each area.

Bookmark or print this page, and use it as your roadmap. Work through each theme or area, tick it off as you go, practise answering past paper questions, and persevere to improve your knowledge and skills for all four exam papers.

viel Glück!

References

• AQA A Level German Specification (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge International A Level German Language & Literature Syllabus (opens in a new tab)

• How to Use the Traffic Light System to Improve Your Marks (opens in a new tab)

• Illustrative content for individual projects (opens in a new tab)

• Pearson Edexcel A Level German Specification (opens in a new tab)

• WJEC Eduqas A Level German Specification (opens in a new tab)