GCSE German Topics by Exam Board: Full List

When you’re studying an average of 8-10 GCSEs, revising for each subject can feel overwhelming. It’s even harder when you don’t know exactly which topics you’ll be tested on.

While specifications are useful, they’re often 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 GCSE German. We’ve split the content by the two major exam boards – AQA (opens in a new tab) and Pearson Edexcel (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

• AQA and Pearson Edexcel are the two major exam boards currently offering 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

• Check whether you’re being entered for the foundation or higher tier, as this will affect how much and what type of content you need to learn

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.

The two major exam boards for GCSE German are AQA and Pearson Edexcel. If you’re not sure which exam board you’re using, check with your German teacher.

AQA GCSE German Topics (8662)

AQA GCSE German covers three themes, each containing three topics:

Theme 1. People and lifestyle

• Topic 1: Identity and relationships with others

• Topic 2: Healthy living and lifestyle

• Topic 3: Education and work

Theme 2. Popular culture

• Topic 1: Free-time activities

• Topic 2: Customs, festivals and celebrations

• Topic 3: Celebrity culture

Theme 3. Communication and the world around us

• Topic 1: Travel and tourism, including places of interest

• Topic 2: Media and technology

• Topic 3: The environment and where people live

In addition to the three themes, you’ll also cover grammar and vocabulary. Here is some of what you can expect to learn in both:

Grammar

• Noun phrases

• Verb phrases

• Adjectival phrases

• Adverbial phrases

• Prepositions

Vocabulary

• 1,200 words or phrases for Foundation tier, and a further 500 words or phrases for Higher tier

• 30 short phrases that are multi-word phrases in German

• 20 items to refer to relevant geographical or cultural places/events, including the names of countries to be known receptively and productively

The table below shows what each AQA GCSE German exam paper covers:

Pearson Edexcel GCSE German Topics (1GN1)

Pearson Edexcel GCSE German bases its content, grammar and vocabulary around six thematic contexts:

1. My personal world

2. Lifestyle and wellbeing

3. My neighbourhood

4. Media and technology

5. Studying and my future

6. Travel and tourism

Below is some of what you can expect to learn in grammar and vocabulary:

Grammar

• Nouns, pronouns and determiners

• Verbs

• Verbs: tenses

• Adjectives

• Adverbs

• Prepositions

Vocabulary

• Basic words

• Cultural and geographical words

• Short phrases

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

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 and vocabulary, look at the appendices on the AQA (opens in a new tab) or Pearson Edexcel (opens in a new tab)specifications (depending on your exam board). Revise important grammar rules, and write as many sentences as you can including key words and phrases.

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 GCSE German topics for the exam?

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

All three AQA themes come up in all four papers.

For Pearson Edexcel, you get to choose the thematic context for the picture task in your speaking exam. However, outside of that, the exams can still test you on any of the thematic contexts.

Use a checklist to make your revision more manageable.

Are these topics the same across all exam boards?

The content is broadly the same – for example, all exam boards require you to talk about yourself and your relationships with family and friends – but the topics often come under different names. 

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?

Look at which topics you tend to get the lowest marks on in mock exams or past paper questions.

The traffic light system can also be really helpful with this. Ask yourself how confident you are on a specific topic, and colour code each one accordingly:

• Red for topics you know very little about or lack confidence in

• Amber for topics you know fairly well, but could do with revising a bit more

• Green for topics you know well and find the easiest

Do all topics come up in every exam paper?

For AQA, yes. All three themes come up in all four exam papers.

For Pearson Edexcel, you get to choose the thematic context for the picture task in your speaking exam. Outside of that, you can be tested on any of the six thematic contexts in all four papers.

For both exam boards, vocabulary and grammar are tested in each of the four papers.

Final Thoughts

Using theme and topic lists to structure your GCSE 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 GCSE German Specification (opens in a new tab)

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

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