AQA past papers: where to get them, what is free and why the newest are held back

Key takeaways

• →AQA’s past paper finder, on aqa.org.uk, gives free digital copies of past papers and mark schemes, and lists examiner reports. You search by subject and qualification, then by series.
• →The newest papers are held back. AQA lists summer 2026 papers, mark schemes and reports for its public website on 9 July 2027, and November 2025 GCSE papers for 30 October 2026. Teachers get them earlier through Centre Services, but must keep them inside their school or college.
• →Check the specification code so you have the right course, for example 8300 for GCSE Maths, 8700 for English Language and 7357 for A-level Maths. Download only from AQA, which says its materials must not appear on third-party websites.
• →Mark each paper with its mark scheme, then read the matching examiner report. It lists the topics students handled well and the ones they struggled with.

1. Where to get AQA past papers

The official place for AQA past papers is the past paper finder on aqa.org.uk. It is AQA’s own search for past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports.^[1]

You pick a subject and a qualification, such as GCSE or A-level, then find the paper by exam series.^[1]

Each subject page on AQA’s site also has an Assessment resources tab with a search box and a filter. The GCSE Mathematics page is one example.^[2]

AQA describes the finder as free digital copies of its past papers and mark schemes, so there is no need to pay for them.^[6]

Check the code before you start. AQA lists its papers by specification code, then paper number and tier, such as 8300/1F for GCSE Maths Paper 1, Foundation tier. If you are not sure which course you take, ask your teacher.^[9]

2. What you can download

The finder covers past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports.^[1]

AQA says mark schemes are tools for examiners to make sure they all mark consistently. We explain examiner reports further down.^[6]

Some papers come with an insert. AQA describes inserts as additional resources for the exam, and says the front of the question paper lists them.^[17]

For example, AQA’s June 2022 GCSE Geography Paper 3 lists an OS key insert and a pre-release resources booklet on its front. If a paper you download lists an insert, look for that too.^[18]

For new courses that have no past papers yet, AQA provides specimen papers and mark schemes. Some modified papers, such as Braille ones, may also be available.^[6]

The finder only shows papers for the current specification. Papers from earlier years will not show if the specification has changed or expired.^[6]

3. Why the newest AQA papers are held back

AQA keeps the newest papers off the public site so that schools can use them as mock exams. Its policy for schools says the most recent series is kept confidential for one year for that purpose.^[8]

Teachers get the papers first, through Centre Services. AQA describes it as a secure service for teachers and exams officers, so students need to ask their teacher. The table shows AQA’s published dates.^[5]

AQA’s copyright policy gives the general rule: exam papers are available on its website one year after an exam series.^[7]

So papers from the summer 2026 series are not public until 9 July 2027, which is after next summer’s exams. AQA’s page gives the same date for mark schemes and reports on the exam.^[3]

AQA’s news item of 9 October 2026 says that from the November 2026 series, question papers will be on Centre Services the day after the exam. They will be there at 12.00pm after a morning exam and 4.30pm after an afternoon exam.^[4]

The paper stays inside the school. AQA says papers and inserts downloaded from Centre Services must be kept secure and used only within the school or college, so please do not ask a teacher to email you the newest paper.^[3]

Older papers last for a while. AQA says most past papers, mark schemes and reports stay on its website for three years, and on Centre Services for four.^[3]

4. AQA subject codes for the main GCSEs and A-levels

The table lists the main GCSE and A-level subjects people look for, with AQA’s codes. AQA’s subjects page links each course by name and code.^[11]

AS and A-level have different codes. For maths, AS Maths is 7356 and A-level Maths is 7357, and Further Maths is 7366 at AS and 7367 at A-level.^[12]

English Literature has two A-level versions, A (7712) and B (7717), so check which one your school teaches.^[13]

GCSE Combined Science has two AQA courses, Trilogy (8464) and Synergy (8465). Trilogy has six papers, two each for biology, chemistry and physics. Synergy has four.^[9]

For A-level codes, AQA’s May/June 2027 timetable lists each course by name and code.^[10]

5. How to use mark schemes and examiner reports

Sit the paper to time first. AQA suggests answering past papers as if under exam conditions, to help you develop your exam writing skills.^[6]

Then mark it. AQA says to check your paper against its mark scheme to see what examiners look for and how they give marks.^[6]

Next, find the examiner report for the same paper. It is AQA’s commentary on how students did on that paper. AQA’s June 2025 GCSE Maths Paper 1 Higher report has a contents list, a summary, comments on each of its 25 questions, and a section on grade boundaries and further support. The summary lists topics students handled well and ones they struggled with.^[14]

The comments name common errors. In the June 2025 Paper 2 Higher report, an examiner wrote: “Premature approximations meant that some final answers lost the required accuracy.”^[15]

Other subjects follow the same idea. The June 2025 Biology Paper 2 Higher report adds a section on levels of demand, which explains which questions target grades 4 to 5, 6 to 7 or 8 to 9.^[16]

Use the report as a checklist. For each question where you lost marks, read the comment, rewrite your answer and note the mistake. OCR’s maths subject advisor suggests reading reports from several years to spot recurring themes, and the same idea works for AQA reports.^[19]

AQA cannot provide reports for a small number of components with minority entries.^[3]

Read the report after you mark: Mark the paper first, so you know where you lost marks. Then read only the report comments for those questions, and write down what the examiner says to do differently.

6. Download only from AQA

Get AQA papers from aqa.org.uk. AQA says its materials must not be reproduced on third-party websites in any format, and that it does not give permission for them to appear on social media.^[7]

Be extra careful with anything that claims to be this year’s paper. JCQ’s guide for candidates says not to buy, ask for or share exam content, and warns about scammers selling fake exam papers.^[20]

A GOV.UK notice from May 2024 says accounts claiming to sell this year’s exam papers are almost always scams. It warns that students who contact them risk their qualification: “Sanctions can still apply even if the papers turn out to be fake.”^[21]

Official past papers are free, so there is never a reason to pay. AQA also advises students to speak to their teachers before buying any materials.^[6]

Check the web address: AQA papers are on aqa.org.uk. If a site asks you to pay for AQA papers, close it and ask your teacher.

7. AQA exam dates for 2027

AQA lists its May/June 2027 timetables as confirmed.^[22]

The GCSE timetable (version 1.2) has the first exam on Monday 10 May 2027 and the last scheduled one on Friday 18 June. Wednesday 23 June is the contingency day, a spare day in case papers have to be moved, so students must stay available until then.^[9]

The AS and A-level timetable also runs from 10 May to 18 June, with the same contingency day.^[10]

For example, GCSE Maths Paper 1 is on Friday 14 May 2027, Paper 2 on Thursday 27 May and Paper 3 on Monday 14 June. Each timetable lists every paper.^[9]

8. Our AQA subject guides

Once you have a paper, our subject guides explain what each question asks and how to prepare. We have guides for AQA English Language Paper 1, AQA English Literature Paper 1, and the AQA GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics papers.

For maths, our GCSE maths past papers guide covers AQA, Edexcel and OCR papers, with a plan from now to May.

9. How Brainhub can help

Our GCSE students typically improve by 2 grades over 12 weeks of weekly lessons (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). Students who join us by Year 12 most often finish with A*/A (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). Both figures are our own data, not independent research.

We teach one-to-one, live online across the UK. Online lessons start from £30 an hour for GCSE and £40 an hour for A-Level, and a qualified teacher with a PGCE costs £10 an hour more. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment. Bring a marked AQA paper if you have one, so we can see which topics need the most work first.

1. 1. Where should you download AQA past papers?

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2. 2. When do AQA’s summer 2026 papers go on the public website?

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3. 3. What should you do with an AQA examiner report?

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Your next steps

• Open AQA’s past paper finder, choose your subject and qualification, and check the code matches your course.
• Sit one paper to time, mark it with its mark scheme, then read the matching examiner report.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which topics to work on first.

Subject guides to go with this

Want one-to-one help? See how our online lessons work.