Subjects

GCSEs

AS and A-levels

Other qualifications

Our training

Courses by theme

Courses by subject

Dates

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

Exams

Results

Assessment Services

Products

News and Insights

GCSE Science8465

2.0 Specification at a glance

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course.

2.1 Subject content

2.2 Assessments

Paper 1

What's assessed

Life and environmental sciences

Topics 4.1–4.4: Building blocks; Transport over larger distances; Interactions with the environment and Explaining change.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Foundation or Higher Tier
  • 100 marks
  • 25% of GCSE

Questions

Multiple choice, structured, closed and open short answer questions, with greater emphasis on knowledge and application (AO1 and AO2) than analysis and evaluation (AO3).

Paper 2

What's assessed

Life and environmental sciences

Topics 4.1–4.4: Building blocks; Transport over larger distances; Interactions with the environment and Explaining change.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Foundation and Higher Tier
  • 100 marks
  • 25% of GCSE

Questions

Multiple choice, structured, closed and open short answer questions. This paper assesses most of the analysis and evaluation (AO3) skills, and most of the work on the required practicals, for the topics.

Paper 3

What's assessed

Physical sciences

Topics 4.5–4.8: Building blocks for understanding; Interactions over small and large distances; Movement and interactions and Guiding Spaceship Earth towards a sustainable future.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Foundation and Higher Tier
  • 100 marks
  • 25% of GCSE

Questions

Multiple choice, structured, closed and open short answer questions, with greater emphasis on knowledge and application (AO1 and AO2) than analysis and evaluation (AO3).

Paper 4

What's assessed

Physical sciences

Topics 4.5–4.8: Building blocks for understanding; Interactions over small and large distances; Movement and interactions and Guiding Spaceship Earth towards a sustainable future.

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Foundation and Higher Tier
  • 100 marks
  • 25% of GCSE

Questions

Multiple choice, structured, closed and open short answer questions. This paper assesses most of the analysis and evaluation (AO3) skills, and most of the work on the required practicals, for the topics.