Every GCSE is set and marked by an exam board. Different boards cover mostly the same content, but the papers, question styles and even some topics are different. Using notes and past papers from the wrong board can waste a lot of time.
The main boards in England
- AQA – the most widely used board for GCSE Science, and very common for Maths.
- Pearson Edexcel – very common for GCSE Maths, also offers Science.
- OCR – offers Maths and two Science courses: Gateway and Twenty First Century.
- WJEC Eduqas – offers Science and other subjects in England. (WJEC also runs exams in Wales, which follow a different system.)
How to find your board
- Ask your teacher. This is the quickest way.
- Look at the front of a mock exam paper or past paper your school gave you.
- Check your school website. Many schools list the board and specification code for each subject.
Your school might use different boards for different subjects. For example, AQA for Science and Edexcel for Maths is a common mix.
Also check your specification code
Each course has a code. For example, AQA Combined Science: Trilogy and AQA Biology are different courses with different content. Knowing the exact course name stops you revising topics you do not need.
What changes between boards?
- Number and length of papers. For example, science courses split topics across papers in different ways.
- Question style. Some boards use more short-answer questions; others use more longer "explain" questions.
- Practicals. AQA calls them required practicals, Edexcel calls them core practicals and OCR calls them PAGs (practical activity groups).
- Small content differences. A topic might be on one board's course but not another's.
What stays the same?
The core ideas in Maths and Science are the same on every board. So a clear explanation of, say, osmosis or simultaneous equations helps everyone. But past papers and mark schemes must match your board.
In short
Find out your board and course for each subject now. Use matching notes, past papers and mark schemes. It saves time and stops surprises in the exam.
Notes, tests and papers for your exam board
AshACE® Revise is opening soon for Year 6 to GCSE.