Edexcel GCSE 9-1 Past Papers across Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, English Language and many more subjects.
Pearson Edexcel is a private examination board. It offers school certifications globally based on the British curriculum. Edexcel includes GCSE, A level, NVQ, functional skills and international GCSEs. The board conducts GCSE examinations each year. The questions are regarded as one of the toughest.
However, the basic difference lies in the approach to the papers. Past papers give a glimpse of the question pattern. It also allows students to know the marking scheme. With continuous practice, they can also ace time management. The official website of Pearson Edexcel grants easy access to past papers. Students can download it and solve it to gain momentum.
About the board
Edexcel was established in 1996. Pearson plc owns this board from 2005. Edexcel is a universally recognized board. It allows students to study subjects of their choice. It offers 40 subjects to the school leaving students (age group 14-16). The board offers world-class teaching aid both online and offline.
Edexcel exams need comprehensive preparation. Students should thoroughly go through the past papers. Initially, they should not clock while solving. Students should pay attention to the parts that create difficulty. It will help them in pointing out the easy and tough parts for them. They should invest more time in tough parts. Students should go through past papers. It will help them in managing questions in the exam hall.
Type of assessments
The whole assessment is divided into 5 parts. Students are required to familiarize themselves with each pattern. Solving past year question papers helps here too. Students need to practice writing answers according to the question asked. Here are the 5 types of questions asked:
Multiple choice questions (MCQs): Four options are offered for each question. Students need to select the correct response. Some questions may carry five options and they need to select two correct responses. Guessing is not going to help here. So paying complete attention to the whole chapter is important. This part is meant to assess the overall understanding of the students.
Short open response: Students need to answer the question in one word or one sentence. It usually carries 1-3 marks. Practice to write a crisp and accurate answer is required here.
Open response: This type of question requires a short explanatory answer. It carries four marks. Students should stay away from faffing in this part. Try to include maximum relevant points in minimum words. Use scientific terms and include diagrams.
Calculation: The marks weightage for this section varies in every subject. Students should solve it stepwise. They should mention the formulae and theorems. Even if their final answer is wrong, they may get marks if the steps are correct.
Extended open response: This section also has varied marks allocation. It is meant to assess the argumentative ability of the students. They should practice writing a well-informed answer with proper facts.
Is the exam hard?
Edexcel is notorious for being tougher than AQA. However, students should note that the passing marks in Edexcel are 50% while it is 70% in AQA. The exam needs students to write crisp and informed answers leaving little room for faffing. The exam is not tough at all. Practicing past papers is always helpful.