AQA A Level English Language (7702) Past Papers 2026
Download free AQA A Level English Language 7702 past papers, mark schemes. 8 exam sessions from 2017–2026.
June 2024
Latest Session
8
Sessions
2017–2026
25
Question Papers
23
Mark Schemes
92% coverage
14
Inserts
4
Specimen Papers
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 7702/1 — Language, the individual and society | 100 | 2h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | 7702/2 — Language diversity and change | 100 | 2h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
Component structure extracted from 4 official AQA documents (2022–2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
AQA English Language questions organised by specification topic — perfect for targeted revision.
How is AQA A Level English Language (7702) examined?
AQA A Level English Language is examined through 2 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
100 marks7702/1 — Language, the individual and society
Duration: 2h 30m
Paper 2
100 marks7702/2 — Language diversity and change
Duration: 2h 30m
What AQA examiners say about English Language
Verbatim quotes from 4 official AQA examiner reports (2022–2023). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things AQA markers flag year after year.
Arbitrary or generic language labelling without linking…
Arbitrary language labelling with no reference to the importance of those particular elements did little to support the coherent analysis of a text, particularly in relation to connected AO3 analysis.
Pre-learned essays that ignore the actual wording of the…
Some students offered a pre-learned essay response, overlooking the statement completely to present a nature versus nurture argument.
Mislabelling sentences and clauses
Grammatical comments tended to be more often confused when identifying complex and compound sentences and subordinate or relative clauses within the text.
Most Common Mistakes — English Language (7702)
Based on analysis of 4 official AQA examiner reports (2022, 2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Arbitrary or generic language labelling without linking features to representation or argument
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every series, both papers (2022–2023)
Pre-learned essays that ignore the actual wording of the Section A statement
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every series, Paper 2 Section A; recurring in Paper 1 Q4/Q5
Mislabelling sentences and clauses, especially compound-complex / subordinate / relative
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every series, Paper 1 Section A and Paper 2 Q3
Lengthy stand-alone introductions on theory or history of English instead of engaging with data
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every series, Paper 1 Section B and Paper 2 Section A
Lifting Q1/Q2 analysis into Q3 and chasing AO1 marks that are not awarded
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every series, Paper 1 Q3 and Paper 2 Q3
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Wider social and cultural context for level 5 AO3
'For level five performance, responses should explore analysis within wider social and cultural contexts. While this is a more modern and potentially accessible text, students seemed to offer less of this wider cultural comment.'
Paper 1
Innatist theories of child language acquisition
'While most students offered some comment about innatist views, this was sometimes less developed… Some students mentioned innatist ideas without developing points further than referring to an in-built language acquisition device.'
Paper 1
Q5 literacy development — applying writing-specific theories rather than spoken-language ones
'Some students applied spoken language theories without making reference to literacy theories… reference to innatist views and the concept of universal grammar was less convincing for this question.'
Paper 1
Differentiating diachronic change from synchronic variation
'A major discriminator was whether students could identify diachronic changes caused by contact and other factors as opposed to identifying synchronic variation caused by group membership.'
Paper 2
Pidgins, creoles and world Englishes
'Pidgins and Creoles were relatively rarely discussed.' 'Another relatively rare area of content was world or global Englishes.'
Paper 2
Identifying the exact extent of clauses and verb phrases
'There was good exemplification of sentence and phrase types, though the identification of the precise extent of a clause was not always clear.'
Paper 2
Disentangling embedded voices in Q3 source texts
'Some students had difficulties disentangling the different views within the texts… how Garner used Hodson's views to further his own argument and considered how far the Heffer and Kamm contributions were treated as equal.'
Paper 2
Genre handling in Q4 opinion articles
'There were still a few essay-like and over-academic answers, but far more very informal responses which did not inform in a satisfying way. There were a number of responses that relied on abuse of Weaver Sheridan and Holly Bancroft, boomers or the old in general.'
Paper 2
AQA A Level English Language (7702) — Full Archive 2017–2026
This page contains all 87 AQA A Level English Language (7702) past papers available for free download — 8 exam sessions from 2017 to 2026. Each session includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), and where available, insert materials (INS). No registration or payment required.
AQA A Level English Language is graded A*–E. The A* grade requires achieving an A on the overall qualification and 90%+ on the A2 units. AQA is the UK's largest exam board, making these past papers the single most relevant resource for your revision.
AQA A Level English Language has no tiers — all students sit the same papers. Papers are split into components (Paper 1, Paper 2, etc.), each testing different areas of the specification. Focus on components where you score lowest to maximise grade improvement.
AQA mark schemes use a clear notation: M marks are for method (your working), A marks are for accuracy (correct answer), and B marks are awarded independently. Understanding this system helps you maximise marks even when you don't reach the final answer — showing clear working can earn method marks. After attempting each English Language past paper under timed conditions, mark it against the official scheme and categorise every dropped mark as a knowledge gap, method error, or misread question. Target your remaining revision at the category where you lose the most marks.
English Language 7702 at other levels
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 87 free AQA A Level English Language (7702) past papers from 2017–2026. Download question papers and mark schemes as PDF — no registration needed.
We have 87 papers across 8 exam sessions for AQA A Level English Language (7702). This includes question papers and mark schemes, plus 4 specimen papers.
AQA filenames follow the pattern AQA-[CODE]-[TYPE]-[SESSION]. For example, AQA-77011H-QP-JUN19 means: specification 7701, Paper 1, Higher tier, Question Paper, June 2019. QP = Question Paper, W-MS = Mark Scheme, INS = Insert, SQP = Specimen Question Paper.