AQA A Level French (7652) Past Papers 2026
Download free AQA A Level French 7652 past papers, mark schemes. 7 exam sessions from 2018–2026.
June 2024
Latest Session
7
Sessions
2018–2026
14
Question Papers
19
Mark Schemes
136% coverage
7
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 | Listening, Reading and Writing | 100 | 2h 30m | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | Writing | 80 | 2h | 0.67 | Steady |
| Paper 3 | Speaking | 60 | 21–23 min (incl. 5 min preparation) | 2.61 | Very high |
Component structure extracted from 6 official AQA documents (2022–2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
AQA French questions organised by specification topic — perfect for targeted revision.
How is AQA A Level French (7652) examined?
AQA A Level French is examined through 3 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
100 marksListening, Reading and Writing
Duration: 2h 30m
Paper 2
80 marksWriting
Duration: 2h
Paper 3
60 marksSpeaking
Duration: 21–23 min (incl. 5 min preparation)
What AQA examiners say about French
Verbatim quotes from 6 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.
Exceeding the 90-word summary limit and losing content…
there were still some answers this year which exceeded the maximum number of 90 words allowed, though fewer than in the past
Insufficient grammatical manipulation in summary tasks
many students did succeed in manipulating the original to some extent, for example using the third person rather than the first
English-to-French translation errors
There was sometimes a lack of adjectival agreements (eg vulnérables). The subjunctive was often missed in pour qu'ils puissent.
Most Common Mistakes — French (7652)
Based on analysis of 6 official AQA examiner reports (2022, 2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Exceeding the 90-word summary limit and losing content marks as a result
Paper 1 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 1
Insufficient grammatical manipulation in summary tasks — the AO3 marks go unclaimed
Paper 1 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 1
English-to-French translation errors: adjectival agreement, prepositions, subjunctive and tense sequence
Paper 1 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 1
French-to-English translation errors: Depuis misrendered, past tenses given as present, vocabulary gaps
Paper 1 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 1
Bringing a pre-prepared essay to Paper 2 regardless of the question set
Paper 2 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 2
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Grammatical manipulation in summary tasks (AO3 frequently left at 3/5)
7652 examiners report that 'the full five marks for AO3 were harder to achieve' and that 'only just over 10% of students achieved this' in 2023 — the majority of students copied too much rather than genuinely rephrasing grammatical structures.
Paper 1
Adjectival agreement and preposition control in the English-to-French translation
7652 examiners note in 2022 that 'There was sometimes a lack of adjectival agreements (eg vulnérables)' and 'the correct preposition was often absent after certain verbs, for example permettre aux habitants de participer, les parents devraient encourager leurs enfants à éviter de se droguer.'
Paper 1
Depuis with present tense: ongoing duration mistranslated into English
7652 examiners flag this as a recurring loss in both series: 'Depuis was often rendered as "since" rather than "for"' (2022) and 'Depuis always seems to cause problems and led to the loss of a mark for the present tense being used in English for the main verb' (2023).
Paper 1
Verb conjugation and verb + infinitive constructions in the speaking test
7652 examiners list recurring speaking errors in 2023: 'Conjugation of verbs – ils promouvoir ils sont écouter ils a devenu ils vont reçoit' and 'Verb + infinitive – ils voulaient de voir il peut devient j'aime peuve je préfère de parle'.
Paper 3
Subjunctive use in the speaking test (deployed incorrectly or omitted)
7652 examiners cite in 2023: 'Subjunctive (or not) – bien qu'ils sont il faut que je dis il pense que la musique soit' as common errors — students either use the subjunctive where it is not needed or omit it where it is required.
Paper 1, Paper 3
Vocabulary confusions in the speaking test: parce que/à cause de, connaître/savoir, jeunes/gens, temps/fois/heure
7652 examiners list in 2023: 'Confusion with – parce que/à cause de choquant/choqué surprenant/surpris bénévole/bénévolat penser à/de connaître/savoir jeunes/gens temps/fois/heure chose/choix assez/aussi très/trop/plus/beaucoup'.
Paper 3
Anglicisms and invented words undermining AO3 in Paper 3
7652 examiners record in 2023: 'Anglicisms – ils ont un bon temps le texte est autour si ils ne pensent pas sur comment sérieux c'est' and 'Invented words – protecter provider promoter admitter restricter recogniser experiencer especialement'.
Paper 3
AO4 knowledge limited to coursebook content — insufficient depth beyond Restos du Cœur / mai 68
7652 examiners note in 2022 that knowledge of voluntary work 'is not a particularly French phenomenon' and that knowledge of those helped 'beyond the homeless' and those helping 'beyond the retired' was rarely demonstrated; Carte L (immigration/politics) showed wide variation in depth of AO4.
Paper 3
AQA A Level French (7652) — Full Archive 2018–2026
This page contains all 72 AQA A Level French (7652) past papers available for free download — 7 exam sessions from 2018 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 French 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 French 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 French 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.
French 7652 at other levels
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 72 free AQA A Level French (7652) past papers from 2018–2026. Download question papers and mark schemes as PDF — no registration needed.
We have 72 papers across 7 exam sessions for AQA A Level French (7652). This includes question papers and mark schemes, plus 4 specimen papers.
AQA filenames follow the pattern AQA-[CODE]-[TYPE]-[SESSION]. For example, AQA-76521H-QP-JUN19 means: specification 7652, Paper 1, Higher tier, Question Paper, June 2019. QP = Question Paper, W-MS = Mark Scheme, INS = Insert, SQP = Specimen Question Paper.