AQA A Level Politics (7152) Past Papers 2026
Download free AQA A Level Politics 7152 past papers, mark schemes. 6 exam sessions from 2019–2026.
June 2024
Latest Session
6
Sessions
2019–2026
15
Question Papers
18
Mark Schemes
120% coverage
0
Inserts
3
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 | 7152/1 — Government and Politics of the UK | 77 | 2h | 0.64 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | 7152/2 — Comparative Politics: Government and Politics of the USA | 77 | 2h | 0.64 | Steady |
| Paper 3 | 7152/3 — Political Ideas | 77 | 2h | 0.64 | Steady |
Component structure extracted from 6 official AQA documents (2022–2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Specimen Papers
Topical Past Papers
AQA Politics questions organised by specification topic — perfect for targeted revision.
How is AQA A Level Politics (7152) examined?
AQA A Level Politics is examined through 3 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
77 marks7152/1 — Government and Politics of the UK
Duration: 2h
Paper 2
77 marks7152/2 — Comparative Politics: Government and Politics of the USA
Duration: 2h
Paper 3
77 marks7152/3 — Political Ideas
Duration: 2h
What AQA examiners say about Politics
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.
Ignoring or merely restating the source extracts instead…
It is important to stress that the extracts should be seen as a ‘springboard’ for students to evaluate and analyse.
Descriptive answers in Section A 9-mark questions…
Weaker responses tended to be descriptive and made little reference to electoral outcomes.
Failing to give comparative balance between the US and…
Weaker responses struggled to provide balance and tended to focus on one country and ignore the other.
Most Common Mistakes — Politics (7152)
Based on analysis of 6 official AQA examiner reports (2022, 2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Ignoring or merely restating the source extracts instead of using them as a springboard
Paper 2 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 2
Descriptive answers in Section A 9-mark questions instead of explanation and analysis
Paper 1, Paper 2 · June 2022 and June 2023, Papers 1 and 2
Failing to give comparative balance between the US and UK in Paper 2
Paper 2 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 2
Drifting into pre-learnt content instead of focusing on the question set
Paper 1 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 1
Listing key thinkers without analysing their relevance to the question
Paper 3 · June 2022 and June 2023, Paper 3
Topics Students Struggle With Most
National Nominating Conventions (US)
There were a surprising number of students who did not seem to know what the national nominating conventions were. This suggests selective revision and centres are reminded of the need to teach all the specification.
Paper 2
Comparative theories (rational, cultural, structural)
However, a more common error was that rational theory was not mentioned at all or that points made about legislatures were generalised rather than about how members of each chamber might vote.
Paper 2
Factions within US political parties
There was a tendency to describe policy stances as factions. Some students also used historic and not current factions such as the now defunct Tea Party faction.
Paper 2
Lobbying, iron triangles and the revolving door
A significant number of responses struggled to focus on lobbying with many seeking to discuss PACs, Super PACs and campaign finance.
Paper 2
Pressure group status (insider vs outsider)
Some students confused the status of pressure groups, such as identifying Fathers 4 Justice as an insider group or were vague about the mechanisms of lobbying.
Paper 1
Multiculturalism (Paper 3 optional ideology)
This was by far the least popular option. In a minority of the answers, it was not clear if the students had undertaken study of the topic.
Paper 3
Ecologism and sustainability concept
At times, some responses in middle and lower levels focused less on sustainability as a concept and tended to give a narrative account of each key thinkers’ ideas.
Paper 3
The Framers' intentions and the US Constitution
There was a disappointing lack of focus on what the Framers’ intentions were, especially with respect to the Electoral College (and how it works) which was often just written off as undemocratic.
Paper 2
AQA A Level Politics (7152) — Full Archive 2019–2026
This page contains all 45 AQA A Level Politics (7152) past papers available for free download — 6 exam sessions from 2019 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 Politics 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 Politics 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 Politics 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.
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 45 free AQA A Level Politics (7152) past papers from 2019–2026. Download question papers and mark schemes as PDF — no registration needed.
We have 45 papers across 6 exam sessions for AQA A Level Politics (7152). This includes question papers and mark schemes, plus 3 specimen papers.
AQA filenames follow the pattern AQA-[CODE]-[TYPE]-[SESSION]. For example, AQA-71521H-QP-JUN19 means: specification 7152, Paper 1, Higher tier, Question Paper, June 2019. QP = Question Paper, W-MS = Mark Scheme, INS = Insert, SQP = Specimen Question Paper.