OCR GCSE Past Papers 2026
Browse all 94 OCR GCSE subjects below. Download specimen papers, sample assessment materials, and mark schemes from 2010-2024 — always free.
Popular subjects
Yearly past papers, every subject.
Gateway Science Suite Biology A (9-1)
J247, 2016
Gateway Science Suite Chemistry A (9-1)
J248, 2016
Gateway Science Suite Combined Science A (9-1)
J250, 2016
Gateway Science Suite Physics A (9-1)
J249, 2016
Geography
J085
Geography A
J382
Geography A Geographical Themes (9-1)
J383, 2016
Geography B Geography for Enquiring Minds (9-1)
J384, 2016
German
J731, J031, J131
Gujrati
J734, J034, J134
Other OCR levels
About OCR GCSE
OCR GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) qualifications are taken by 14-16 year olds across England. OCR offers a wide range of GCSE subjects, from core subjects like Mathematics (J560) and English to sciences, humanities, and creative arts. All OCR GCSEs use the 9-1 grading scale, with specification codes beginning with J.
OCR is particularly known for its science GCSEs, offering two distinct routes: OCR A (Twenty First Century Science) emphasises how science works in everyday life and develops scientific literacy, while OCR B (Gateway Science) follows a more traditional, content-led approach. Both are equally valid GCSEs — schools choose based on their preferred teaching methodology.
Some OCR GCSE subjects offer tiered papers: Foundation tier (targeting grades 5 to 1) and Higher tier (targeting grades 9 to 4). Students are entered for one tier only. OCR GCSE exams are held in May and June, with results released in August.
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy has past papers for 94 OCR GCSE subjects, with 2,832+ papers from 2010-2024. This includes specimen papers, sample assessment materials, and mark schemes — all free to download.
We provide specimen papers, sample assessment materials (SAMs), mark schemes, practice papers, inserts, and taster booklets. These are the official OCR materials that show the exact exam format, question styles, and mark allocation.
OCR A (Twenty First Century Science) focuses on how science works in real-world contexts and develops scientific literacy. OCR B (Gateway Science) takes a more traditional, topic-based approach. Both lead to the same GCSE qualification and are equally valid — schools choose based on their preferred teaching methodology.
OCR GCSE specification codes all begin with J. For example, J560 is GCSE Mathematics, J257 is GCSE Biology B (Twenty First Century Science). The J prefix identifies it as a GCSE-level qualification. Some subjects have multiple J codes for different variants or tiers.
Start with the specimen papers or most recent SAMs, as these show the current exam format. Attempt each paper under timed conditions without notes. Use the mark scheme afterwards to self-assess — note exactly where marks were lost and why. Focus revision on weak topics, then repeat with another paper. For OCR, pay close attention to command words like ‘evaluate’, ‘analyse’, and ‘explain’ as they indicate the depth of response expected.