AQAGCSE65 resourcesFoundation & Higher

AQA GCSE Italian Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA GCSE Italian (8633) past papers and mark schemes. Listening, speaking, reading, writing. Foundation & Higher. 65 resources from 2018 to 2024.

📅June 2018 – June 2024📄65 resources available✅Free to download

Papers Overview Paper Structure Key Info Key Topics Command Words Grade Boundaries Revision Tips Try AI Tutor ✦

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Type

Tier

Year

65 of 65 resources — page 1 of 3

June 2023

8 files

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (Higher) : Paper 1 Listening – June 2023

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (Higher) : Paper 3 Reading – June 2023

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Sound file: tracked: Paper 1 Listening – June 2023

Audio File

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Foundation) : Paper 1 Listening – June 2023

Question PaperFoundation

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GCSE Italian – Transcript (Foundation) : Paper 1 Listening – June 2023

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2023

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 3 Reading – June 2023

Question PaperHigher

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✅

GCSE Italian – Mark scheme (Foundation) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2023

Mark Scheme

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June 2022

9 files

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 3 Reading: Scope of study: reading – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (Higher) : Paper 1 Listening: Scope of study: listening – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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🔊

GCSE Italian – Sound file: tracked: Paper 1 Listening – June 2022

Audio File

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (Higher) : Paper 3 Reading: Scope of study: reading – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2022

Question Paper

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 1 Listening: Scope of study: listening – June 2022

Question PaperHigher

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✅

GCSE Italian – Mark scheme (Foundation) : Paper 4 Writing – June 2022

Mark Scheme

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November 2021

4 files

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – November 2021

Question Paper

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GCSE Italian – Sound file: tracked: Paper 1 Listening – November 2021

Audio File

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Higher) : Paper 1 Listening – November 2021

Question Paper

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GCSE Italian – Mark scheme (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – November 2021

Mark Scheme

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November 2020

4 files

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – November 2020

Question PaperHigher

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GCSE Italian – Question paper (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – November 2020

Question Paper

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📄

GCSE Italian – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (Higher) : Paper 3 Reading – November 2020

Question PaperHigher

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✅

GCSE Italian – Mark scheme (Higher) : Paper 4 Writing – November 2020

Mark Scheme

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About AQA GCSE Italian

AQA GCSE Italian (specification code 8633) is structured identically to the other AQA GCSE modern foreign languages, assessing Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing — each worth 25%. The qualification is offered at Foundation (grades 1–5) and Higher (grades 4–9) tier. Italian is one of the more phonetically regular Romance languages — spelling and pronunciation correspond closely, which benefits students in Listening and Writing tasks. However, Italian grammar is complex: nouns are gendered (masculine or feminine), adjectives must agree in both gender and number, and verbs are conjugated differently for each person in multiple tenses including the passato prossimo (perfect tense) and imperfetto (imperfect tense). Paper 1 (Listening) uses authentic-style recordings covering topics aligned to the AQA themes. Students answer questions in English. Italian audio can be fast and naturally contracted, so practise is important for developing comprehension speed. Paper 2 (Speaking) is teacher-assessed and includes a role play, photo card discussion, and general conversation. Italian speakers use gesture and register extensively in speech — in the exam context, the register should be appropriately formal. Paper 3 (Reading) includes comprehension tasks and a translation from Italian to English. The 'scope of study' papers listed in the past papers provide guidance on vocabulary range expectations for each tier. Paper 4 (Writing) includes extended writing tasks and a translation from English to Italian. Verb agreement, use of pronouns (direct and indirect object pronouns), and auxiliary verb selection in compound tenses (avere vs essere) are commonly tested.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1No calculator

Listening

⏱ 35 min (Foundation) / 45 min (Higher)🎯 50 marks📊 25% of grade

Listening comprehension of authentic ItalianComprehension questions answered in English or Italian

Paper 2No calculator

Speaking

⏱ Approximately 12 minutes🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade

Role playPhoto card discussionGeneral conversation on AQA themes

Paper 3No calculator

Reading

⏱ 45 min (Foundation) / 60 min (Higher)🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade

Reading comprehension of Italian textsTranslation from Italian to English

Paper 4No calculator

Writing

⏱ 75 min (Foundation) / 80 min (Higher)🎯 60 marks📊 25% of grade

Structured and extended writing in ItalianTranslation from English to Italian

Key Information

Exam Board	AQA
Specification Code	8633
Qualification	GCSE
Grading Scale	9–1
Assessment Type	4 components: Listening (25%), Speaking (25%), Reading (25%), Writing (25%)
Tiers	Foundation (grades 1–5) and Higher (grades 4–9)
Number Of Papers	4
Exam Duration	Listening: 35–45 min. Speaking: ~12 min. Reading: 45–60 min. Writing: 75–80 min
Available Sessions	June 2018 – June 2024
Total Resources	65

Key Topics in Italian

Topics you need to know

Listening comprehension of authentic ItalianSpeaking: role play, photo card, general conversationReading comprehension and inferenceTranslation Italian–English and English–ItalianVerb conjugation (passato prossimo, imperfetto, futuro)Gender and number agreement of nouns and adjectivesIdentity and culture, local/global areas, education and employment

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Answer in English	Write your response in English, not Italian
Translate into English	Render the Italian text accurately in natural English
Translate into Italian	Render the English text in accurate Italian with correct agreement and verb tenses
Write approximately [X] words	Aim for the stated word count in your Italian writing task
Choose ONE title	Select one of the two extended writing options provided
Write the letter	Indicate your listening multiple-choice answer by writing only the letter

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
Grade 9	82–92%
Grade 8	71–81%
Grade 7	60–70%
Grade 6	50–59%
Grade 5	40–49%
Grade 4	30–39%

⚠️ Typical Higher tier boundaries across four components. Actual boundaries vary — check AQA's website.

How to Use AQA GCSE Italian Past Papers Effectively

Italian Writing paper marks are particularly sensitive to verb accuracy. The most common errors in Italian GCSE writing include: using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form, confusing the passato prossimo (formed with avere or essere + past participle) with the imperfetto, and incorrect agreement of the past participle with the subject when using essere. Practise writing a 150-word piece in Italian and self-correct every single verb before checking against a model answer. The auxiliary verb distinction (avere vs essere) in the passato prossimo is predictably tricky. Remember that verbs of movement and change of state (andare, venire, partire, arrivare, tornare, diventare) use essere — and the past participle must agree with the subject. Keep a list of essere verbs and practise forming sentences using each one. For Reading, the translation from Italian to English is worth significant marks. Work sentence by sentence and check that your English sounds natural and captures any idiomatic expressions correctly. Italian often uses reflexive verbs where English uses passive constructions (mi chiamo = I am called) — these require conscious restructuring in translation. For Listening, practise with the audio files for Italian past papers. Focus on recognising numbers, times, quantities, and opinion phrases (mi piace, non mi piace, preferisco, trovo che) — these commonly appear in listening comprehension questions.

More AQA GCSE Subjects

Explore other GCSE subjects from AQA

AQA GCSE Italian Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download Past Papers

June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

About AQA GCSE Italian

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in Italian

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

How to Use AQA GCSE Italian Past Papers Effectively

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