Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Urdu Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Urdu (4UR1) assesses reading and writing competence in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan and one of India's scheduled languages. All responses must be written in the Nastaliq script — the calligraphic form of the Perso-Arabic script that is standard for Urdu. The grade is determined by one written paper, externally set and assessed by Pearson, encompassing three components: comprehension of Urdu source texts, production of formatted writing for specific purposes, and open-ended extended composition. Candidates encounter passages drawn from Urdu short fiction, newspaper columns, formal correspondence, and practical documents. Questions test retrieval, inference, and evaluation — candidates must locate specific information, interpret figurative language, and comment on a writer's techniques. The directed writing section specifies a format and readership — candidates may be asked to draft formal applications, compose newspaper opinion columns, record diary reflections, or write personal correspondence. The extended composition allows candidates to demonstrate the capacity to develop and maintain a well-organised piece of writing — whether narrative or discursive — across multiple paragraphs, demonstrating grammatical control and idiomatic range. Graded 9–1, the qualification is taken by Urdu-heritage candidates worldwide — in Pakistan, the UK, the Gulf states, and beyond. It provides formal certification of Urdu literacy for university admissions and professional use, and with 24 available resources, candidates can build familiarity with the question formats and marking criteria.