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About Edexcel GCSE French
Edexcel GCSE French is code 1FR1, with a qualification number of 610/2718/2 and a discount code of FKF, written for first teaching from September 2024 and first certification from 2026. This page works from Issue 2, dated May 2025. It is a new specification, so a student sitting it is among the first cohorts.
The qualification has four papers, and that alone separates it from most of the GCSE set. Three are externally examined, assessing listening, reading and writing separately, and one is a speaking assessment set by Pearson and conducted by a teacher. Every paper is worth 25% of the qualification and carries 50 marks. All assessments are marked by Pearson, including the speaking, which is conducted in school but marked externally.
Each paper is available at Foundation or Higher tier, and a student must be entered for a single tier across all papers. The tier changes the length of each paper rather than the marks. Speaking is 7 to 9 minutes at Foundation and 10 to 12 minutes at Higher, each with 15 minutes of preparation time. Listening is 45 minutes at Foundation and 60 at Higher, each including 5 minutes of reading time. Reading is 45 minutes at Foundation and 60 at Higher. Writing is 1 hour 15 minutes at Foundation and 1 hour 20 minutes at Higher.
The speaking test has three consecutive tasks and the task cards are allocated by Pearson. Task 1 is reading aloud for 12 marks followed by a short unprepared interaction. Task 2 is a transactional role play for 10 marks, in a setting taken from a defined list. Task 3 is a picture task for 12 marks with a conversation for 16 marks, where the student selects their thematic context in advance from a choice of two of the six contexts.
The objective table is the most unusual part of this specification, because most of it is zero. Overall AO1, understanding and responding to spoken language, is 35%; AO2, understanding and responding to written language, is 45%; and AO3, knowledge and accurate application of grammar and vocabulary, is 20%. But at component level, Listening is 20% AO1 and 5% AO3 with no AO2; Reading is 25% AO2 and nothing else at all; Writing is 18% AO2 and 7% AO3 with no AO1. Speaking is the only paper that carries all three.
So the reading paper is assessed on a single objective. It is a quarter of the qualification and every mark in it is understanding and responding to written language, which makes it the most narrowly targeted paper in the subject. Alongside that, dictation is a marked task of 10 marks inside the listening paper, rewarded on accuracy of spelling and knowledge of the sound-symbol correspondences, and translation appears twice, into English on the reading paper and into French on the writing paper.
Who Edexcel GCSE French Is For
This course suits Year 11 students sitting Edexcel GCSE French 1FR1 who need four separate skills prepared for four separate papers, and who understand that the reading paper has no other objective to fall back on.
- Year 11 students sitting Edexcel GCSE French 1FR1
- Students who prepare for one language paper and expect the skills to transfer
- Students who have never practised dictation as a marked task
- Students who translate into English confidently but not into French
- Students being entered for a tier without knowing how the paper lengths change
Edexcel GCSE French: The Board We Cover
Edexcel is the board this page covers. Every fact here comes from Pearson's own 1FR1 specification, Issue 2.
Edexcel
Edexcel's GCSE French is code 1FR1, four papers of 50 marks and 25% each, including a speaking test conducted in school and marked by Pearson. Reading is assessed on one objective only.
How Centaurus Helps Edexcel GCSE French Students Excel
Four Skills, Four Papers
Listening, reading, writing and speaking are assessed separately at 25% each, so each skill is prepared for its own paper rather than lumped together.
The Reading Paper's One Objective
Reading is 25% of the qualification and every mark in it is AO2, so it is trained as pure comprehension with nothing else to fall back on.
Dictation Practised
Section B of the listening paper is 10 marks of transcribing spoken French, rewarded on the sound-symbol correspondences, so it is drilled rather than hoped for.
Translation Both Ways
Ten marks translating into English on the reading paper and ten translating into French on the writing paper, so both directions are rehearsed.
The Speaking Test by Structure
Three consecutive tasks with task cards allocated by Pearson, so the read aloud, the role play and the picture conversation are practised in that order and to time.
24/7 Progress Reporting
Families get access to the Centaurus Academy LMS, with attendance, progress and lesson notes available to parents, students and teachers at any time.
Why Centaurus Stands Out
Choosing the right Edexcel GCSE French support makes a real difference. Here is how Centaurus Academy compares with typical online providers.
Meet our Team Of Experts
Our expert tutors bring deep subject knowledge and a passion for teaching — helping every student reach their full potential.
What Parents Say About Us
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Edexcel GCSE French: Frequently Asked Questions
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