GCSE Spanish revision

Edexcel GCSE Spanish
Revision guide & verbs

Pearson Edexcel's GCSE Spanish (1SP1, 2024 spec) is a four-paper qualification taken at the end of Year 11, with each skill assessed in its own paper worth 25% of the final grade. The specification is built around six thematic contexts and a frequency-based vocabulary list.

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What's on the Edexcel GCSE Spanish exam

All four skills are assessed at the end of the course, in Foundation tier (grades 1-5) or Higher tier (grades 4-9). Every paper is worth 25% of the final grade, so balanced preparation across listening, speaking, reading and writing is essential.

PaperFoundation tierHigher tierWeight
Speaking7-9 minutes, 50 marks (+15 min prep)10-12 minutes, 50 marks (+15 min prep)25%
Listening & understanding45 minutes, 50 marks1 hour, 50 marks25%
Reading & understanding45 minutes, 50 marks1 hour, 50 marks25%
Writing1 hr 15 min, 50 marks1 hr 20 min, 50 marks25%

Themes and topics

Assessment content is drawn from these 6 broad theme(s). Questions sample the same vocabulary and grammar across all of them, so learning high-frequency words once pays off everywhere.

My personal worldLifestyle and wellbeingMy neighbourhoodMedia and technologyStudying and my futureTravel and tourism

The vocabulary list

The list comprises 1,200 words used at both Foundation and Higher tier plus 500 Higher-only words. It is frequency-led: 85% of vocabulary at each tier comes from the top 2,000 most frequent words of modern Spanish (Routledge frequency dictionary). Verbs are listed with their inflected forms, so drilling full conjugations matters more than ever.

Verbs you need for Edexcel GCSE Spanish

These 97 verbs from our 128-verb library appear on the Edexcel Foundation and Higher vocabulary list. Each links to a full conjugation table for all 13 tenses, with example sentences, common mistakes and free typed practice. If you learn the conjugations of these, the writing and speaking papers get dramatically easier.

abriraceptaracompañaralquilaraprenderarreglarasistiraumentarayudarbailarbebercambiarcaminarcantarcelebrarcocinarcomercompartircomprarcomprenderconsistircontestarcorrerdeberdecidirdecirdejardependerdescansardescribirdiscutirdormirentraresconderescribirescucharesperarestarestudiarexistirganargritarguardarhablarhacerinvitarirlavarleerlimpiarllamarllenarllevarllorarmandarmetermirarmontarnecesitarnotarodiarolvidarpararpasarpensarpermitirpintarpoderponerpreguntarprepararpresentarprometerquedarquererrecibirregresarresponderrompersabersalirseguirsentirsersubirtenerterminartirartomartrabajarusarvendervenirverviajarvisitarvivir

How to revise Edexcel GCSE Spanish

Reading tables builds recognition, not recall, and exam questions demand recall. On Practicar Verbos you type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback — the fastest way to make verb endings automatic before the exam.

Frequently asked questions

How is Edexcel GCSE Spanish assessed?
Four papers, each worth 25%: Speaking, Listening and understanding, Reading and understanding, and Writing. The speaking test is conducted by your teacher but marked externally.
What are the six Edexcel GCSE Spanish thematic contexts?
My personal world, Lifestyle and wellbeing, My neighbourhood, Media and technology, Studying and my future, and Travel and tourism.
How many words are in the Edexcel GCSE Spanish vocabulary list?
1,200 words are required at both tiers, with an additional 500 at Higher tier. 85% of each tier comes from the top 2,000 most frequent Spanish words.
Is Edexcel GCSE Spanish tiered?
Yes, each paper is available at Foundation (grades 1-5) or Higher tier (grades 4-9), and you are entered for a single tier across all four papers.

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Free typed conjugation practice across 13 tenses, built for GCSE recall. No card, no premium tier.

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On another board?

AQA GCSE Spanish · Edexcel GCSE Spanish · Eduqas GCSE Spanish · all boards

Last updated 2 August 2026. Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.