GCSE Exam dates: 2026
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) have confirmed that the 2026 GCSE exam timetable will start on Thursday, 7 May and finish on Wednesday, 17 June.
Foreign language speaking tests and practical science experiments may be set before these dates as they are decided by each school.
To get organised and exam ready, why not take a look at our blog on how to create the ultimate revision timetable.
Most students will be taking a combination of subjects that include English and mathematics. The key exam dates for these subjects are as follows:
GCSE mathematics
GCSE Maths Paper 1
Thursday 7 May 2026 (morning)
- WJEC (Wales) mathematics numeracy unit 1 – all tiers
Thursday 14 May 2026 (morning)
- AQA maths paper 1 (non-calculator) – higher and foundation
- Edexcel maths paper 1 (non-calculator) – higher and foundation
- Eduqas maths paper 1 (non-calculator) – higher and foundation
- OCR maths paper 1 (calculator) – foundation
- OCR maths paper 4 (calculator) – higher
- WJEC (Wales) mathematics unit 1 – all tiers
GCSE Maths Paper 2
Wednesday 3 June 2026 (morning)
- AQA maths paper 2 (calculator) – higher and foundation
- Edexcel maths paper 2 (calculator) – higher and foundation
- Eduqas maths paper 2 (calculator) – higher and foundation
- OCR maths paper 2 (non-calculator) – foundation
- OCR maths paper 5 (calculator) – higher
- WJEC (Wales) mathematics numeracy unit 2 – all tiers
GCSE Maths Paper 3
Wednesday 10 June 2026 (morning)
- AQA maths paper 3 (calculator) – higher and foundation
- Edexcel maths paper 3 (calculator) – higher and foundation
- OCR maths paper 3 (calculator) – foundation
- OCR maths paper 6 (calculator) – higher
- WJEC (Wales) maths unit 2 (calculator) – all tiers
GCSE English Language
GCSE English Language Paper 1
Thursday, 21 May 2026 (morning)
- AQA English language paper 1 – Creative writing & reading
- Edexcel English language paper 1 – Fiction & imaginative writing
- Eduqas English language component 1
- OCR English language paper 1 – Communicating information & ideas
- WJEC (Wales) English language unit 2
GCSE English Language Paper 2
Friday, 5 June 2026 (morning)
- AQA English language paper 2 – Modern text & poetry
- Edexcel English language paper 2 – Non fiction & transactional writing
- Eduqas English language component 2
- OCR English language paper 2 – Exploring effects & impact
- WJEC (Wales) English language unit 3
GCSE English Literature
GCSE English Literature Paper 1
Monday, 11 May 2026 (morning)
- AQA English literature paper 1 – Shakespeare & 19th century novel
- Edexcel English literature paper 1 – Shakespeare & post 1914 Literature
- Eduqas English literature component 1
- OCR English literature paper 1 – Exploring modern & literary heritage texts
- WJEC (Wales) English literature unit 1
GCSE English Literature Paper 2
Tuesday, 19 May 2026 (morning)
- AQA English literature paper 2 – Modern text & poetry
- Edexcel English literature paper 2 – 19th Century novel & poetry since 1789
- Eduqas English literature component 2
- OCR English literature paper 2 – Exploring poetry & Shakespeare
- WJEC (Wales) English literature unit 2
GCSE Science Biology
GCSE Biology Paper 1
Tuesday, 12 May (afternoon)
- AQA GCSE Biology – Paper 1: Higher and Foundation
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 1: Higher and Foundation
- Edexcel GCSE Biology – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Biology (Wales) Unit 2: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) Unit 4: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Biology Paper 1: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Biology – Paper 3: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 1: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 7: Higher
GCSE Biology Paper 2
Monday, 8 June (morning)
- AQA GCSE Biology – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Biology – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 4: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Biology (Wales) Unit 1: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) Unit 1: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Biology – Paper 2: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Biology – Paper 4: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 2: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology – Paper 8: Higher
GCSE Science Chemistry
GCSE Chemistry Paper 1
Monday, 18 May (morning)
- AQA GCSE Chemistry – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Chemistry – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Chemistry (Wales) – Unit 2: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) – Unit 5: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Chemistry – Paper 1: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Chemistry – Paper 3: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 3: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 9: Higher
GCSE Chemistry Paper 2
Friday, 12 June (morning)
- AQA GCSE Chemistry – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Chemistry – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 5: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Chemistry (Wales) – Unit 1: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) – Unit 2: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Chemistry – Paper 2: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Chemistry – Paper 4: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 4: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Chemistry – Paper 10: Higher
GCSE Science Physics
GCSE Physics Paper 1
Friday, 22 May (morning)
- WJEC Physics – Unit 2: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) – Unit 6: Foundation and Higher
Tuesday, 2 June (morning)
- AQA GCSE Physics – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Physics – Paper 1: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 3: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Physics – Paper 1: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Physics – Paper 3: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 5: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 11: Higher
GCSE Physics Paper 2
Monday, 15 June (morning)
- AQA GCSE Physics – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 2: Foundation and Higher
- Edexcel GCSE Physics – Paper 2: Foundation
- Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 2: Higher
- WJEC Physics (Wales) – Unit 1: Foundation and Higher
- WJEC Science Double Award (Wales) – Unit 3: Foundation and Higher
- OCR GCSE Physics – Paper 2: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Physics – Paper 4: Higher
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 6: Foundation
- OCR GCSE Combined Science Physics – Paper 12: Higher
Exam board timetables
You can find information on all exam timetables for each GCSE exam board below:
AQA
Check out the AQA GCSE exam timetable 2026 to find out the dates of all of your AQA exams.
EDEXCEL
Check out the Edexcel GCSE exam timetable 2026 to find out the dates of all your Edexcel exams.
Eduqas
Check out the Equqas GCSE exam timetable 2026 to find out dates of all your Eduqas exams.
OCR
Check out the OCR GCSE exam timetable 2026 to find out the dates of all OCR exam