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 the JCQ’s handy ‘On Your Exam Day Checklist’. It’s a great way to help students feel fully prepared, so they can focus on doing their best rather than worrying about the little things.

You might also like our blog on creating the ultimate revision timetable, which offers practical tips for managing study time effectively in the run-up to exams.

Key GCSE dates

Most students will be taking a combination of subjects that include English, science and mathematics.  The key exam dates for these subjects are as follows:

GCSE Maths exam dates 2026

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 exam dates 2026

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 exam dates 2026

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 exam dates 2026

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 exam dates 2026

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 exam dates 2026

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

All Exam Board timetables – 2026

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