Where do I get past papers?

GCSE Science Past Papers by Exam Board

For GCSE Science past papers, begin by checking whether you are sitting Combined Science or separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics, then use the papers from your own board. AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC/Eduqas are the right first stops for original papers and mark schemes. Revision Library comes after that official-paper check, because it gives topic practice across one GCSE Science library with Biology, Chemistry and Physics routes inside it.

This comparison is published by Revision Library, and Revision Library appears on the list below.

How this list was made

The order below gives priority to the awarding bodies because they publish their own papers and mark schemes. The notes then look at what a GCSE Science student still needs after finding the right board paper: separating Combined Science from separate science routes, choosing Biology, Chemistry or Physics practice, and repairing weak topics before the next timed paper. The article was reviewed on 17 September 2026 against the GCSE Science routes and the science practice held on Revision Library.

At a glance

SiteBest forPriceAccount
AQABest for official past papers straight from the exam boardFreeNo account
Pearson EdexcelBest for bulk downloads by exam seriesFreeFree to browse; account for some tools
OCRBest for a past-paper finder by qualification and levelFreeFree to browse; account for some tools
WJEC / EduqasBest for building custom papers from real past questionsFreeNo account
Revision LibraryBest for exam-style question sheets by topicEverything is freeNo account

The full comparison

AQA

Best for official past papers straight from the exam board

AQA is one of the UK's exam boards, and its site is the primary source for its own GCSE and A Level past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports, free to search and download without an account.

For an AQA GCSE Science student, AQA is the first place to check because it is the board's own source for its papers, mark schemes and examiner reports. Use the subject and qualification name carefully before you download, especially if your school has entered you for Combined Science rather than separate sciences.

Pearson Edexcel

Best for bulk downloads by exam series

Pearson Edexcel is one of the UK's exam boards. Its site lets anyone search and download most past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports for free; the most recent exam series is restricted to registered exam centres for a period after each sitting.

Pearson Edexcel is useful when a teacher or student wants to gather a full science series and keep papers and mark schemes together. The main check is whether the paper is for Combined Science, Biology, Chemistry or Physics, then whether any recent access rules affect the material you need.

OCR

Best for a past-paper finder by qualification and level

OCR is one of the UK's exam boards, with a past-paper finder covering its GCSE and A Level qualifications, free to use. Some recent or secure materials are restricted under OCR's own past-paper release policy.

OCR's finder helps when the first job is narrowing by qualification and level rather than browsing a long subject page. A GCSE Science student still needs to check the exact science route before treating a paper as a fair timed rehearsal.

WJEC / Eduqas

Best for building custom papers from real past questions

WJEC is a UK exam board; Eduqas is its England-facing brand. Past papers and mark schemes are made available to the public as well as to registered centres, free to download, alongside a distinctive free Question Bank tool for building custom practice papers from past questions with mark schemes and examiner's comments.

WJEC/Eduqas is useful when a student wants official papers as well as narrower practice from real past questions through its Question Bank. Check the science qualification and subject route first, then use the mark scheme alongside any custom practice.

Revision Library

Best for exam-style question sheets by topic

A student should still collect official GCSE Science papers from their own board first. Revision Library's role is the next step: the GCSE Science library groups practice in one place, with routes into Biology, Chemistry and Physics so a student can work on the strand that matches the paper in front of them.

That route check matters because GCSE Science is not one paper for every student. Someone sitting Combined Science needs the papers set for that qualification, while someone sitting Biology, Chemistry and Physics as separate GCSEs needs to keep those subjects apart when practising. The site reflects that by keeping one GCSE Science library, then letting students move into the strand they need.

The current GCSE Science practice set contains 167 packs: 54 Biology, 70 Chemistry and 43 Physics. It also has 82 science topic guides, 12 fixed GCSE Science mock papers and a 2027 GCSE Science revision checklist, which makes it useful after a board paper has shown where the marks are being lost.

For focused follow-up, students can use the Science past-paper practice, Science mock papers, Science topics or Science Pack Builder. Those tools do not replace the official board archive, but they make the next revision session smaller and more targeted.

Browse GCSE Science practice

In the numbers

167

GCSE Science packs across Biology, Chemistry and Physics strands

packs
167
question pages
1,300

How to choose

First, ask your teacher or check your school paperwork for the exact qualification route. A Combined Science paper and a separate Biology, Chemistry or Physics paper are not interchangeable, even when a topic appears in both routes.

Second, use the board paper for exam timing and mark scheme wording. AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC/Eduqas papers are the source to use when you want to rehearse the paper exactly as that board set it.

Third, turn the marked paper into topic practice. If the lost marks came from a chemistry calculation, a biology required-practical question or a physics graph, go to the relevant Science strand rather than sitting another whole paper immediately.

Revision Library is strongest in that repair stage. Diagnostic checks, flashcards and varied revision formats can turn one marked paper into a smaller set of tasks before the next official paper attempt.

For broader planning, read GCSE Science revision websites, printable GCSE Science worksheets and how to use past papers effectively. This page is narrower: it is about matching board papers to the science route you actually sit.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use Combined Science or separate science past papers?+
Use the papers for the qualification route you are actually sitting. If you are entered for Combined Science, use Combined Science papers. If you are entered for separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSEs, keep those subject papers separate when you practise.
Can I use Biology, Chemistry and Physics topic practice after a Combined Science paper?+
Yes, if the topic matches what your teacher has told you to revise. Revision Library keeps GCSE Science in one science library with Biology, Chemistry and Physics routes inside it, so use the strand that matches the weak area from your marked paper.
Why put the exam boards above Revision Library here?+
Because the board that set the paper is the authoritative source for the original paper and mark scheme. Revision Library is useful after that, when you want topic practice, mocks or flashcards to fix the gaps the board paper exposed.
What should I do after marking a GCSE Science past paper?+
List the questions that lost marks, sort them into Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics, then practise the weakest topic before sitting another whole paper. The Science Pack Builder can help create a printable set from several weak areas.

Revision Library resources in this article

Every link below appears in the article above. All of it is free to download, with a full mark scheme.

Browse GCSE Science practice.

Every worksheet is free to download, with a full mark scheme and no card or account.