AQA GCSE Spanish Photo Card Practice

The AQA GCSE Spanish Photo card discussion is worth 25 marks. You prepare one compulsory opening question about two photos, say at least something about each, then take part in an unprepared conversation.

Spanish AQA

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Exam at a glance

Board and paper: AQA · 8692 · Paper 2 Speaking
Task and tiers: Photo Card · Foundation and Higher
Marks: 25 marks including the unprepared conversation
Approximate task duration / format: Foundation 4–5 minutes; Higher 6–7 minutes in total
Preparation: 15 minutes supervised preparation for the whole speaking test, not per task
Whole speaking test: Foundation 7–9 minutes; Higher 10–12 minutes · 50 marks · 25% of the GCSE

Task order: Role-play → Reading aloud and short unprepared conversation → Photo card discussion.

What happens in this part of the exam?

This is Task 3. Look at both photos during supervised preparation and prepare your response to the first compulsory question.
Say at least something about each photo. The photo description is approximately 1 minute at Foundation and 1.5 minutes at Higher.
Continue into an unprepared conversation: 3–4 minutes at Foundation or 4.5–5.5 minutes at Higher. The total recommended task durations are 4–5 and 6–7 minutes respectively.
The same photos are used at both tiers, but the time and language demands differ. AQA requires coverage of both; this is not Pearson’s one-picture choice.

What examiners are looking for

The prepared description rewards communicating relevant information about the photos.
The conversation also tests understanding and your ability to communicate using suitable language.
Develop relevant answers with details, opinions and reasons where appropriate. Do not replace visible description with an invented story.

Try one now

Original ScoreMySpeech practice task. This is a static website exercise: speak aloud on your own or with a partner; this page does not record you. It is not official exam-board material.

Original ScoreMySpeech practice task

Shopping in two different places

Use the two scene descriptions as an imagined photo pair. The placeholders are not photographs or official exam stimuli.

Photo A · Outdoor market

Designed practice placeholder — not a photograph. Imagined scene: A woman buys tomatoes at an outdoor market stall. A seller stands behind boxes of vegetables. Two people wait nearby.

Photo B · Supermarket

Designed practice placeholder — not a photograph. Imagined scene: A man and a teenager stand beside a trolley in a supermarket aisle. The teenager holds a packet. Shelves of food are visible.

Opening practice question

Describe las dos fotos.

Original follow-up practice questions

¿Dónde prefieres comprar comida?
¿Qué compraste la última vez que fuiste de compras?
¿Por qué es importante comer bien?
¿Qué comida te gustaría preparar para tus amigos?

One language detail: Hay means ‘there is’ or ‘there are’ and does not change for plural nouns. Una mujer compra has a singular verb.

Foundation / Higher support

These are concise ScoreMySpeech example responses, not official model answers or guaranteed marks. Follow the demands of your actual stimulus.

Foundation approach

Make the message clear

En la primera foto, una mujer compra tomates. En la segunda foto, hay un hombre y un adolescente en un supermercado.

Use en la primera and en la segunda to make coverage of both scenes obvious.

Higher upgrade

Add what the task needs

En la primera foto, una mujer compra tomates en un mercado al aire libre, mientras que en la segunda hay un hombre y un adolescente junto a un carrito en un supermercado.

Compare the locations using mientras que. Do not invent what the people have bought beyond the described visible details.

Common mistakes

Ignoring the second photo.
Spending all the available time on isolated nouns.
Inventing people’s identities or feelings as if they were visible facts.
Reciting a general topic answer rather than answering the follow-up.

A quick practice strategy

One focused rehearsal

Find a person, an action and a location in each scene.
Speak about Photo A, then explicitly move to Photo B.
Ask a partner to give you a follow-up you have not planned.
Listen back for coverage of both scenes, then improve one verb or detail.

This is a revision routine, not official exam preparation timing.

Official specification

Exam information checked against the current AQA GCSE Spanish 8692 specification (first teaching September 2024; first examinations 2026 and beyond). Last reviewed: October 2026. Exam boards may update guidance; follow your school’s instructions too.

Official AQA GCSE Spanish 8692 specification

Practise it aloud with ScoreMySpeech.

Reading an example is a start. The speaking exam is about what you can actually say. Record your response in the app, receive practice feedback, then repeat and improve for your selected exam board. Feedback is not an official mark or grade prediction.