AQA
AQA reading combines comprehension questions in English with translation into English. Practise precise details, plausible meanings from context and complete translations, not just recognisable keywords.
Official AQA Spanish specification (PDF)GCSE · Spanish · reading
For Years 9–11 · Learn, try, checkGCSE Spanish Reading: Meaning Beyond Keywords
Scan for evidence, separate intentions from outcomes and try an original passage with explained answers.
Scan first. Translate only when it helps.
Read the questions before the passage. Circle the kind of information each needs: a person, a place, a reason, a date or an attitude. Skim for the topic, then scan for the evidence for one question at a time.
- Identify who is speaking and who each pronoun refers to.
- Locate the relevant sentence, then read just before and after it.
- Notice whether the question is about the past, the present or a plan.
- Answer with the requested detail, not everything you can translate.
A familiar keyword is a signpost, not automatically the answer. The sentence may reject that option or describe another person.
Small words change the whole answer
No rejects an idea; nunca means never; ya no means no longer. Antes often introduces past background, ayer a completed event and mañana a future context.
Quería ir a la piscina, pero al final me quedé en casa.
The pool was the intention; staying home was the outcome. Inference must fit the text: you can infer the plan changed, but not why unless a reason is given.
Cognates such as importante can help, but actualmente means currently, not actually. Una librería is a bookshop; una biblioteca is a library.
Read a short original passage
Original practice · not an exam paper
A club worth trying
Los martes, Clara va al club de teatro después de clase. Antes no le gustaba hablar delante de otras personas, pero una amiga la invitó a participar. La semana pasada, Clara no actuó: preparó la música para una obra. Fue difícil, aunque aprendió mucho. El próximo mes quiere actuar en una obra corta. No busca ser famosa; solo quiere sentirse más segura.
- When does Clara go to the drama club?
- Why did she begin attending?
- What did she actually do last week?
- What is her main aim?
- Translate: Antes no le gustaba hablar delante de otras personas.
Try the questions before opening the answers. Underline evidence in the passage rather than guessing from your own experience.
Reveal answers and explanations
- On Tuesdays after class: both details occur in the first sentence.
- A friend invited her. The previous dislike is background, not the reason she joined.
- She prepared the music for a play; no actuó rules out acting.
- To feel more confident, not to be famous. No…solo contrasts the rejected and real aims.
- Before, she did not like speaking in front of other people. Gustaba describes a past attitude.
Work around an unfamiliar word
First decide its job. Is it a thing, an action or a description? Use articles, endings and the surrounding sentence. A contrast may tell you whether a description is positive or negative even if you cannot translate it exactly.
Original practice · not an exam paper
Use context, not a dictionary
El trayecto fue agotador: el autobús estaba lleno y hacía mucho calor.
Does the unknown description of the journey suggest comfort or difficulty? Which two details support your choice?
Reveal answers and explanations
Difficulty: the bus was full and it was very hot. French pénible means difficult / unpleasant; Spanish agotador means exhausting. The context supports a negative meaning, not an exact guessed translation of every word.
Translate the meaning, including the small words
For translation into English, identify the subject and verb before writing. Keep the tense, negative, comparison and time marker. Then make the English natural without adding information.
Ya no vamos al cine porque las entradas son demasiado caras.
Check the translation
We no longer go to the cinema because the tickets are too expensive. “No longer” and “too” are essential; omitting them changes the meaning.
Common traps: translating word by word, losing a negative, turning a past habit into a one-off event and leaving out a clause.
Check the assessment for your board
Confirm your board and tier with your teacher. These are original learning resources, not official papers or a grade prediction.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE
Pearson Edexcel GCSE reading has comprehension questions and responses in English, followed by translation into English. Question types include multiple-choice, multiple-response and short answers. Read how many options or details are needed.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish speaking guide
Official Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish specification (PDF)GCSE guidance uses the specifications first taught in September 2024, first examined in 2026. Older GCSE task formats are not interchangeable with these.
Carry the skill into your next answer
Move between understanding language and using it. Pick a related resource rather than starting another long checklist.
Ready to say it aloud?
The website supports broad revision. The ScoreMySpeech app stays specialist: French and Spanish speaking practice with feedback, not full reading, listening or writing assessment.