GCSE Core Cymraeg
GCSE Core Cymraeg is almost entirely a literacy qualification in a second language. Half the marks come from spontaneous paired or group discussion after listening to a video or reading a source sheet, and the other half from reading, writing, translation and translanguaging exams taken with no dictionary. Numeracy is limited to reading and talking about graphs, charts and statistics in Cymraeg, so the single biggest thing Key Stage 3 should build is pupils' confidence to speak spontaneously in Cymraeg, giving and justifying opinions in several tenses without notes.
- First taught
- September 2025
- Amount of literacy work
- High
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the WJEC specification (PDF)
How this GCSE is assessed
- Unit 1: Responding to a Visual Stimulus: Non-examination assessment, pair (6 to 8 minutes) or group of three (8 to 10 minutes) after 10 minutes preparation, 25%, 50 marks (Listening 15%, Speaking 10%), marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
- Unit 2: Responding to Various Sources: Non-examination assessment, pair (6 to 8 minutes) or group of three (8 to 10 minutes) after 10 minutes preparation, 25%, 50 marks (Speaking 20%, Listening 5%), marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
- Unit 3: Preparing for the Future: Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 25%, 100 marks
- Unit 4: Literature and Creative: Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 25%, 100 marks
Skills that use Questioning
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Spontaneous discussion, asking and answering questions and justifying opinions
Units 1 and 2 assess unscripted paired or group discussion in which learners convey information, ask and answer questions, and express and justify opinions using a variety of sentence patterns, verb tenses and an appropriate register. Speaking is worth 30% of the qualification across the two units.
Literacy: Questioning, Collaborative talk, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- In pairs, pupils ask and answer three questions about their family and hobbies in Cymraeg, adding a reason with 'achos' or 'oherwydd' to each answer.
- Year 8
- In threes, pupils hold a three-minute discussion on school uniform, each asking one follow-up question and giving an opinion with a reason in two different tenses.
- Year 9
- Pupils hold a recorded six-minute group discussion on a picture about life in the Cynon Valley, then listen back and count the questions, opinions and verb tenses each person used.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.1.2 Speaking, page 12; Unit 2, Section 2.1.1 Speaking, page 14
“Learners should be able to communicate and interact spontaneously, clearly and effectively for different purposes, including conveying information and asking and answering questions.”
Progression step 3
I can ask and answer questions, building on and developing the ideas of others in group discussions.
I can contribute to group discussion in different roles, taking responsibility for completing the task well.
I can make appropriate choices about vocabulary, idiomatic language and syntax in order to express myself with fluency and clarity.
Progression step 4
I can sustain a convincing point of view, anticipating and responding to other perspectives.
I can undertake a range of responsibilities to structure and develop group talk, including in more formal situations.
I can make informed choices about vocabulary, idiomatic language and syntax in order to express myself with fluency, accuracy and clarity.
Progression step 5
I can respond confidently to how listeners react, adapting my language in a wide range of contexts and for different purposes.
I can respond to others' points of view using a range of techniques, e.g. rhetorical questions, gestures.
I can speak fluently and confidently, using a range of techniques, expressions and gestures.
Good to know
- Units 1 and 2: 'The use of dictionaries or any other resource is not permitted during the preparation.' (page 5). Preparation lasts 10 minutes.
- Units 3 and 4: 'Learners are not permitted to use dictionaries or any other resources in any part of the assessment.' (page 6).
- Unit 1: learners complete a sheet while watching the clip and may use notes made in preparation, but the sheet 'will not be assessed because there are only marks for listening and speaking in this unit.' (page 24).
- Unit 2: 'Candidates can make notes and discuss with a partner/group of three during the 10 minutes preparation time.' (page 24).
- Accuracy: AO2, 'Expression and communication', is 50% of the qualification and includes 'accurate grammar and, in written communication, accurate punctuation and spelling' (page 23). There is no separate SPaG mark.
- Speaking and listening NEA is 50% of the qualification, and 'All non-examination assessments must take place during the final year of the course.' (pages 5 and 6).
- Unit 4: 'One set text will be assessed each series.' The text is announced in the first week of March of the exam year (pages 6 and 19).
- The specification makes no reference to calculators.
Links with other GCSEs
Appendix B maps the statistics numeracy strand to Units 1, 2 and 3, so other departments can support Core Cymraeg by labelling simple charts and data displays with Cymraeg numbers and phrases.
Source: WJEC GCSE Core Cymraeg specification, Version 3, September 2026, teaching from 2025, for award from 2027.