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.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2025
- Amount of literacy work
- High
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification 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 Translanguaging
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Translating and translanguaging from English into Cymraeg
The Unit 3 examination includes translation and translanguaging tasks, such as translating short simple texts from English to Cymraeg and using information read in one language to write in the other. AO1 requires learners to use translation skills to enhance communication.
Literacy: Translanguaging
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils read a short English poster about a school event and make a Cymraeg version with a word bank, adapting it rather than translating word for word.
- Year 8
- Pupils read an English leaflet about a Welsh castle and write a Cymraeg text message to a friend giving the three key facts.
- Year 9
- Pupils translate five short English sentences into Cymraeg without a dictionary, then summarise an English article about a local festival in Cymraeg for a Welsh-speaking reader.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Summary of assessment, Unit 3, page 6; Unit 3, Section 3.1.1 Writing, page 18
“appreciate the rules of grammar, the importance of correct language as well as developing the ability to correct, translate and translanguage.”
Progression step 3
I can receive information in one language and adapt it for various purposes in another language.
Progression step 4
I can apply my translanguaging skills to support my learning in familiar and new languages.
Progression step 5
I can independently identify translanguaging opportunities to enhance my learning and communication in my languages.
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 qualifications
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.