April 2025 Languages Update
Welcome to the April 2025 Languages update.
This update contains essential links and reminders related to speaking exams, links to free resources and upcoming training.
With the speaking exam windows approaching I have brought together all the documents, information and training you will need for speaking exam success for you and your students.
If you have any questions left unanswered about any of the 2025 speaking exams, please do get in touch using my contact details at the bottom of the page.
Assessment Windows
| Qualification | Speaking window |
|---|---|
| GCSE (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Gujarati, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu) |
9th April - 14th May 2025 |
| A level (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish) |
9th April - 14th May 2025 |
| International A/AS levels (French, German and Spanish) This qualification is only available in international centres. |
9th April - 14th May 2025 |
| International GCSE (Chinese, French, German, Spanish, English as a Second Language 4WES4 01 (New specification)) |
24th March - 2nd June 2025 |
International GCSE The speaking test is optional for these qualifications. |
24th March - 16th May 2025 |
Speaking exam conduct training
International GCSE English as a Second Language
Guidance Documents
We recently attended the Association of Language Learning Language World conference. As we sponsored the event we had the opportunity to present to delegates and we chose to share all of the free resources we have for inspiring students to keep learning languages.
If you weren't able to attend, this has now been recorded for you to watch and share with colleagues.
We have a range of training and support on offer. Speaking exam training has been linked above but you can also find training such as Unpacking the Writing Exam for the 2024 GCSEs in French, German and Spanish.
You can also sign up for Conducting the Speaking for the new GCSEs too, this is scheduled for later in the summer term.
If you've missed our live training you can find a range of recorded sessions on YouTube.
International GCSE and A Level
With the revision season well under way we'd like to share our student guide with top tips on preparing for exams, where to find further support and what happens once exams end. Download the guide and pass it on to your students.
Ofqual have provided information for students about arrangements for regulated qualifications. This explains what your students need to know before, during and after exams and assessments.
The Joint Council for Qualifications has published their key dates document for the June 2025 exam cycle. Two dates have been set aside as contingency in the event of national or significant local disruption to exams in the UK:
11 June – afternoon session
25 June – full day
Rebecca Waker
Languages
