GCSE Science in 2026 means a lot of papers spread across a five-week window. Whether you are sitting Combined Science or separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics (sometimes called triple science), knowing exactly when each paper falls is the starting point for any sensible revision plan. Below is every confirmed date across AQA, Edexcel and OCR, along with the paper durations for each board and some honest guidance on how to use the gaps well.
Combined Science or separate sciences: what is the difference?
Before the dates, it is worth being clear on which route you are on, because the paper durations differ even though the dates are the same for both.
Separate sciences (also called triple science) means sitting Biology, Chemistry and Physics as three individual GCSEs, each with two papers of 1 hour 45 minutes. Combined Science covers all three subjects across six shorter papers and awards two GCSEs rather than three. The paper length for combined students varies by board, which is covered in each section below. The exam dates are identical for both routes across all boards.
The dates below come from official exam board timetables and are correct at the time of publishing. Session start times can vary between centres, so always check your personalised school timetable for the exact time you need to arrive. Do not rely on a friend's timetable if they attend a different school.
AQA GCSE Science dates 2026
AQA is the most widely used Science board in England. The dates below apply to both Combined Science Trilogy (8464) and separate sciences (Biology 8461, Chemistry 8462, Physics 8463).
Separate science papers: 1 hour 45 minutes each. Combined Science Trilogy papers: 1 hour 15 minutes each.
Biology
- Biology Paper 1: Tuesday 12 May 2026, afternoon
- Biology Paper 2: Monday 8 June 2026, morning
Chemistry
- Chemistry Paper 1: Monday 18 May 2026, morning
- Chemistry Paper 2: Friday 12 June 2026, morning
Physics
- Physics Paper 1: Tuesday 2 June 2026, morning
- Physics Paper 2: Monday 15 June 2026, morning
Unlike almost every other GCSE paper, Biology Paper 1 across all boards is an afternoon sitting on 12 May. Check your school's expected arrival time for afternoon sessions and plan your morning accordingly.
Edexcel (Pearson) GCSE Science dates 2026
Edexcel follows identical dates to AQA for all six Science papers.
Separate science papers (Biology 1BI0, Chemistry 1CH0, Physics 1PH0): 1 hour 45 minutes each. Combined Science papers (1SC0): 1 hour 10 minutes each, slightly shorter than AQA's combined papers.
Biology
- Biology Paper 1: Tuesday 12 May 2026, afternoon
- Biology Paper 2: Monday 8 June 2026, morning
Chemistry
- Chemistry Paper 1: Monday 18 May 2026, morning
- Chemistry Paper 2: Friday 12 June 2026, morning
Physics
- Physics Paper 1: Tuesday 2 June 2026, morning
- Physics Paper 2: Monday 15 June 2026, morning
OCR GCSE Science dates 2026
OCR offers two Science specifications: Gateway Science (A) and Twenty First Century Science (B). Both follow the same paper dates. OCR uses different paper numbers for Foundation and Higher tiers, so check your specification code carefully.
Both separate science and Combined Science papers: 1 hour 45 minutes each. Unlike AQA and Edexcel, OCR does not shorten papers for combined students.
Biology
- Biology Paper 1 (Foundation) / Paper 3 (Higher): Tuesday 12 May 2026, afternoon
- Biology Paper 2 (Foundation) / Paper 4 (Higher): Monday 8 June 2026, morning
Chemistry
- Chemistry Paper 1 (Foundation) / Paper 3 (Higher): Monday 18 May 2026, morning
- Chemistry Paper 2 (Foundation) / Paper 4 (Higher): Friday 12 June 2026, morning
Physics
- Physics Paper 1 (Foundation) / Paper 3 (Higher): Tuesday 2 June 2026, morning
- Physics Paper 2 (Foundation) / Paper 4 (Higher): Monday 15 June 2026, morning
The full Science paper schedule at a glance
All three main boards follow the same sequence. Laid out in order, this is what the full Science window looks like for 2026:
- 12 May (afternoon): Biology Paper 1
- 18 May (morning): Chemistry Paper 1
- 2 June (morning): Physics Paper 1
- 8 June (morning): Biology Paper 2
- 12 June (morning): Chemistry Paper 2
- 15 June (morning): Physics Paper 2
The window runs from 12 May to 15 June. Students sitting Maths alongside Science will also have papers on 14 May, 3 June and 10 June, so several weeks carry multiple exam commitments. Knowing the full picture in advance makes it much easier to plan where revision time goes across subjects.
What the Paper 1 and Paper 2 split means for revision
Each Science subject divides its content into two distinct halves. Paper 1 covers the first part of the specification and Paper 2 covers the second. These topics do not overlap or repeat across the two papers within the same subject.
This is an important point in Science specifically. Once a paper is done, those topics are done. There is very little value in going back over Paper 1 content after you have sat it. The revision focus should shift entirely to upcoming papers as soon as each one is complete. The gaps in the schedule are best used for the next paper coming up, not for revisiting what has already been examined.
It is easy to think of Combined Science as three subjects with one paper each. It is not. You have six papers across the same dates as separate science students. Each paper contributes equally toward your two GCSEs, so treating any of the six as less important will cost you marks.
The topics that carry the most marks
Across AQA, Edexcel and OCR, certain areas appear consistently and carry significant mark allocations. In Biology: cell biology, organisation and bioenergetics sit in Paper 1, with homeostasis, inheritance and ecology in Paper 2. In Chemistry: atomic structure, bonding and chemical changes in Paper 1, with rates of reaction, organic chemistry and chemical analysis in Paper 2. In Physics: energy and electricity in Paper 1, with forces, waves and electromagnetism in Paper 2.
Required practicals are tested across all boards in both papers for every subject. They rarely appear as straightforward recall. Examiners present them in new contexts and ask students to evaluate methods, interpret results or suggest improvements. Understanding why each step is done and what could affect the result transfers far better to unfamiliar questions than simply memorising the procedure.
A note on equation sheets in 2026
For the 2026 exams, students will continue to have access to equation sheets in Science. This means not every equation needs to be memorised, but a significant number of marks come from multi-step calculations where the equation is provided but the method and execution are entirely down to the student. Practice the application under timed conditions, not just recognition of the formula from the sheet.
Results day is Thursday 20 August 2026. Combined Science results count as two GCSEs and appear as such on your results slip. Schools typically open from 8am, though exact times vary by centre. If you cannot attend in person, contact your school in advance to arrange how you will receive your results.
If you are still building toward where you need to be in any of the three sciences and want structured support for the final weeks, we work specifically in Biology, Chemistry and Physics across all the boards covered above. Get in touch and we can talk through where the focus should go.
