AQA A-level Philosophy past papers and mark schemes
14 papers · November 2020 – June 2025
Two papers make up the AQA A-level Philosophy (7172) list on this page: Paper 1, Epistemology and moral philosophy, and Paper 2, The metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind. Both are listed at 100 marks and 3 hours, and each has 7 papers grouped by series with the most recent at the top.
There are 14 files in total, and every one is paired with its mark scheme on the AQA website. Twelve come from exam series between November 2020 and June 2025, which includes a November sitting in both 2020 and 2021, and 2 are specimen papers. That gives you a handful of full papers per component rather than a long archive, so it is worth spacing them out.
Because each paper runs for 3 hours, try at least one in a single sitting to see how your timing holds up across the whole paper. Afterwards, compare your answers with the mark scheme and note which points you missed, then return to that topic before attempting the next paper. Leaving June 2025 untouched until close to the exam keeps one realistic paper for each component. When you add Philosophy, AQA and your paper dates to Reschedule, along with the days and hours you can study, it turns the specification into a daily plan with each subtopic scheduled before the paper that examines it.
Paper 1: Epistemology and moral philosophy7172/1
3 h · 100 marks
What this paper covers
- 3.1 EpistemologyWhat is knowledge? · Perception as a source of knowledge · Reason as a source of knowledge · The limits of knowledge
- 3.2 Moral philosophyNormative ethical theories · Applied ethics · Meta-ethics
| Series | Code | Question paper | Mark scheme | Insert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2024 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2023 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2022 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| November 2021 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| November 2020 | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| Specimen (Sample set 1) | 7172/1 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
Opens on AQA
Paper 2: The metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind7172/2
3 h · 100 marks
What this paper covers
- 3.3 Metaphysics of GodThe concept and nature of 'God' · Arguments relating to the existence of God · Religious language
- 3.4 Metaphysics of mindWhat do we mean by 'mind'? · Dualist theories · Physicalist theories · Functionalism
| Series | Code | Question paper | Mark scheme | Insert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2024 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2023 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| June 2022 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| November 2021 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| November 2020 | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
| Specimen (Sample set 1) | 7172/2 | Question paper | Mark scheme | — |
Opens on AQA
Common questions
- Where can I find AQA Philosophy mark schemes?
- Every paper on this page has its mark scheme linked in the same row. Each link opens the PDF where it is hosted.
- Which years of AQA Philosophy past papers are here?
- The page lists 12 papers from 6 exam series, November 2020 to June 2025, and 2 specimen or sample papers.
- How are AQA Philosophy past papers organised on this page?
- Papers are grouped by exam paper, then by series with the newest first: Paper 1: Epistemology and moral philosophy (3 hours, 100 marks) and Paper 2: The metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind (3 hours, 100 marks). Durations and marks are the most common values across the series listed.
- Are these the official AQA papers?
- They are the papers set by AQA. Links open the PDF where it is hosted: 14 on the AQA website. Reschedule is independent and not affiliated with any exam board.
- How do I fit past papers into my revision plan?
- Add Philosophy and AQA in Reschedule with the date of each paper. It builds a daily revision plan that schedules each subtopic before the paper that examines it and adds past papers for each paper, then re-fits the plan if you miss a day.
Reschedule is independent and not affiliated with any exam board.