Publication policy
Specifications
All AQA specifications are published on the website and are the latest version of the specification. The version on this website is definitive in the case of any difference between it and any printed version.
New specifications are generally published in the summer before first teaching begins, generally from September of that year and normally two years before the final summer examination of that subject.
AQA does not publish a new edition of the specification each year. Specifications are valid from a stated exam series onwards until further notice.
However the electronic version is updated if any changes are made during the lifetime of the specification.
Changes in AQA Specifications
AQA wishes to alert centres to changes in specifications as they occur.
- Any changes are published in print through AQA Examinations Update, which is also published on this Website.
- Any changes to specifications are also announced on the subject noticeboard pages on this Website.
- Side bars are used to indicate any changes from the previous version only: Side bars in version 1.2 indicate changes from version 1.1, but not changes from version 1.0.
- All significant changes in a specification are side barred, irrespective of whether they are changes to the content of the course or the administrative arrangements. The exception is minor presentational changes such as amendments to punctuation or correction of typographical errors.