Russian 路 Pearson Edexcel GCSE 1RU0
The Russian GCSE course, start to finish.
The Pearson Edexcel vocabulary list: 1,963 of the list's 2,364 items so far (1,536 of 1,813 Foundation), taught in the order the specification is organised: the high-frequency words first, then the 5 themes, Foundation before Higher. Pearson Edexcel calls it the core vocabulary every student needs rather than a closed list, so the exam will also use words beyond it. 1,936 words across 24 chapters, with the prescribed grammar interleaved.
- 24
- Chapters
- 363
- Lessons
- 1,936
- Words
- 68
- Grammar lessons
Foundation
Everything a Foundation candidate is assessed on. Higher candidates need all of it too.
Higher
The words Higher adds on top, across the same 5 themes.
Foundation or Higher?
Foundation leads to grades 1 to 5 and Higher to grades 4 to 9. Foundation: 1,813 list entries. Higher adds 551, for 2,364 in all.
GCSE Russian revision
Grammar coverage: every structure Edexcel prescribes
The full Edexcel grammar list for Russian, Foundation and Higher, with the lesson that teaches each point.
Who takes GCSE Russian?
- Many candidates already speak Russian at home and take the GCSE to get a qualification for it, often as private candidates rather than through a school class.
- If that is you, speaking and listening are usually the easy marks. The marks go in writing, spelling and the grammar the specification prescribes, so start with the grammar list and the Higher words.
- If you are learning Russian from scratch, the course starts at the beginning: the high-frequency words first, then the five themes, Foundation before Higher.
- No Russian keyboard needed: type answers in Latin letters and the course transliterates them for you.
Questions
Foundation or Higher?
Foundation leads to grades 1 to 5 and Higher to grades 4 to 9, and a candidate sits every paper at the same tier. The course teaches Foundation first, because Higher candidates are assessed on all of it too, then the words Higher adds.
How many words do I need for GCSE Russian?
The Pearson Edexcel core vocabulary list has 1,813 Foundation entries, and Higher adds 551. Pearson Edexcel says the exam will also use words beyond it, so treat it as the core rather than the ceiling.
Can I take GCSE Russian as a private candidate?
Yes. Pearson Edexcel GCSEs can be sat as a private candidate at an exam centre that accepts them. Book well before the entry deadline, and check that the centre can run the speaking assessment, because not every centre does.
Is GCSE Russian hard?
It depends where you start. For a home speaker, the Cyrillic spelling and the case endings in writing are where marks go. For a new learner, the alphabet takes a week or two and the cases take longer. The course lets you type in Latin letters, so the keyboard is never the obstacle.
Vocabulary, tiers and themes from Appendix 3 of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Russian (1RU0) specification. Kilo Lingo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson Edexcel.