AQA GCSE Media Studies Paper 2 2025 Question Paper

Get the official AQA GCSE Media Studies Paper 2 (8572/2) question paper from the 22 May 2025 afternoon exam — the exact paper used across UK exam centres. This PDF contains all 84 marks of exam questions in the original format, covering television and newspapers.

The paper is divided into two sections. *Section A: Television (pages 2–6)* focuses on analysis of an extract from **Doctor Who – “An Unearthly Child” (1963)**. Early questions test knowledge of media language, such as defining indirect address and identifying examples (*Question 1, page 2*). More advanced questions include analysing sound (diegetic and non-diegetic) (*page 4*) and evaluating gender representations in 1960s television (*page 5*).
The extended *20-mark Question 2 (page 6)* requires comparison between two close study products — **Doctor Who (1963)** and **His Dark Materials (2020)** — evaluating how audience interpretations are influenced by social and historical contexts.

*Section B: Newspapers (pages 8–13)* focuses on media industries and representation. *Question 3 (page 8)* asks about political bias in newspapers, while *Question 4 (page 11)* requires analysis of a **Daily Mirror double-page spread** (shown on page 10) and how newspapers construct preferred readings.
The final *20-mark synoptic Question 5 (page 13)* explores how newspapers must adapt funding models to survive, requiring knowledge from across the full course, including media industries, audiences, and contexts.

Use this paper to practise under real exam conditions and develop extended-response writing, analytical skills, and evaluation of media contexts. Pair it with the matching AQA 8572/2 June 2025 mark scheme for complete exam preparation.

This document is designed for GCSE Media Studies students preparing for the 2026 exam series, including Year 11 students studying the AQA 8572 specification, resit candidates, and independent learners.

It is also ideal for teachers, tutors, and revision providers who need authentic exam material for mocks, timed assessments, and exam technique practice. It supports both extract analysis (television) and case study evaluation (newspapers).