Mark Scheme (Results)
Summer 2025
2025 Pearson Edexcel GCE
In Russian (9RU0) Paper 03 Marking Scheme
,Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications
Edexcel and BTEC qualifications are awarded by Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding body. We provide
a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational and specific programmes
for employers. For further information visit our qualifications websites at www.edexcel.com or
www.btec.co.uk. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us using the details on our contact us page
at www.edexcel.com/contactus.
Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere
Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help everyone progress in
their lives through education. We believe in every kind of learning, for all kinds of people, wherever
they are in the world. We’ve been involved in education for over 150 years, and by working across
70 countries, in 100 languages, we have built an international reputation for our commitment to high
standards and raising achievement through innovation in education. Find out more about how we can
help you and your students at: www.pearson.com/uk
Summer 2025
Question Paper Log Number 74520
Publication Code 9RU0_03_2506_MS
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2025
,General Marking Guidance
All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark
the first candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the last.
Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be
rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than penalised for
omissions.
Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not according to their
perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.
There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme should
be used appropriately.
All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer
matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award
zero marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according
to the mark scheme.
Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the
principles by which marks will be awarded and exemplification may be
limited.
When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark
scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must be consulted.
Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.
, Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Russian
Paper 3: Speaking mark scheme
This marking guidance is for the use of Pearson-appointed external examiners. The guidance has
been included for teacher reference to aid understanding of how the assessment criteria will
be applied.
For this paper, there are a number of levels-based mark schemes to be applied to each task.
General guidance for examiners on using levels-based mark schemes
Step 1 Decide on a band
First of all, you should consider the answer as a whole and then decide which descriptors most
closely match the answer and place it in that band. The descriptors for each band indicate the
different features that will be seen in the student’s answer for that band.
When assigning a band you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not focus
disproportionately on small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not
performed quite as well as the rest or indeed has performed temporarily better. If the answer
covers different aspects of different bands of the mark scheme, you should use a ‘best fit’
approach for defining the level. You should then use the variability of the response to help
decide the mark within the band, for example if the response is predominantly band 5–8 with a
small amount of band 9–12 material, it would be placed in band 5–8 but be awarded a mark
near the top of the band because of the band 9–12 content.
Step 2 Decide on a mark
Once you have decided on a band you will then need to decide on a mark within
the band. You will decide on the mark to award based on the quality of the answer; you will
award a mark towards the top or bottom of that band depending on how students have
evidenced each of the descriptor bullet points.
You will modify the mark based on how securely the trait descriptors are met at that band.
You will need to go back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points
and assure yourself that the band and the mark are appropriate.
Guidance on timing of the speaking assessment
It is the teacher-examiner’s (TE) responsibility to cover all parts of each task and ask appropriate
questions to ensure that the candidate is able to access the maximum amount of marks available.
The speaking assessment should last between 16 to 18 minutes in total and the TE must ensure
that timings are followed. The timing of the assessment begins with the candidate’s first utterance
in relation to Task 1. Once the maximum stipulated assessment time has passed, the TE must
bring the assessment to a natural end, allowing the candidate to complete a final sentence.
Examiners must stop marking at the end of the sentence once the maximum assessment time
has passed, even if the recorded conversation has gone beyond the maximum time.
Summer 2025
2025 Pearson Edexcel GCE
In Russian (9RU0) Paper 03 Marking Scheme
,Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications
Edexcel and BTEC qualifications are awarded by Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding body. We provide
a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational and specific programmes
for employers. For further information visit our qualifications websites at www.edexcel.com or
www.btec.co.uk. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us using the details on our contact us page
at www.edexcel.com/contactus.
Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere
Pearson aspires to be the world’s leading learning company. Our aim is to help everyone progress in
their lives through education. We believe in every kind of learning, for all kinds of people, wherever
they are in the world. We’ve been involved in education for over 150 years, and by working across
70 countries, in 100 languages, we have built an international reputation for our commitment to high
standards and raising achievement through innovation in education. Find out more about how we can
help you and your students at: www.pearson.com/uk
Summer 2025
Question Paper Log Number 74520
Publication Code 9RU0_03_2506_MS
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2025
,General Marking Guidance
All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark
the first candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the last.
Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be
rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than penalised for
omissions.
Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not according to their
perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.
There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme should
be used appropriately.
All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer
matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award
zero marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according
to the mark scheme.
Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the
principles by which marks will be awarded and exemplification may be
limited.
When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark
scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must be consulted.
Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.
, Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Russian
Paper 3: Speaking mark scheme
This marking guidance is for the use of Pearson-appointed external examiners. The guidance has
been included for teacher reference to aid understanding of how the assessment criteria will
be applied.
For this paper, there are a number of levels-based mark schemes to be applied to each task.
General guidance for examiners on using levels-based mark schemes
Step 1 Decide on a band
First of all, you should consider the answer as a whole and then decide which descriptors most
closely match the answer and place it in that band. The descriptors for each band indicate the
different features that will be seen in the student’s answer for that band.
When assigning a band you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not focus
disproportionately on small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not
performed quite as well as the rest or indeed has performed temporarily better. If the answer
covers different aspects of different bands of the mark scheme, you should use a ‘best fit’
approach for defining the level. You should then use the variability of the response to help
decide the mark within the band, for example if the response is predominantly band 5–8 with a
small amount of band 9–12 material, it would be placed in band 5–8 but be awarded a mark
near the top of the band because of the band 9–12 content.
Step 2 Decide on a mark
Once you have decided on a band you will then need to decide on a mark within
the band. You will decide on the mark to award based on the quality of the answer; you will
award a mark towards the top or bottom of that band depending on how students have
evidenced each of the descriptor bullet points.
You will modify the mark based on how securely the trait descriptors are met at that band.
You will need to go back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points
and assure yourself that the band and the mark are appropriate.
Guidance on timing of the speaking assessment
It is the teacher-examiner’s (TE) responsibility to cover all parts of each task and ask appropriate
questions to ensure that the candidate is able to access the maximum amount of marks available.
The speaking assessment should last between 16 to 18 minutes in total and the TE must ensure
that timings are followed. The timing of the assessment begins with the candidate’s first utterance
in relation to Task 1. Once the maximum stipulated assessment time has passed, the TE must
bring the assessment to a natural end, allowing the candidate to complete a final sentence.
Examiners must stop marking at the end of the sentence once the maximum assessment time
has passed, even if the recorded conversation has gone beyond the maximum time.
