❌ Saying "No lo sé" and going silent when the unexpected (?) question arrives.
✅ Use a filler, then say something: "Bueno, pues… creo que… el tren sale a las tres." Even if you are guessing — an attempt in Spanish earns marks. Silence earns zero.
Why it matters: AQA marks communicative attempts, not accuracy alone. A wrong answer with correct grammar scores more than no answer at all. The ? question is designed to be unpredictable — the examiner expects you to manage it, not to know the correct answer.
❌ ¿Cuánto costo?
✅ ¿Cuánto cuesta? — cuesta is the él/ella present-tense form of costar. Costo does not exist as a question form in Spanish. For multiple items: ¿Cuánto cuestan?
Why it matters: This error is extremely common and appears in mark-scheme comments. Stem-changing verbs like costar (o→ue) change in the él/ella/usted form: yo cuesto, él cuesta, ellos cuestan. Committing cuesta / cuestan to memory avoids the mistake entirely.
❌ Forgetting to deliver the ! prompt entirely — completing cues 1, 2, 3 and skipping the question you must ask.
✅ Count your prompts before you begin: 1, 2, !, ?, last. The ! must be a genuine question with rising intonation. If you lose your place, end your current turn with the question — examiners credit a late attempt. Omitting the ! entirely is one of the most common reasons candidates lose marks on this task.
Why it matters: Each of the 5 prompts carries its own mark. Missing the ! question forfeits that mark outright. In the preparation time, write the prompt type (1, 2, !, ?, 5) on your prep sheet and tick each one off as you go.
❌ Me gustaría reservar una habitación para dos personas y tres noches. (stopping there)
✅ Good start — but add the room type: doble (double) or individual (single). "Me gustaría reservar una habitación doble para dos noches." More specific language earns more marks.
Why it matters: AQA rewards precise, developed communication. Specifying the room type (doble / individual, con baño / sin baño) signals language range and shows you have moved beyond a minimum response. It takes one extra word and can lift your mark by a band.
This exam tips covers Errores del juego de rol — Roleplay Errors within Roleplay practice for GCSE Spanish. Revise Roleplay practice in Speaking for GCSE Spanish with 16 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 3 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Practice questions for Roleplay practice
**Roleplay: Ordering in a café** You are in a café in Spain. The examiner plays the waiter/waitress. **Your task card:** You are in a café. Speak to the waiter/waitress and: 1. Greet the waiter/waitress 2. Order a coffee with milk and a piece of cake 3. **!** Ask about the price 4. Say whether or not you want anything else Speak to the waiter/waitress now. You may use notes in the preparation time.