New GCEs for 2008
GCE Religious Studies (2060)
AS outline
At AS, this specification offers an academic approach to the study of religion and is accessible to candidates of any religious persuasion or none. A wide choice of topics is offered for study including ethics, philosophy, the world religions, aspects of Christianity, religion and art, and religion and contemporary society. The Specification is designed to be flexible and to allow teachers and candidates to either focus on one area of Religious Studies, or provide a broader study of religion through selection of a variety of topics.
The AS specification has 2 units:
Units 1 and 2
Topic list
- Ethics
- Philosophy of religion
- Religion, philosophy and science
- The history of Christianity
- Religion, art and the media
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
- Religion and contemporary society
- the six major world religions including:
- Buddhism,
- Christianity,
- Hinduism,
- Islam,
- Judaism and
- Sikhism.
Assessment
| Written Papers: | 1 hour 15 minutes each unit |
| 90 raw marks per unit | |
| 2 hours 30 minutes in total for AS | |
| Part (a) 30 marks AO1 | |
| Part (b) 15 marks AO2 | |
| Weighting: | Each unit accounts for 50% of the total AS marks |
In each of the two units chosen, candidates answer two structured essay questions, from a choice of four. Candidates study any two units from the following eleven available:
- Unit A: Ethics 1
- Unit B: Ethics 2
- Unit C: Philosophy of religion
- Unit D: Religion, Philosophy and Science
- Unit E: either History of Christianity or Religion, Art and the Media
- Unit F: Old Testament
- Unit G: New Testament
- Unit H: Religion and Contemporary Society
- Unit J: World Religions 1 (either Buddhism or Hinduism or Sikhism)
- Unit K: World Religions 2 (either Christianity or Judaism or Islam 1 The Way of Submission)
- Unit L: Islam 2.