New GCE Religious Studies – launch video
Transcript
As the UK's leading examination board, we sought to develop an A-level in Religious Studies which offers a comprehensive range of options and that will support teachers in designing an exciting course which reflects their specialism and that will engage candidates.
The new GCE Religious Studies specification offers current AQA centres an opportunity for continuity. We have retained the current options and most of the content, so teachers can continue to use their existing resources as far as possible. However, we have taken this opportunity to refine the content of those options taken forward in order to take account of feedback received from teachers.
The new specification has also been expanded to include exciting new areas of study, including additional areas of ethics and philosophy, aspects of Christianity, religion and art, and religion and contemporary society.
The new specification is designed to be flexible and to allow teachers and candidates to:
either focus on one area of Religious Studies, thus ensuring coherence
or undertake a broader study of religion through the selection of a variety of topics which, although eclectic, complement each other.
So, what will the AS examinations look like?
At AS, the specification content for each unit will be divided into four topics, and one question will be set on each of these topics.
Candidates answer any two questions.
The question papers will give candidates an increased choice of topics for study and an increased choice on the paper, therefore maximising the opportunity for achievement.
Candidates will also have more time in which to both read the paper and respond to the questions selected; each AS examination is 1¼ hours long.
Teachers will also have the flexibility to enter candidates for AS units in January. All AS units will be available from January 2009, so they'll be available for first year students to enter as well as for second year students to re-sit if they wish.
So, what will the A2 examination papers look like?
At A2, the structure of Units 3 and 4 differ. For Unit 3, the structure is similar to AS – the specification content for each unit will be divided into four topics, and one question will be set on each of these topics.
Candidates answer any two questions, but whereas the AS papers are 1¼ hours long, the Unit 3 papers are 1½ hours long (as with the current A2 papers).
The specification content for Unit 4 is more freely formatted. Two questions will be set on each Topic. Candidates answer any one question. The Unit 4 papers are also 1½ hours long.
The structure of Unit 4 papers offers many benefits:
- It promotes good study and thinking skills
- It provides the opportunity for a coursework equivalent without the problems associated with coursework
- It allows candidates to write at length and with ample time
- It challenges more able candidates and produces good discrimination