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Switching to AQA from OCR

To save you time and help you compare our A-level Sociology with the OCR specification, we’ve created some comparison tables.

These tables highlight the content and requirements side by side, so you can make the right choice for your students.

Assessment comparison

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

Written exam paper

Written exam paper

2 hours

1 hour 30 minutes

80 marks

90 marks

33.3% of A-level

30% of A-level

Questions:

All compulsory

One 4-mark, one 6-mark and two 10-mark short answer questions

One 30-mark and one 20-mark extended answer questions

Questions:

Section A: One 6-mark, one 12-mark and one 20-mark question (all compulsory)

Section B: Choice of three extended responses; one 12-mark, one 16-mark and one 24-mark question

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

Written exam paper

Written exam paper

2 hours

2 hours 15 minutes

80 marks

105 marks

33.3% of A-level

35% of A-level

Questions:

Compulsory questions based on two pre-chosen topics

Four 10-mark short answer questions

Two 20-mark extended answer questions

Questions:

Section A:  One 4-mark, one 6-mark, one 10-mark and one 25-mark question (compulsory based on source A and source B)

Section B: Two compulsory extended responses (one 20-mark and one 40-mark question)

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

Written exam paper

Written exam paper

2 hours

2 hours 15 minutes

80 marks

105 marks

33.3% of A-level

35% of A-level

Questions:

One 4-mark, one 6-mark and two 10-mark short answer questions

One 30-mark and one 20-mark extended answer questions

Questions:

Section A: One 9-mark, one 10-mark and one 16-mark questions (all compulsory)

Section B: Choice of three extended responses on pre-chosen topics

One 10-mark, one 20-mark and one 40-mark question

Subject content

Paper 1

AQA  – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

All compulsory:

  • Education
  • Methods in context
  • Theory and methods

  • Section A: Introducing socialization, culture and identity (compulsory)
  • Section B: Themes developed through the context of one of the three options:
  • Families and relationships
  • Youth subcultures
  • Media

Paper 2

AQA  – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

Section A: One of the following optional topics:

  • Culture and identity
  • Families and households
  • Health
  • Work, poverty and welfare

Section B: One of the following optional topics:

  • Beliefs in society
  • Global development
  • The media
  • Stratification and differentiation
  • Section A: Research methods and researching social inequalities
  • Section B: Understanding social inequalities

Paper 3

AQA  – A-level Sociology

OCR – A-level Sociology

Compulsory topics:

  • Theory and methods
  • Education
  • Crime and deviance

Compulsory topics:

  • Theory and methods
  • Culture and identity
  • Researching and understanding social inequalities

Optional topics

One from:

  • Families and relationships
  • Youth subcultures
  • Media

One from:

  • Crime and deviance
  • Education
  • Religion, belief and faith

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