Specifications that use this resource:

A-level Religious Studies 7062

Switching to AQA from Edexcel

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

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For further information and resources, head to the subject pages of our new A-level Religious Studies specification.

Mandated similarities

According to the Department for Education and Ofqual, all GCSE Religious Studies specifications must include assessment comprised of 60% AO1 and 40% AO2. They should also meet the requirement for students to:

Study three of the four approaches:

Systematic study of one religion
Philosophy of religion
Religion and ethics
Textual studies (this includes the content specified for each approach)

Acquire and develop knowledge and a critical understanding of:

religious thought
belief and practice and the different ways in which these are expressed in the lives of individuals
communities and societies
how religious texts and/or other relevant sources of wisdom and authority are interpreted and applied
major issues
challenges and questions within and about the study of religion (for example, the role of tolerance, respect and recognition and interreligious dialogue, methods of study, relevance to contemporary society) and responses to these
the causes, meanings and significance of similarities and differences in religious thought
belief and practice within and/or between religion(s)

Demonstrate critical awareness of:

questions, issues and arguments posed by scholars from within and outside religious traditions
social, religious and historical factors that have influenced developments in the study of religions and beliefs
connections between the various elements of the area(s) of study.

Assessment structure

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
Philosophy of religion and ethics	Philosophy of religion
Written exam	Written exam
3 hours	2 hours
100 marks (50% of A-level)	80 marks

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
Study of religion and dialogues	Religion and ethics
Written exam	Written exam
3 hours	2 hours
100 marks (50% of A-level)	80 marks

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
	New Testament studies
	Written exam
	2 hours
	80 marks

Subject content

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
Section A: Philosophy of religion Arguments for the existence of God Evil and suffering Religious experience Religious language Miracles Self and life after death Philosophical issues and questions The nature and influence of religious experience Problems of evil and suffering Religious language Works of scholars Influences of developments in religious beliefs	Philosophical issues and questions The nature and influence of religious experience Problems of evil and suffering Religious language Works of scholars Influences of developments in religious beliefs
Section B: Ethics and religion Ethical theories Issues of human life and death Issues of animal life and death Introduction to meta ethics Free will and moral responsibility Conscience Bentham and Kant

AQA – A-level Religious Studies

Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies

Section A: Philosophy of religion

Arguments for the existence of God
Evil and suffering
Religious experience
Religious language
Miracles
Self and life after death
Philosophical issues and questions
The nature and influence of religious experience
Problems of evil and suffering
Religious language
Works of scholars
Influences of developments in religious beliefs

Philosophical issues and questions
The nature and influence of religious experience
Problems of evil and suffering
Religious language
Works of scholars
Influences of developments in religious beliefs

Section B: Ethics and religion

Ethical theories
Issues of human life and death
Issues of animal life and death
Introduction to meta ethics
Free will and moral responsibility
Conscience
Bentham and Kant

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
Section A: Study of religion For each faith option (2A-2E) the following topics are covered: Sources of wisdom and authority God/gods/ultimate reality Self, death and the afterlife Good conduct and key moral principles Expression of religious identity Religion, gender and sexuality Religion and science Religion and secularisation Religion and religious pluralism Significant concepts in issues or debates in religion and ethics A study of three ethical theories Application of ethical theories to issues of importance Ethical language Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the works of scholars Medical ethics: beginning and end of life issues	Significant concepts in issues or debates in religion and ethics A study of three ethical theories Application of ethical theories to issues of importance Ethical language Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the works of scholars Medical ethics: beginning and end of life issues
Section B: The dialogue between philosophy of religion and religion How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on philosophy of religion in relation to the issues studied	Theme 2: Challenges to religious belief The problem of evil and suffering The problem of evil and suffering Religious response to the problem of evil(i) Religious response to the problem of evil (ii) Religious belief as a product of the human mind Sigmund Freud Carl Jung Issues relating to rejection of religion
Section C: The dialogue between ethical studies and religion How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on ethical studies in relation to the issues studied.	Theme 3: Religious experience The nature of religious experience Mystical experience Challenges to the objectivity and authenticity of religious experience Influence of religious experience on practice and faith The definitions of miracles Comparative study of two key scholars from within and outside of the Christian tradition – on miracles.
	Theme four: Religious language Inherent problems of religious language Religious language as cognitive but meaningless Religious language as non-cognitive and analogical Religious language as non-cognitive and symbolic Religious language as non-cognitive and mythical Religious language as a language game

AQA – A-level Religious Studies

Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies

Section A: Study of religion

For each faith option (2A-2E) the following topics are covered:

Sources of wisdom and authority
God/gods/ultimate reality
Self, death and the afterlife
Good conduct and key moral principles
Expression of religious identity
Religion, gender and sexuality
Religion and science
Religion and secularisation
Religion and religious pluralism
Significant concepts in issues or debates in religion and ethics
A study of three ethical theories
Application of ethical theories to issues of importance
Ethical language
Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the works of scholars
Medical ethics: beginning and end of life issues

Significant concepts in issues or debates in religion and ethics
A study of three ethical theories
Application of ethical theories to issues of importance
Ethical language
Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the works of scholars
Medical ethics: beginning and end of life issues

Section B: The dialogue between philosophy of religion and religion

How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on philosophy of religion in relation to the issues studied

Theme 2: Challenges to religious belief

The problem of evil and suffering

The problem of evil and suffering
Religious response to the problem of evil(i)
Religious response to the problem of evil (ii)

Religious belief as a product of the human mind

Sigmund Freud
Carl Jung
Issues relating to rejection of religion

Section C: The dialogue between ethical studies and religion

How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on ethical studies in relation to the issues studied.

Theme 3: Religious experience

The nature of religious experience
Mystical experience
Challenges to the objectivity and authenticity of religious experience
Influence of religious experience on practice and faith
The definitions of miracles
Comparative study of two key scholars from within and outside of the Christian tradition – on miracles.

Theme four: Religious language

Inherent problems of religious language
Religious language as cognitive but meaningless
Religious language as non-cognitive and analogical
Religious language as non-cognitive and symbolic
Religious language as non-cognitive and mythical
Religious language as a language game

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Religious Studies	Edexcel – A-level Religious Studies
	Social, historical and religious context of the New Testament Texts and interpretation of the Person of Jesus Interpreting the text and issues of relationship, purpose and authorship Ways of interpreting the scripture Texts and interpretation: the Kingdom of God, conflict, the death and resurrection of Jesus Scientific and historical critical challenges, ethical living and the works of scholars

Specifications that use this resource:

A-level Religious Studies 7062