Scheme of assessment

Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

This specification is designed to be taken over two years.

This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2018 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Our GCSE exams in Religious Studies B include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

  • apply knowledge and understanding of two religions
  • apply knowledge and understanding of key sources of wisdom and authority including scripture and/or sacred texts, where appropriate, which support contemporary religious faith
  • understand the influence of religion on individuals, communities and societies
  • understand significant common and divergent views between an/or within religion and beliefs
  • apply knowledge and understanding in order to analyse questions related to religious beliefs and values
  • construct well-informed and balanced arguments on matters concerned with religious beliefs and values set out in the subject content below.

Aims and learning outcomes

Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:

  • develop their knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious beliefs, such as atheism and humanism
  • develop their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, teachings, and sources of wisdom and authority including through their reading of key religious texts, other texts, and scriptures of the religions they are studying
  • develop their ability to construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of understanding the subject
  • engage with questions of belief, value, meaning, purpose, truth, and their influence on human life.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Religious Studies B specifications and all exam boards.

The exams and non-exam assessment will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

  • AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of religion and beliefs including:
    • beliefs, practices and sources of authority
    • influence on individuals, communities and societies
    • similarities and differences within and/or between religions and beliefs.
  • AO2: Analyse and evaluate aspects of religion and belief, including their significance and influence.

Assessment objective weightings for GCSE Religious Studies B

Assessment objectives (AOs) Component weightings (approx %) Overall weighting (approx %)
Paper 1 Paper 2
AO1 25 25 50
AO2 25 25 50
Overall weighting of components 50 50 100

Assessment weightings

Updated

Assessment weightings table updated to show individual papers and sections

The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

Component Maximum raw mark Scaling factor Maximum scaled mark
Paper 1 – 8063/1 99 1.03 102
Paper 2 Section A – 8063/2X or 8063/2Y 54 1 54
Paper 2 Section B – 8063/2A or 8063/2B 48 1 48
Total scaled mark: 204

Assessment structure

There are two routes through this specification depending on whether students do Textual studies.

In the non-Textual studies route, Component 2A requires students to answer questions on either Islam or Judaism, plus two religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes (chosen from Themes A–C).

In the Textual studies route, Component 2B requires students to answer questions on either Islam or Judaism, plus both textual studies themes (Themes D–E).

Component 1 is common to both routes.

Component 1: Catholic Christianity

For each exam

  • students must answer all the questions
  • there will be four five-part questions
  • the structure of each five-part question will be identical
  • each question will be assessed out of 24 marks, with 12 marks for AO1 and 12 marks for AO2
  • marks will be allocated as follows: 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12
  • the first four questions will test AO1, the fifth will test AO2 (this will be a 12 mark extended writing assessment of AO2)
  • up to 3 marks are awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) based on performance in the 12 mark extended writing questions (marks will be awarded on the basis of a student's best performance in these questions).

Component 2: Perspectives on faith

Section A

For every series, the following will apply.

  • Students must answer questions from Section A on either Islam or Judaism.
  • All the questions on the chosen faith must be answered.
  • Each religion is assessed out of 48 marks, with 24 marks for AO1 and 24 marks for AO2.
  • There are two five-part questions per faith.
  • The structure of the five-part questions in Section A will be identical; marks will be allocated as follows: 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12.
  • In each five-part question the first four questions will test AO1 and the fifth will be a 12 mark extended writing assessment of AO2.
  • Up to 6 marks are awarded in respect of spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) based on performance in the 12 mark extended writing questions (marks out of 3 will be awarded on the basis of a student's performance in both the Beliefs and Practices questions in this section).

Section B

For every series, the following will apply.

  • Students must also answer questions on either religious, philosophical and ethical themes or textual studies themes in Section B.
  • There are three religious, philosophical and ethical themes and two textual studies themes available.
  • Students may answer questions on either any two religious, philosophical and ethical themes or two textual themes (see Entries and codes).
  • Each theme will be assessed out of 24 marks, with 12 marks for AO1 and 12 marks for AO2.
  • There will be one compulsory five-part question set for each of the themes.
  • The structure of the five-part questions in Section B of this component will be identical; marks will be allocated as follows: 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12.
  • In each five-part question, the first four questions will test AO1 and the fifth will be a 12 mark extended writing assessment of AO2.

Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG)

Updated

Marks awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) updated

Spelling, punctuation and grammar will be assessed in 12 mark questions against the following criteria:

Level

Performance descriptor

Marks awarded
High performance
  • Learners spell and punctuate with consistent accuracy
  • Learners use rules of grammar with effective control of meaning overall
  • Learners use a wide range of specialist terms as appropriate

3

Intermediate performance
  • Learners spell and punctuate with considerable accuracy
  • Learners use rules of grammar with general control of meaning overall
  • Learners use a good range of specialist terms as appropriate

2

Threshold performance
  • Learners spell and punctuate with reasonable accuracy
  • Learners use rules of grammar with some control of meaning and any errors do not significantly hinder meaning overall
  • Learners use a limited range of specialist terms as appropriate

1

No marks awarded
  • The learner writes nothing
  • The learner’s response does not relate to the question
  • The learner’s achievement in SPaG does not reach the threshold performance level, for example errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar severely hinder meaning
0