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OCR A-Level Religious Studies (H573): how Philosophy, Ethics and Developments in Christian Thought fit together

A complete guide to OCR A-Level Religious Studies (specification H573). Explains the three components (Philosophy of Religion, Religion and Ethics, Developments in Christian Thought), the two assessment objectives and their weighting, the four-essay paper format, and how to revise for the 40-mark extended-essay style the board rewards.

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OCR A-Level Religious Studies (specification H573) is a rigorous, scholar-led course in the philosophy of religion, ethics and the systematic development of Christian thought. It is not a faith course: it asks you to understand religious ideas precisely and then analyse and evaluate them. This page explains how the three components fit together and how this site is organised around them.

The three components

Each component is a two-hour written exam worth 120 marks and a third of the A-level. Every candidate sits all three.

Component 01: Philosophy of Religion (H573/01)
Ancient philosophical influences (Plato and Aristotle), the nature of the soul, mind and body, arguments for the existence of God (teleological, cosmological, ontological), the nature and impact of religious experience, the problem of evil, the nature of God, and issues in religious language.
Component 02: Religion and Ethics (H573/02)
Normative ethical theories (natural law, situation ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism), applied ethics (euthanasia, business ethics and sexual ethics), meta-ethics, conscience, and free will and moral responsibility.
Component 03: Developments in Christian Thought (H573/03)
Augustine on human nature, death and the afterlife, knowledge of God's existence, the person of Jesus Christ, Christian moral principles and moral action, religious pluralism, gender and society, gender and theology, the challenge of secularism, and liberation theology.

The paper format

Each paper sets four essay questions and you answer three. Every essay is worth 40 marks and tests both assessment objectives. There are no short-answer or stimulus questions: the whole A-level is examined through the extended evaluative essay, so planning and argument under time pressure are decisive skills.

The two assessment objectives

  • AO1 (40%). Knowledge and understanding of religion and belief: religious, philosophical and ethical thought, the influence of beliefs and practices, and similarities and differences within and between traditions.
  • AO2 (60%). Analysis and evaluation: weighing arguments and approaches and reaching a justified conclusion.

Each 40-mark essay is marked by levels of response in six levels, with a separate AO1 mark out of 25 and AO2 mark out of 15 added to give the total. Because AO2 is the larger band, the single biggest lever is evaluation. A list of facts caps low; an argued case that sets scholar against scholar and judges climbs the levels.

The modules on this site

This site covers the whole specification through three modules, each with a matching overview guide and quiz:

  • Philosophy of Religion: ancient influences, the soul, the three arguments for God, religious experience, the problem of evil, the nature of God and religious language.
  • Religion and Ethics: the four normative theories, the three applied issues, meta-ethics, conscience, and free will.
  • Developments in Christian Thought: Augustine, the afterlife, knowledge of God, the person of Jesus, Christian ethics in theory and action, pluralism, gender, secularism and liberation theology.

How to study for H573

Build an argument bank per topic: the named scholars, what each claims, and the strongest objection to each. Then practise AO2 by writing paragraphs that put two views in tension and conclude. Rehearse the 40-mark essay against OCR past papers, because the levels-based mark scheme rewards sustained, supported argument over coverage, and you must produce three of them in two hours.

Religious Studies guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Religious Studies practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The A-LEVEL-OCR system, explained

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Common questions about Religious Studies

How is OCR A-Level Religious Studies (H573) structured?
OCR A-Level Religious Studies has three externally assessed components, each a two-hour written paper worth 120 marks and a third of the qualification. Component 01 is Philosophy of Religion, Component 02 is Religion and Ethics, and Component 03 is Developments in Religious Thought, which most centres take as Christianity. Each paper sets four essay questions and you answer three; every essay is worth 40 marks and tests both assessment objectives.
What are the assessment objectives in OCR Religious Studies?
There are two. AO1 is demonstrating knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including religious, philosophical and ethical thought, the influence of beliefs and practices, and similarities and differences. AO2 is analysing and evaluating aspects of, and approaches to, religion and belief, reaching a justified conclusion. AO1 is weighted at 40 per cent of the A-level and AO2 at 60 per cent, so evaluation carries the larger share of every essay.
How are the essays marked in OCR Religious Studies?
Each 40-mark essay is marked with a levels of response scheme of six levels. Examiners award a separate AO1 mark out of 25 and a separate AO2 mark out of 15, then add them to give the mark out of 40. Higher levels reward comprehensive, accurate knowledge for AO1 and sustained, balanced argument with a justified conclusion for AO2. Because AO2 is the larger band, the lever that lifts a script is evaluation, not coverage.
Which scholars does OCR A-Level Religious Studies require?
Each component names scholars. Philosophy of Religion draws on Plato and Aristotle, Aquinas and Paley (design), Anselm, Descartes and Malcolm (ontological), Hume, Kant and Gaunilo (challenges), William James (religious experience), Augustine and Hick (problem of evil), Boethius (nature of God), and Aquinas, Tillich, Ayer, Flew, Hare, Mitchell and Wittgenstein (language). Religion and Ethics draws on Aquinas, Fletcher, Kant, Bentham, Mill, Friedman, Moore, Ayer, Stevenson and Freud. Developments in Christian Thought draws on Augustine, Calvin, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Rahner, Hick, Ruether, Daly, Freud, Dawkins, Marx and Gutierrez.
What command words appear in OCR Religious Studies essays?
OCR essay questions use command words and phrases such as Assess, Evaluate, Critically assess, Discuss and To what extent. Whatever the wording, examiners apply the same levels of response mark scheme to both assessment objectives, so the command word is a focus rather than a different task. Every question asks you to argue a case and judge it, never simply to describe.
How should I revise OCR A-Level Religious Studies?
Revise each component as an argument bank, not a content dump. For every topic learn the named scholars and what they actually argue, then drill AO2 by writing evaluative paragraphs that put one view against another and reach a judgement. Because each script is three 40-mark essays in two hours, practise planning and writing a sustained argument under timed conditions with OCR past papers and mark schemes, since the levels reward developed, supported argument far more than coverage.