CCEA A-Level Government and Politics: complete guide to the units, the AS and A2 exams and how to study each module
A complete guide to CCEA A-Level Government and Politics (specification 2016). Covers AS 1 the Government and Politics of Northern Ireland, AS 2 the British Political Process, A2 1 comparative government and politics, and A2 2 Political Power and Political Ideas, with how the AS and A2 exams are structured and how to study each unit.
CCEA A-Level Government and Politics (specification first taught 2016) is a two-year course split into AS and A2, set and marked by CCEA in Northern Ireland. This page is the index: below is a map of the four units, the assessment structure, and how to study each module.
The CCEA Government and Politics units
The qualification is built around four units, two at AS and two at A2, with options at A2.
- AS 1 The Government and Politics of Northern Ireland
- The distinctive CCEA unit, covering the Good Friday Agreement and later agreements, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the power-sharing Executive and the d'Hondt formula, and the main parties. The unifying idea is how a divided society is governed by consent and power sharing.
- AS 2 The British Political Process
- The government and politics of the wider UK: elections and electoral systems, political parties, pressure groups, Parliament (Commons and Lords), and the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Executive. The unifying idea is how the Westminster system represents, governs and is held to account.
- A2 1 Comparative Government and Politics
- A comparative study of either the United States and the United Kingdom (Option A) or the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom (Option B), comparing constitutions, legislatures, executives and the wider political process. The unifying idea is structured comparison between two systems.
- A2 2 Political Power and Political Ideas
- Either Political Power (Option A), studying pluralism, elitism, Marxism and feminism as theories of the distribution of power, or Political Ideas (Option B), studying liberalism, conservatism, socialism and nationalism as ideologies. The unifying idea is the theoretical study of power and ideology.
The skills the course tests
Three skills run across the AS and A2 units and separate average answers from top grades.
- Knowledge and understanding. Precise command of institutions, processes, theories and key examples.
- Analysis. Explaining how and why political structures and ideas work and what their consequences are.
- Evaluation. Building a balanced, two-sided argument and reaching a substantiated judgement, the core of the to-what-extent essay.
Assessment structure
CCEA Government and Politics is split between AS (40 percent) and A2 (60 percent), with each unit assessed by a written examination.
- AS 1 The Government and Politics of Northern Ireland - shorter questions plus evaluation essays on the Agreement, the institutions and the parties.
- AS 2 The British Political Process - shorter questions plus evaluation essays on UK elections, parties, pressure groups and Parliament.
- A2 1 Comparative Government and Politics - questions requiring explicit comparison between the two systems studied.
- A2 2 Political Power and Political Ideas - questions on the theories of power or the political ideologies, rewarding conceptual depth and evaluation.
How to study CCEA Government and Politics
The course rewards precise knowledge, balanced judgement and disciplined exam technique.
- Work unit by unit. Build secure knowledge of each unit's institutions, processes or ideas before attempting essays.
- Master the mechanics. Electoral systems, the d'Hondt formula and cross-community voting are technical, and accuracy earns marks.
- Practise comparison. For A2 1, learn paired points of similarity and difference rather than two separate accounts.
- Learn the thinkers. For A2 2, know the core theorists and debates of each theory or ideology.
- Drill the evaluation essay. A balanced, two-sided argument and a substantiated judgement win the top marks.
The modules, dot point by dot point
Each unit has a specification-level overview with worked questions and cross-links, plus dot-point pages and a quiz. Browse the full set at /ccea-a-level/politics/syllabus.
For the official specification
CCEA publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at ccea.org.uk. Always revise from the current CCEA specification and CCEA's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.
Politics guides
In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.
- CCEA A2 1 Comparative Government and Politics: a complete overview of the UK compared with the USA or the Republic of Ireland
A complete overview of CCEA A2 1, Comparative Government and Politics. Covers comparative method and the UK constitution, the comparison of the UK with the USA (Option A) and with the Republic of Ireland (Option B) across constitutions, legislatures, executives, judiciaries and political processes, plus how A2 1 is assessed.
14 min readRead → - CCEA A2 2 Political Power and Political Ideas: a complete overview of the theories of power and the political ideologies
A complete overview of CCEA A2 2, Political Power and Political Ideas. Covers Option A Political Power (pluralism, elitism, Marxism and feminism as theories of power) and Option B Political Ideas (liberalism, conservatism, socialism and nationalism), plus how A2 2 is assessed.
14 min readRead → - CCEA AS 1 Government and Politics of Northern Ireland: a complete overview of the Agreement, the Assembly, the Executive and the parties
A complete overview of CCEA AS 1, the Government and Politics of Northern Ireland. Covers the Good Friday Agreement and later agreements, the Assembly's functions and cross-community voting, the Executive and the d'Hondt formula, and the main parties, plus how AS 1 is assessed.
14 min readRead → - CCEA AS 2 The British Political Process: a complete overview of elections, parties, pressure groups, Parliament and the executive
A complete overview of CCEA AS 2, the British Political Process. Covers UK elections and electoral systems, political parties, pressure groups, the House of Commons and House of Lords, and the Prime Minister, Cabinet and executive, plus how AS 2 is assessed.
14 min readRead →
Politics practice quizzes
Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.
- CCEA A2 1 Comparative Government and Politics overview quiz15 questionsStart →
- CCEA A2 2 Political Power and Political Ideas overview quiz18 questionsStart →
- CCEA AS 1 Government and Politics of Northern Ireland overview quiz16 questionsStart →
- CCEA AS 2 The British Political Process overview quiz16 questionsStart →
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