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CCEA GCSE Religious Studies: complete guide to the units, the options and how to study each one

A complete guide to CCEA GCSE Religious Studies (Northern Ireland). Covers the unitised structure and the popular options, including the revelation of God and the life of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark, Christian ethics, philosophy of religion, Islam and Judaism, the two assessment objectives, how each written paper is structured, and how to study each unit for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (21)

CCEA GCSE Religious Studies is a unitised course examined by separate written papers, set and marked by CCEA in Northern Ireland. This page is the index: below is a map of the units and options, the skills the course tests, the assessment structure, and how to study each unit.

The CCEA GCSE Religious Studies units and options

The qualification offers nine units. Full Course students complete two units and Short Course students complete one, so centres choose the combination that suits them, often a Christianity unit paired with a world faith.

Christianity and the Church
Unit 1 studies the Christian Church through both the Catholic and Protestant Churches; Unit 2 focuses on one of those Churches in more detail; Unit 3, the Revelation of God and the Christian Church, studies the life and identity of Jesus alongside Christian worship, festivals and sacraments.
The gospels
Unit 4 studies Christianity through the Gospel of Matthew and Unit 5 through the Gospel of Mark, examining the identity, teaching, miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus and the call to discipleship.
Ethics and philosophy
Unit 6, an introduction to Christian ethics, applies Christian teaching to issues such as relationships, life and death and war; Unit 7, an introduction to philosophy of religion, examines the existence and nature of God, evil and suffering, religious experience and life after death.
World faiths
Unit 8 is a full study of Islam and Unit 9 a full study of Judaism, each covering formative history, sacred writings, beliefs, practices and festivals.

The skills the course tests

Two assessment objectives run across every unit and separate average answers from top grades.

  • AO1 knowledge and understanding. Precise religious teaching, key texts and named beliefs, practices, festivals and figures.
  • AO2 analysis and evaluation. Weighing different points of view, referring to the statement, and reaching a justified judgement that shows religious understanding.

Assessment structure

Each unit is assessed by a single written paper of one hour and thirty minutes, divided into two sections, with quality of written communication also assessed.

  • Short knowledge questions - one and two-mark tasks testing accurate recall of teaching, texts and practices.
  • Five-mark questions - reward two or three points that are developed or explained, not just listed.
  • The ten-mark evaluation question - in each Section B answer, asks you to consider different points of view about a statement and reach a supported judgement.

How to study CCEA Religious Studies

Religious Studies rewards precise knowledge, balanced judgement, and disciplined exam technique.

  1. Work unit by unit. Learn the teaching, texts, beliefs and practices for each unit you are sitting.
  2. Learn precise detail. Named scripture references, festivals, figures and practices are the evidence your answers need.
  3. Make a point, then explain it. For five-mark questions, say what your point means and apply it to the question.
  4. Evaluate, do not describe. For the ten-mark questions, give more than one point of view and refer to the statement.
  5. Plan and time your answers. Quote teaching, build a balanced argument and reach a supported conclusion within the time.

The units, 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. The units covered in depth here are:

Browse the full set at /ccea-gcse/religious-studies/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.

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 CCEA-GCSE system, explained

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Common questions about Religious Studies

How is CCEA GCSE Religious Studies structured?
CCEA GCSE Religious Studies is unitised. Full Course students complete two units and Short Course students complete one. There are nine units to choose from, examined by separate written papers, each lasting one hour and thirty minutes. Many centres pair a Christianity unit, such as the revelation of God and the Christian Church or a study of a gospel, with a world faith unit on Islam or Judaism, or with the ethics or philosophy unit.
What options can I study in CCEA GCSE Religious Studies?
The nine units are the Christian Church through the Catholic and Protestant Churches, the Christian Church focusing on one of those Churches, the revelation of God and the Christian Church, Christianity through the Gospel of Matthew, Christianity through the Gospel of Mark, an introduction to Christian ethics, an introduction to philosophy of religion, Islam, and Judaism. Centres choose which units their students sit, so the exact combination varies from school to school.
What skills does CCEA GCSE Religious Studies test?
Two assessment objectives run through the course. AO1 is knowledge and understanding of religion and belief, including religious teaching, texts and practices. AO2 is the ability to analyse and evaluate, weighing different points of view to reach a justified judgement. The largest evaluation questions reward balanced argument that refers directly to the statement and shows religious understanding, not just description.
How are the CCEA GCSE Religious Studies exams assessed?
Each unit is assessed by a single written paper of one hour and thirty minutes, split into Section A and Section B. The questions build from short knowledge tasks worth one or two marks, through five-mark questions that reward two or three developed points, to the ten-mark evaluation question in each Section B answer that asks you to consider different points of view. Quality of written communication is also assessed.
Why does CCEA GCSE Religious Studies include world faiths?
CCEA sets and marks Religious Studies in Northern Ireland, where the course is rooted in the core curriculum for Religious Education. Alongside the Christianity and ethics units, the specification offers full units on Islam and Judaism, studied accurately and respectfully through their history, sacred writings, beliefs, practices and festivals. This gives students a fair and detailed understanding of major world faiths.
How should I revise CCEA GCSE Religious Studies?
Work unit by unit, learning precise religious teaching, key texts and named practices, festivals and figures. Drill the short knowledge questions for accurate recall, and rehearse the five-mark questions by making a point and then explaining what it means. For the ten-mark evaluation questions, plan balanced arguments that quote scripture or teaching, refer directly to the statement and reach a supported conclusion. Revise from the current CCEA specification, past papers and mark schemes, because question style is board-specific.