What are the assessment objectives in WJEC GCSE Religious Studies?

There are two, weighted equally. AO1 (knowledge and understanding) is tested in the (a), (b) and (c) questions and rewards knowing and explaining beliefs, teachings and practices. AO2 (analysis and evaluation) is tested in the (d) question and rewards weighing arguments and reaching a supported judgement. Because half the marks are AO2, you must practise evaluation, not only recall.

What are 'sources of wisdom' and why do they matter?

Sources of wisdom are quotations or references from the Bible, the Qur'an or religious leaders. They are used to support points, especially in the (c) explain and (d) evaluation questions, and lift answers into the top bands. Learning a short source of wisdom for each topic is among the highest-value revision you can do for this exam.

How do I reach the top band in the evaluation question?

In the (d) 'Discuss this statement' question, give arguments that agree and arguments that disagree, including both a religious view and a non-religious (atheist or Humanist) view, support them with sources of wisdom, and reach a clear, supported conclusion rather than a vague 'both sides have a point'. Write accurately, because spelling, punctuation and grammar are marked here.

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WJEC GCSE Religious Studies exam skills - the question types and how to answer them

Q: How is WJEC GCSE Religious Studies assessed?

The full course is assessed by two written units: Unit 1 Religion and Philosophical Themes and Unit 2 Religion and Ethical Themes, each worth 50 percent. Unit 1 alone is the short course. Each unit has a Part A (beliefs and teachings in Unit 1, practices in Unit 2) and a Part B (two themes), and the two assessment objectives, AO1 and AO2, are weighted equally.

Q: What question types appear in WJEC GCSE Religious Studies?

Each topic is examined through a ladder of parts, typically labelled (a) to (d) and rising in marks: a short (a) definition (about 2 marks), a (b) describe (about 5 marks), a (c) explain (about 8 marks, rewarding sources of wisdom), and a (d) evaluation, 'Discuss this statement' (about 15 marks), which carries the SPaG marks. Match your length and depth to the tariff.

A complete overview of the WJEC GCSE Religious Studies exam skills, covering the two units and their parts, the (a) to (d) question ladder and mark tariffs, the AO1 and AO2 objectives, sources of wisdom, and how to reach the top band in the SPaG-marked evaluation question.

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What this covers
The exam structure
The question ladder
The assessment objectives
Sources of wisdom and SPaG
Check your knowledge

What this covers

WJEC GCSE Religious Studies rewards knowledge and disciplined exam technique in equal measure. This overview pulls the skills together: the two units and their parts, the (a) to (d) question ladder and mark tariffs, the AO1 and AO2 objectives, the use of sources of wisdom, and how to reach the top band in the SPaG-marked evaluation question.

The exam structure

The full course is two written units: Unit 1: Religion and Philosophical Themes and Unit 2: Religion and Ethical Themes, each worth 50 percent (Unit 1 alone is the short course). Each unit has a Part A (beliefs and teachings in Unit 1, practices in Unit 2) and a Part B (two themes). Know which part a question comes from so you bring the right material.

The question ladder

Each topic is examined through a ladder of parts, rising in marks: a short (a) definition (about 2 marks), a (b) describe (about 5 marks), a (c) explain (about 8 marks, rewarding sources of wisdom), and a (d) evaluation, "Discuss this statement" (about 15 marks), which carries the SPaG marks. Match your length and depth to the tariff.

The assessment objectives

Two assessment objectives are weighted equally. AO1 (knowledge and understanding) is tested in the (a), (b) and (c) questions; AO2 (analysis and evaluation) is tested in the (d) question. Because half the marks are AO2, practise arguing and judging, not only recalling.

Sources of wisdom and SPaG

Sources of wisdom, quotations or references from the Bible, the Qur'an or religious leaders, support points (especially in (c) and (d)) and lift answers into the top bands. In the (d) question, spelling, punctuation and grammar are marked, so write accurately and use specialist terms correctly. Always answer to the command word: "describe" (say what), "explain" (say why), "discuss" (argue and judge).

WJEC GCSE Religious Studies is assessed by two written units, Unit 1 Religion and Philosophical Themes and Unit 2 Religion and Ethical Themes, each worth 50 percent (Unit 1 alone is the short course). Each unit has a Part A (beliefs and teachings, or practices) and a Part B (two themes). Questions follow a ladder labelled (a) to (d): a short (a) definition (about 2 marks), a (b) describe (about 5 marks), a (c) explain (about 8 marks, rewarding sources of wisdom), and a (d) evaluation, 'Discuss this statement' (about 15 marks), which carries the SPaG marks. The two assessment objectives, AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (evaluation), are weighted equally, so half the marks come from arguing and judging. To reach the top band, support points with sources of wisdom, include religious and non-religious views in the (d) question, reach a clear conclusion, and write accurately.

Check your knowledge

How many units make up the full course, and what is each worth? (2 marks)
What does each unit's Part A cover? (2 marks)
List the (a) to (d) question types and their rough tariffs. (4 marks)
What does AO1 test? (1 mark)
What does AO2 test? (1 mark)
What are "sources of wisdom"? (2 marks)
Which question carries the SPaG marks? (1 mark)
What three things lift a (d) answer into the top band? (3 marks)

Sources & how we know this

WJEC GCSE Religious Studies specification (3120) — WJEC (2017)