A level Religious Studies

There are different exam board options available to private candidates for A level religious studies as there are no NEAs or coursework components. 
Cambridge do not have a Religious Studies International A level available (only Biblical Studies.) 
== EDEXCEL A Level Religious Studies (9RS0) ==
The full specification can be found here: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/religious-studies-2016.html
==== A level – choice of three papers from the following four options ====
==== Paper 1: Philosophy of Religion          33.33%              80 marks               2hrs ====
Content overview 
# • Philosophical issues.
# • Nature and influence of religious experience.
# • Problems of evil and suffering.
# • Philosophical language.
# • Works of scholars.
# • Influences of developments.
==== Paper 2: Religion and Ethics                 33.33%             80 marks               2hrs ====
Content overview 
# • Significant concepts in issues and debates.
# • Study of three ethical theories.
# • Application of ethical theories.
# • Ethical language.
# • Deontology, Virtue Ethics and the works of scholars.
# • Medical ethics.
==== Paper 3: New Testament Studies       33.33%              80 marks               2hrs ====
Content overview 
# • Contexts of the New Testament.
# • Texts and interpretation of the Person of Jesus.
# • Interpreting the text and the purpose and authorship.
# • Ways of interpreting the scripture.
# • Texts and interpretation.
# • Scientific and historical-critical challenges
==== Paper 4: Study of Religion                     33.33%             80 marks               2hrs ====
Options - Students take one of the following six options: 4A: Buddhism 4B: Christianity 4C: Hinduism 4D: Islam 4E: Judaism 4F: Sikhism.
Content overview 
# • Religious beliefs, values and teachings.
# • Sources of wisdom and authority.
# • Practices that shape and express religious identity.
# • Social and historical developments.
# • Works of scholars.
# • Religion and society.
=== Assessment overview ===
An externally-assessed written examination comprising three sections. Students answer all questions in Section A and Section B, and one question in Section C
Section A: Two structured questions.
1.  Explore… [8 marks]
2.  Assess… [12 marks]
Section B: Two extended-response questions on an excerpt, sourced from the extracts list. These are published in the relevant pages of the A Level Religious Studies Anthology which can be downloaded from the Pearson qualifications website.
3 a)  Clarify (ideas/teachings in the passage)… [10 marks]
  b)  Analyse… [20 marks]
Section C: One extended essay question
4.  Evaluate…[30 marks]
Forbidden combination Candidates who enter for Paper 3: New Testament Studies cannot enter for Paper 4B: Christianity and vice versa
== AQA A Level Religious Studies (7062) ==
Full Specification can be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/as-and-a-level/religious-studies-7062
==== Paper 1: Philosophy of religion and ethics       50%      100 marks  3hrs ====
Content Overview
Section A: Philosophy of religion
* Arguments for the existence of God
* Evil and suffering
* Religious experience
* Religious language
* Miracles
* Self and life after death.
Section B: Ethics and religion
* Ethical theories
* Issues of human life and death
* Issues of animal life and death
* Introduction to meta ethics
* Free will and moral responsibility
* Conscience
* Bentham and Kant.
Questions
·        Section A: Philosophy of religion – two compulsory two-part questions. For each one the first part is an ‘examine’ 10 mark question. Second part for each is a quote and ‘evaluate this claim’  15 mark question.
·        Section B: Ethics and religion – two compulsory two-part questions. For each one the first part is an ‘examine’ 10 mark question. Second part for each is a quote and ‘evaluate this claim’  15 mark question.
In both sections, questions may span more than one topic. In each two-part question, the first part tests AO1 and the second part tests AO2.
==== Paper 2: Study of religion and dialogues          50%      100 marks  3hrs ====
Choose one of these options: 2A Buddhism, 2B Christianity 2C Hinduism 2D Islam 2E Judaism
Content Overview
Section A: Study of religion – for each faith option (2A–2E) the following topics are covered:
* Sources of wisdom and authority
* God/gods/ultimate reality
* Self, death and the afterlife
* Good conduct and key moral principles
* Expression of religious identity
* Religion, gender and sexuality
* Religion and science
* Religion and secularisation
* Religion and religious pluralism.
Section B: The dialogue between philosophy of religion and religion.
How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on philosophy of religion in relation to the issues studied.
Section C: The dialogue between ethical studies and religion.
How religion is influenced by, and has an influence on ethical studies in relation to the issues studied.
Questions
·        Section A: Study of religion – two compulsory two-part questions, each worth 10 marks and 15 marks relating to the religion chosen. 10 mark question is  an ‘examine’ question.  15 mark question is a quote asking you to ‘evaluate this claim’.  Questions may be set that span more than one topic. In each two-part question, the first part tests AO1 and the second part tests AO2.
·        Section B: The dialogue between philosophy of religion and religion – one unstructured synoptic question from a choice of two (25 marks). A quote then ‘critically examine and evaluate this view with reference to the dialogue between [religion] and philosophy’.
·       Section C: The dialogue between ethical studies and religion – one unstructured synoptic question from a choice of two (25 marks). A quote then ‘critically examine and evaluate this view with reference to the dialogue between [religion] and ethics’.
== OCR A Level Religious Studies (H573) ==
Full specification can be found here: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/religious-studies-h173-h573-from-2016/
==== Paper 1: Philosophy of religion                            33.33%              120 marks        2hrs ====
Content Overview
Students study philosophical language and thought, and issues and questions raised by belief:
# ·      Ancient philosophical influences
# ·      the nature of the soul, mind and body
# ·      Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God
# ·      The nature and impact of religious experience
# ·      The challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil
# ·      Ideas about the nature of God
# ·      Issues in religious language.
==== Paper 2: Religion and ethics                                  33.33%              120 marks        2hrs ====
Content Overview
Students explore key concepts and the works of influential thinkers, ethical theories and their application:
# ·      Normative ethical theories
# ·      The application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance
# ·      Ethical language and thought
# ·      Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience
# ·      Sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs.
==== Paper 3: Developments in religious thought   33.33%              120 marks        2hrs ====
Students select one religion from the following to study systematically: Christianity (03), Islam (04), Judaism (05), Buddhism (06), Hinduism (07).
Content Overview
They explore:
# ·      Religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world
# ·      Sources of religious wisdom and authority
# ·      Practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition
# ·      Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought
# ·      Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society.