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THEME A RELATIONSHIPS & FAMILIES AQA EXAM QUESTION WALKTHROUGH (GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES)
Ben Wardle
Overview
This video provides a comprehensive walkthrough of the AQA GCSE Religious Studies Theme A: Relationships and Families exam paper. It breaks down the five question types, offering strategies and model answer structures to achieve top marks. The guide covers keyword identification, stating two religious beliefs, explaining similar or contrasting beliefs, explaining beliefs with scriptural reference, and evaluating statements. It emphasizes understanding command words, structuring answers effectively, and using specific religious terminology and evidence to secure a high grade.
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Chapters
- The exam for Theme A consists of five questions totaling 24 marks.
- Each question type targets a different skill: keyword identification, stating facts, explaining beliefs, explaining with scripture, and evaluation.
- The goal is to achieve full marks (24/24) by mastering exam technique and content.
- Key topics include marriage, family, sexual ethics, and gender roles.
Knowing the structure and demands of each question type is crucial for allocating time effectively and ensuring all requirements are met to maximize your score.
The video outlines that Question 1 is always a keyword identification worth 1 mark, Question 2 is 'give two' worth 2 marks, Question 3 is 'explain two similar or contrasting beliefs' worth 4 marks, Question 4 is 'explain with reference' worth 5 marks, and Question 5 is 'evaluate' worth 12 marks.
- This question is worth one mark and requires identifying the correct keyword from a multiple-choice selection.
- Success depends on memorizing the AQA-specified keywords and their precise definitions.
- Understanding common misconceptions, like the difference between gender prejudice (a thought) and gender discrimination (an action), is vital.
- Knowing where keywords fit within broader topics (e.g., procreation as a purpose of marriage) aids comprehension.
Mastering keywords is foundational, not only for this question but also for understanding and answering subsequent, more complex questions accurately.
An example question asks to identify the term for 'the legal ending of a marriage,' with options including cohabitation, contraception, divorce, and polygamy. The correct answer is 'divorce'.
- This question is worth two marks and requires stating two distinct religious beliefs on a given topic.
- The command word 'give' means to bullet point concise, single-sentence summaries or 'headlines' of beliefs.
- Clarity and conciseness are paramount; avoid explanations or connectives.
- Always specify the religion or denomination (e.g., 'Catholics believe,' 'liberal Christians believe').
This tests your ability to recall and present specific religious teachings accurately and succinctly, demonstrating knowledge of different religious perspectives.
For the topic of divorce, one bullet point could be: 'Catholics are completely against divorce as marriage must be lifelong.' A second bullet point could be: 'Islam allows divorce as an option of last resort.'
- This four-mark question requires explaining two beliefs that are either similar or contrasting, depending on the question's wording.
- The command word 'explain' means to provide detail and reasons, using phrases like 'this is because' or 'this means that'.
- For 'similar' beliefs, both must agree on the issue; for 'contrasting,' they must clearly differ or conflict.
- Structure involves stating the belief, explaining the reason for it, and clearly indicating if the beliefs are similar or contrasting.
This question assesses your ability to analyze and articulate the nuances of religious teachings, comparing and contrasting them with supporting reasoning.
To explain two contrasting beliefs about contraception: 'Catholic Christians oppose contraception because they believe every sex act must remain open to the transmission of life (the principle of inalienability). Contrastingly, the Church of England allows contraception within marriage for family planning purposes, believing it acceptable within a loving Christian marriage.'
- This five-mark question requires explaining two religious beliefs, with at least one explanation explicitly referencing scripture or a religious source.
- You must clearly state the source (e.g., Bible, Quran, Hadith, Catechism) when making the reference, though paraphrasing is acceptable.
- The first belief requires explanation and a scriptural reference; the second belief requires explanation but no additional reference.
- This tests your ability to integrate religious texts into your explanations.
This question demonstrates your understanding of how religious texts inform and shape beliefs and practices within different faiths.
Explaining two beliefs about the purpose of families: 'One Christian belief is that families should educate children within the faith. This means families will read the Bible and celebrate festivals together. This is seen in the Bible, which teaches, 'bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord'.' A second belief is that Islamic families should care for elderly parents. This means visiting them regularly and treating them kindly.
- This is the highest-value question (12 marks) and requires evaluating a given statement.
- Evaluation means presenting reasons to agree with the statement and reasons to disagree, supported by explanation and evidence (quotes).
- A justified conclusion, stating your personal agreement or disagreement and the reasoning behind it, is essential.
- The structure typically involves two paragraphs agreeing and two disagreeing, each with a point, explanation, evidence, and a link back to the statement, followed by the conclusion.
This question assesses your critical thinking and argumentation skills, requiring you to weigh different perspectives and form a reasoned judgment on complex issues.
Evaluating the statement 'It is wrong to disapprove of homosexual relationships': Agreeing points might include liberal Christian views on the quality of relationships and Pope Francis's 'Who am I to judge?' stance. Disagreeing points could cite traditional Christian beliefs based on Genesis ('be fruitful and multiply') or Islamic views referencing the Quran's warnings against abandoning wives.
Key takeaways
- Understanding the specific command words (give, explain, evaluate, reference) is critical for answering each question type correctly.
- Accurate recall and concise presentation of religious beliefs, clearly attributed to specific denominations, are essential for marks in Questions 2, 3, and 4.
- Scriptural references must be explicit, stating the source, and integrated into explanations for Question 4.
- Evaluation requires a balanced approach, presenting both supporting and opposing arguments with evidence before reaching a justified personal conclusion.
- Memorizing key terms and their definitions is fundamental for Question 1 and supports understanding across all question types.
- Structuring answers logically, using appropriate phrases like 'this is because' for explanations and clear signposting for contrasts, maximizes clarity and marks.
- The ability to connect abstract religious teachings to concrete examples and scriptural evidence is key to demonstrating deep understanding.
Key terms
KeywordGive twoExplainSimilar beliefsContrasting beliefsReference to scriptureEvaluateJustified conclusionCohabitationContraceptionDivorceRemarriageGender discriminationGender equalityHomosexualitySame-sex marriage
Test your understanding
- What is the difference between explaining two similar beliefs and explaining two contrasting beliefs in the context of religious studies?
- How does the command word 'give' in Question 2 differ in its requirement from the command word 'explain' in Question 3?
- Why is it important to explicitly state the source of religious teaching when answering Question 4?
- What are the essential components of a justified conclusion in an evaluative answer for Question 5?
- How can understanding keywords from Question 1 help you answer the more complex questions later in the exam?