OCR AS RS - very easy?!

Firstly, I don't mean to offend anyone who has taken this qualification, but just wanted to post my experience in this forum to see if my case is unusual...

Within a month of starting the OCR course (options = Philosophy of Religion / Religious Ethics) I realised I wasn't going to enjoy it. This was mainly do to an awful standard of teaching in my school, combined with a distracting class and a general personal feeling that the subject wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be.

By April, I made the decision to do absolutely no work for the AS exams, because I was getting very stressed with my other subjects and didn't plan to carry RS to A2. Many of the unis I had in mind wanted at least a B in any AS levels though, so I planned to completely fail in the summer, and resit in January to drag myself up to a respectable mark.

For the exams themselves, I went in without knowing any content; I hadn't even written a practice timed essay for 6 months. I felt a bit disappointed because I had never approached an exam in this way before, but accepted it as necessary. I just wrote down whatever I could remember about a topic, and in many cases rambled around the topic because I didn't have a clue what the question was asking about (Kant who?!). I was really, really, weak.

On results day, I was *shocked* to see that I had passed - and got an A grade. Furthermore, I gained very good UMS marks (89, 83, 75 out of 100).

Obviously I'm overjoyed, but cannot understand how this has happened - I literally did not have a clue! This can only lead me to believe that OCR's course is very easy, and can be answered well with just a general knowledge of the topics involved and good writing skills.

Does anyone else agree or disagree? Any surely this can't be good when the media is criticised for calling the exams too easy?!

Reply 1

Inspiron

Yeah I think its not that hard. I can't say I put in much work at all (most of the time I spent dossing around in class and being a clown) and i got 100, 100, 92 in my AS year. But I guess it also depends what type of person you are, the course isn't going to suit all kinds of people.

Reply 2

AlmostInsane

Hmm I personally found that, like with all my A level options, I had to put a lot of work in to get an A. I do RS at another school because of timetable clashes & the teachers were pretty good. RS is also taught at my own school quite badly & pretty much everyone got U's, E's or D's (same exam board).

Reply 3

ange de la nuit

But surely to do that well you have to refer to scholars and use quotes and stuff? Although, yeah it came out as my best subject although most revision was cramming the night before. But I certainly wouldn't say it's an easy subject - it's the one I have to do most work for..........having said THAT most of my class came out with As I think. Oh i dunno lol but i think it's hard...is there any way you could have got someone elses results hehe - no offence

Reply 4

pippa23

hi what textbooks did everyne use? i am teching myself and want to get a good textbook preferably with lots of colour and questions

Reply 5

makinghistory

I thought it definitely had the most content out of all my A levels.

AS wasn't too bad, but at A level there are so many different subject matters, and sooo many different philosophers and religious texts to cover, quote, remember. Combined with the fact that I did Buddhism as the other half meant I a head full of a million quotes!

But we had really good teachers and I really enjoyed it so I did put more work in.

Reply 6

jelly1000

I've just started the new spec course, and I wouldn't call it easy at all. My first RS essay was very demanding and I spent hours doing it. I am however finding it very interesting.

And to pippa 23, if your doing Ethics, then Ethical Studies by Robert Bowie is a great book.

Reply 7

lucyhol1012

I did AS AQA Religious Studies and then changed colleges and now do OCR A-Level.
AQA seems a walk in the park compared to OCR.

I'm finding the OCR at A-Level essays take a lot of time and input to get the higher grades. They need a lot more information than others I've done!

Reply 8

hazzababy17

i scived most of my rs lessons, didnt revise at all, and i got a c

Reply 9

CloudStrife

I have to disagree. Perhaps it's just the particular course or the teaching but the RS results for this year were the lowest of all subjects at my school. Out of 26 people doing RS at AS, I was the only one to get an A.

Reply 10

thewrong_girl

For the AS at least a lot is common sense however, the A2 gets slightly harder (although we now have a rubbish teacher who is obsessed with trees)

Reply 11

morkee

I think AS RS, in my own experience anyway, combined the virtues of being relatively easy to pass (compared to my other subjects) and really interesting at the same time!

However, I do find the exam essays just a matter of regurgitating what you learned: and putting it into some logical order. Thus, it distances itself from being subject where enthusiasm and engagement with the content is the key of success, but to being a glorified memory test. This years Philosophy 1 paper was foul though, I think the exam board are steering away from questions which can be answered with rehearsed answers, I guess!!

I did rather well at AS, and enjoy it! Having said that, I'm finding A2 Philosophy a bit boring: no-one likes to talk about death...!

Reply 12

katyscarlett

I took A levels in English Lit, History, Textiles and RS, and RS was by far the easiest. I got 100% in one of the exams, and the rest were high, too. A good thing about it is that for 'easy' subjects, they are not normally accepted at oxbridge, but Religious Studies is considered a good subject to have :biggrin: