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GCSE EdExcel Religious Studies help forum! :)

Hello all :smile:

I was just revising for the GCSE RS exams on the 16th and 18th May 2016 and came up with an idea... a help forum :biggrin:

With such a weighty subject like RE, it's easy to forget little things here and there, it's a very information dense GCSE and if you forget 1 topic and mess up an exam question it can really affect your grade massively due to the ridiculous tight grade boundaries !! :frown:

So if you do this GCSE you could post a topic that you may need help with or reminding of and someone else could reply reminding you of the attitudes and enough info to help you answer an 8 mark question. E.g. I could ask for help with Christian attitudes to euthanasia and someone would help me and I could help others with topics e.c.t.

I don't know how popular this'll be but it's worth a shot right?:elefant:

So the exams are split into 2 papers, 1hr 30 mins each, each exam has 4/8 topics we have studied and each topic has all its sub-topics:

PAPER 1: Religion and Life (unit 1)
-Believing in God
-Matters of life and death
-Marriage and the family
-Religion and community cohesion

PAPER 2: Religion and society (Unit 8)
-Rights and Responsibilities
-Environmental and Medical issues
-Peace and Conflict
-Crime and Punishment

I think it'd work best if you be specific: if you say "I need help with the peace and conflict unit", someone would be here all day telling you about it because it's split into sub-topics ,so, state what specific sub-topic you'd like help with. For example, "I would like help with peace and conflict, specifically Muslim attitudes to war".

Get chatting all! Hope this works and helps anyone :biggrin:

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Those are also my exact exams :smile:

There are some contrary opinions however- some state that they can learn everything...from mark schemes

How are you revising for it?
Reply 2
Original post by Username3097486
Those are also my exact exams :smile:

There are some contrary opinions however- some state that they can learn everything...from mark schemes

How are you revising for it?


I've never believed in learning from mark schemes personally but it depends what type of learner you are ! :smile:

I like to write notes to refresh my memory and do practice exam questions... although I learn the best by verbally speaking to myself lol!

So basically i give myself a topic to verbally answer an 8 marker on without the textbook or notes and talk myself through that topic as if i as writing an 8 marker and then I check what i missed :smile: I must sound stupid when i'm doing it, but it works! Or i pretend i'm teaching someone else... :biggrin:
How about you?
Original post by Mez.
I've never believed in learning from mark schemes personally but it depends what type of learner you are ! :smile:

I like to write notes to refresh my memory and do practice exam questions... although I learn the best by verbally speaking to myself lol!

So basically i give myself a topic to verbally answer an 8 marker on without the textbook or notes and talk myself through that topic as if i as writing an 8 marker and then I check what i missed :smile: I must sound stupid when i'm doing it, but it works! Or i pretend i'm teaching someone else... :biggrin:
How about you?


Not going to lie, i havent started revising for it but im planning to. Focusing on other subjects atm even though its quite close

What revision sources are you using then may I ask? :smile:
yaay the same units
I do the exact same exam board and topics (mine is a study of Catholic Christianity) and managed to get 98% on the mock so I'm happy to help !!
Reply 6
Original post by Username3097486
Not going to lie, i havent started revising for it but im planning to. Focusing on other subjects atm even though its quite close

What revision sources are you using then may I ask? :smile:


I use:
My class exercise books
Pearson revision guide and revision workbook (it's the lilac one with a lotus flower on the front)
The Hodder Education Textbook 'GCSE Religious studies for Edexcel'
The separate edition textbooks for each unit which are much more detailed, I have the one for paper 1 and 2- also hodder education ones :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by rosie.mn
I do the exact same exam board and topics (mine is a study of Catholic Christianity) and managed to get 98% on the mock so I'm happy to help !!


Woooo well done! I got 93% on my mock :smile:
Original post by Mez.
Woooo well done! I got 93% on my mock :smile:

Well done ! I'm so annoyed the boundaries have gone up so significantly, it's making an a* look a lot harder to achieve
How do i answer edexcel questions?My teacher over explains it(he's crap at teaching) whereas other teachers say its really simple and easy .For e.g 8 markers 4 devoloped points.Does all answers have to be Christianity related or can SOME be life releated for e.g" Divorce is bad because it may lead to the children thinking marrrige does not matter"
In the topic believing in God, how do you answer an 8 marker about tv shows and movies and how they cause belief in God? A model answer would be appreciated! :smile:
I managed 98% in my last mock and thankfully, this didn't come up!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Blancosdos
How do i answer edexcel questions?My teacher over explains it(he's crap at teaching) whereas other teachers say its really simple and easy .For e.g 8 markers 4 devoloped points.Does all answers have to be Christianity related or can SOME be life releated for e.g" Divorce is bad because it may lead to the children thinking marrrige does not matter"

Ok so your 2 marker is the keyword. You get one mark for general explanation and two for fully correct answer.
Your 4 marker is either 2 developed points, which must be developed using another point or quotes, or 4 individual points. It can be a mixed answer, eg 'I am undecided on this issue.....'
Your 8 is basically 4 developed points. It could include quotes but this isn't always a religious question it can be something like 'explain how people can make the world less polluted' and then you give your point and explain why rather than the 4 that requires development not necessarily explanation.
Lastly your 6 marker is 3 for, 3 against an argument. You must use quotes here to get a mark but they don't need to be developed points! Hope this helped x
Original post by rosie.mn
Ok so your 2 marker is the keyword. You get one mark for general explanation and two for fully correct answer.
Your 4 marker is either 2 developed points, which must be developed using another point or quotes, or 4 individual points. It can be a mixed answer, eg 'I am undecided on this issue.....'
Your 8 is basically 4 developed points. It could include quotes but this isn't always a religious question it can be something like 'explain how people can make the world less polluted' and then you give your point and explain why rather than the 4 that requires development not necessarily explanation.
Lastly your 6 marker is 3 for, 3 against an argument. You must use quotes here to get a mark but they don't need to be developed points! Hope this helped x

This was useful but for the 4 marker, I'm sure you're not allowed 4 separate points as the text under the question states give "two reasons for your point of view" :smile: so it's got to be two expanded points.
Original post by MezmorisedPotato
In the topic believing in God, how do you answer an 8 marker about tv shows and movies and how they cause belief in God? A model answer would be appreciated! :smile:
I managed 98% in my last mock and thankfully, this didn't come up!

Our teacher has advised us to stay away from these questions as they tend to be harder to gain marks on, but you need to use media examples. An example of this is 'tv can lead people not to believe in God, as in films (mention an example here) God can be portrayed as being omnibenevolent which leads people to believe in God because..' I'd honestly stay away from these questions though ! There always an alternative
Original post by MezmorisedPotato
This was useful but for the 4 marker, I'm sure you're not allowed 4 separate points as the text under the question states give "two reasons for your point of view" :smile: so it's got to be two expanded points.

Yeah sorry what I mean is that the expansions don't necessarily need to be related to the first point. You would say 'also' to connect two unrelated points and you would still get the 2 marks
Reply 15
Original post by rosie.mn
Our teacher has advised us to stay away from these questions as they tend to be harder to gain marks on, but you need to use media examples. An example of this is 'tv can lead people not to believe in God, as in films (mention an example here) God can be portrayed as being omnibenevolent which leads people to believe in God because..' I'd honestly stay away from these questions though ! There always an alternative


I agree, try and avoid these at all costs- they are HORRIBLE questions!!
But, I remeber using 'The Vicar of Dibley' for my example and i did 4 developed reasons as to why this TV show would/would not leave to belief in God- for these, it's best to use an example to structure your answer, you could use bruce almighty x
Reply 16
Original post by rosie.mn
Well done ! I'm so annoyed the boundaries have gone up so significantly, it's making an a* look a lot harder to achieve


Ughhh i know! 94% for an A* now! I just missed out last time :frown:
Reply 17
Could anyone help me with why justice is important to Muslims? Thanks :biggrin:
Original post by Blancosdos
How do i answer edexcel questions?My teacher over explains it(he's crap at teaching) whereas other teachers say its really simple and easy .For e.g 8 markers 4 devoloped points.Does all answers have to be Christianity related or can SOME be life releated for e.g" Divorce is bad because it may lead to the children thinking marrrige does not matter"

2 marks - explain the key term
4 marks - two developed reasons, can be for, against or both
8 marks - four developed points. if the question says something like "explain Christian views on divorce" then all points need to be related to Christianity, otherwise you can have some life ones like if it was "explain why some people agree with divorce and some do not"
6 marks - three points for, three against. at least one point overall has to be based on the religion in question

Original post by Mez.
Could anyone help me with why justice is important to Muslims? Thanks :biggrin:


. Qur'an teaches that God wants people to act in justice and fairness to each other
. everyone is equal under Islamic law
. justice is the basis of Zakah (a pillar of Islam)
. Shari'ah law requires justice for everyone
. prophet Muhammad acted with justice
this is all from the textbook so hope it helps :smile:

I'm doing Unit 2 and Unit 8, aiming for A* (even with the ridiculous grade boundaries!)

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Vanilla Cupcake
2 marks - explain the key term
4 marks - two developed reasons, can be for, against or both
8 marks - four developed points. if the question says something like "explain Christian views on divorce" then all points need to be related to Christianity, otherwise you can have some life ones like if it was "explain why some people agree with divorce and some do not"
6 marks - three points for, three against. at least one point overall has to be based on the religion in question



. Qur'an teaches that God wants people to act in justice and fairness to each other
. everyone is equal under Islamic law
. justice is the basis of Zakah (a pillar of Islam)
. Shari'ah law requires justice for everyone
. prophet Muhammad acted with justice
this is all from the textbook so hope it helps :smile:

I'm doing Unit 2 and Unit 8, aiming for A* (even with the ridiculous grade boundaries!)

Posted from TSR Mobile


What do you mean some life ones?Thanks btw

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