Religious Studies Edexcel

Hey

I have my'Religion and Life' exam on Monday and my 'Religion and Society' exam on Wednesday. I just started revising for the first exam on Monday and all I've got right now is the keywords that I need to know.

I was told the topics that are coming up for the first exam is 'Believing in God', 'Matters of Life of Death', 'Marriage and Family Life', 'Religion and Community Cohesion'.

I do know the structures for the A, B, C and D questions but I am planning to get a revision book so my first question is what book do I buy? I was thinking of getting the CGP one or Edexcel but not too sure?

Secondly, what do I need to know. The four topics I stated above for the first exam have a lot of information and I don't know exactly what I need to know. Someone told me I need to know 4 points for every topic that comes up but I have no clue how to revise for this? Please advise me on this!

Thank you

These are the best:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Revision-Notes-Religious-Religion/dp/147180139X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1463236060&sr=8-3&keywords=edexcel+religion+and+life+society+gcse

Contains everything you need to know

Is it true I need to know 4 points for every topic? Is there some kind of specification for everything I need to know?

LOL Same exam I guess GOOD LUCK Year 10 is very easy but year 11 on the other hand (((((((((

I've made revision cards if you want to borrow them!

Well you're going to need 4 points for the C question so yeah I guess you'll need to know 4 for every topic since you don't know which one will come up Here's the spec: http://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Religious%20Studies/2009/Specification%20and%20sample%20assessments/GCSE_Religious_Studies_Spec_2012.pdf

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Hey

I have my'Religion and Life' exam on Monday and my 'Religion and Society' exam on Wednesday. I just started revising for the first exam on Monday and all I've got right now is the keywords that I need to know.

I was told the topics that are coming up for the first exam is 'Believing in God', 'Matters of Life of Death', 'Marriage and Family Life', 'Religion and Community Cohesion'.

I do know the structures for the A, B, C and D questions but I am planning to get a revision book so my first question is what book do I buy? I was thinking of getting the CGP one or Edexcel but not too sure?

Secondly, what do I need to know. The four topics I stated above for the first exam have a lot of information and I don't know exactly what I need to know. Someone told me I need to know 4 points for every topic that comes up but I have no clue how to revise for this? Please advise me on this!

Thank you

Hiya
I know you've already had some replies but I swear by this revision guide so I thought I'd post it in case you prefer the layout (it's far simpler, and has a more pictorial layout):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/REVISE-Edexcel-Religious-Religion-Christianity/dp/1446905306

There's a workbook you can buy, too, with example questions for each topic - you don't have to answer each question completely, but just putting down points you've learned for each topic as you would answer them is really reassuring:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/REVISE-Edexcel-Religious-Studies-Digital/dp/1446905330/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=M7AXA4RSMP5JJGSSF9CP
(and it has some example answers in the back)

Personally, I just went through each page and if I found a topic I thought I wouldn't be able to answer a question on, I wrote down four points for that topic on a mindmap so I could answer it. The guide I linked to keeps things appropriately simple anyway, so it doesn't drag you down in too much detail/lots of reading (so it's perfect for last minute revision!).

For example, I didn't know much about Islam and homosexuality, so I wrote it on the mind map with, 'believed to harm health', 'punishable by death in Shari'ah law', 'cannot produce children' and 'forbidden in the Qur'an', then highlighted these in pink to show that Muslims are generally against homosexuality.

Then, once I'd finished doing that for all of Unit 1, I went through the workbook and put down the points I would use to answer each of the questions. Again, if I couldn't answer a question I would look for it in the guide and add it to the mindmap.

Obviously everyone revises differently, but that's what has been working for me

As for key words, I wrote them all out on index cards and learnt them topic-by-topic; I find this really effective because you can test yourself with the cards at any time, too.

Finally, as long as you know the basic stance on each topic - this works particularly well for Christianity - then there's usually a few key points that will back up each belief, so it's not always necessary to learn each individual reason for each argument. For example, I almost exclusively use situation ethics, the golden rule, the wedding vows (mostly the vow to be faithful and the vow to remain with your partner 'in sickness and in health', playing God, and the sanctity of life in my arguments for Christian beliefs. Some people frown on this as poor understanding, but it gets you the marks so it's good exam technique.

I hope that helps, lets hope for easy questions on Monday! :P

Also, there's a list of topics you need to learn in the front of the linked revision guide if you click 'look inside', but I can write out the list for you if you can't see it

Thanks, you too.
How are you revising for the first one?


Can I borrow them please



Thanks

Hi,

Does the revision guide you posted show 4 points for every topic, I would preferably have one that shows 4 points or more for every topic.

Also, do you mind sharing the structure you use for every question.

I use the PEE rule so:
b question: 2 PEE (point, evidence, explain)
c question: 4 PEE, but some people are saying to do 3 PE (point explain) and develop one point
d question: 6 PE (point, explain)

Thanks

Hiya
Yep, for the vast majority of topics (where possible) there are four or more points. It also has warning notes for areas that most people struggle with, alongside an examiner's tip.

I also use the PEE rule wherever possible, however we were taught slighty differently:
B Question = 2 PEEs
C Question = 4 PEEs (although there are other methods; I do think 3 points and one fully developed is possible)
D Question = 4 full PEEs total; two for and two against

I think we were told to do full PEEs for each topic mostly as a back up, in case we think we have fully expanded a point but we haven't

Hi,

Does the revision guide you posted show 4 points for every topic, I would preferably have one that shows 4 points or more for every topic.

Also, do you mind sharing the structure you use for every question.

I use the PEE rule so:
b question: 2 PEE (point, evidence, explain)
c question: 4 PEE, but some people are saying to do 3 PE (point explain) and develop one point
d question: 6 PE (point, explain)

Thanks

I would say that this is a little excessive. The exam is short, you need to save time.

What you need to do is:
a) literally give the definition
b) decide between agree OR disagree - DONT SIT ON THE FENCE! Then give 2 reasons for your thinking with a brief explanation for each.
c) 4 brief points with about a sentence of explanation each. This is genuinely all you need, don't be fooled by the masses of lines they give you for this section.
d) (i) decide whether you agree OR disagree, like in b). If the religious view is the one you share, include it here. You MUST include a religious viewpoint somewhere in your answer to d). Three brief points with a small explanation to support each one.
d) (ii) use the reverse argument. If you didn't use a religion in your view, include it here. 3 brief points with small explanations to support each one.

This is how I approach my exam questions and it works out well

I would say that this is a little excessive. The exam is short, you need to save time.

What you need to do is:
a) literally give the definition
b) decide between agree OR disagree - DONT SIT ON THE FENCE! Then give 2 reasons for your thinking with a brief explanation for each.
c) 4 brief points with about a sentence of explanation each. This is genuinely all you need, don't be fooled by the masses of lines they give you for this section.
d) (i) decide whether you agree OR disagree, like in b). If the religious view is the one you share, include it here. You MUST include a religious viewpoint somewhere in your answer to d). Three brief points with a small explanation to support each one.
d) (ii) use the reverse argument. If you didn't use a religion in your view, include it here. 3 brief points with small explanations to support each one.

This is how I approach my exam questions and it works out well

Hiya, just wondering why you say to decide between agree or disagree for the B type questions? We were always told it was best to do a point for and a point against, and declare that you have 'mixed feelings'? Obviously for D style questions you should just choose whichever opinion you have a point for first, but I thought it was acceptable to be undecided in B questions?

Thanks a lot, I've now got a plan sorted for my first exam. I'm writing the flash cards out that were posted above and I'll be reading them over and over again then I'll do a revision guide tomorrow that I ordered then a past paper so I should be sorted.

Hiya, just wondering why you say to decide between agree or disagree for the B type questions? We were always told it was best to do a point for and a point against, and declare that you have 'mixed feelings'? Obviously for D style questions you should just choose whichever opinion you have a point for first, but I thought it was acceptable to be undecided in B questions?