Rs GCSE Help
Failed my rs mock in november. been grinding to get my grades up i got mocks after half term so im aiming for a 6. any tips for 12 and 5 makes / content + mocks only themes so just revising thsg
Reply 1
Original post by tom47234912348
Failed my rs mock in november. been grinding to get my grades up i got mocks after half term so im aiming for a 6. any tips for 12 and 5 makes / content + mocks only themes so just revising thsg
Make sure you know enough quotes to cover each topic and I would advise you to pick them yourself as the quote banks on the internet are not the best. Have a look at this YouTube channel, it's amazing for revision https://youtu.be/3Lm-Qz2NQQo?si=HoWThOA-47Wq26Ij
Obviously know the content well, make flashcards or mindmaps, whatever works best for you.
Also, here is the way you need to answer each question which is very important:
2 marker - give few words for each point, DO NOT explain anything
4 marker - point, explain, point, explain. You can fit it into 2 sentence but I prefer writing in 4.
5 marker - point, explain, point, explain, quote(it can be anywhere in the answer). It would be good if you were to state 1 quote and 2 different interpretations, than explain them. But it can be simply point+explanation and point+explanation+quote, it's also totally fine.
12 marker Paper 1 - Short introduction explaining what the statement is asking(never write anything like "In this essay I'm going to write about...", it's waffling), 1 Agree PEEL paragraph and 1 Diagree PEEL paragraph, another Agree or Diagree PEEL Paragraph if you have time, conclusion where you state which point you find the most convincing and why.
12 marker Paper 2 - all the same except you write 1 paragraph about religious view that agrees with the statement, 1 that disagrees and 1 non-religious perspective.
Evidence doesn't have to be a quote and a quote doesn't have to be from a religious text, you can use a reference to an event, case study or what Pope said, for example.
I hope you found it helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
These are tips specific to the Edexcel format, but you could still use them if you're doing a different exam board.
1) 5 markers are just like the 4 markers, both either asking for explanation, significance or importance of a specific event, topic or person. The only difference between them is that your fifth mark comes from using a quotation from a religious text. This quotation HAS to SUPPORT one of your reasonings. I can not stress this enough. For example in the Christianity paper, don't be throwing in John 3:16 because that's the only verse you know when the question is clearly asking about the importance of miracles in the Bible. It would be very difficult to use that verse to either support or provide evidence for one of your explanations. The quote should either support your explanation or provide evidence of the question or your point.
E.g. Explain the importance of miracles in the Bible, you could use Matthew 8:16-17 "[He] healed all that were sick" as to support the point that miracles are important in the Bible as they free people from their problems and provide reason for people to believe in God. You could also use verse 17 "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet" to support the point that miracles are important in the Bible as they are a fulfilment of God's word and promises to His people and the world.
Remember, you DO NOT NEED TO WRITE A WHOLE VERSE DOWN. You won't get more marks for knowing an entire text/verse/quote, you'll only get 1 mark out 5 for quotations. Tip: you don't need to know the quote exactly word for word. You just need to remember the important parts of it and be able to refer to where it comes from (e.g. "For God so loved the world" - John 3:16).
2) Just like I said earlier 4 markers and 5 markers are practically almost the same. This means despite the extra quote you need to include, the answering style is pretty similar. Give your point, explain it, give a quote to support it and then repeat (but no need for another quote the second time).
E.g. Explain the importance of miracles in the Bible using a source of wisdom in your answer.
Miracles are important in the Bible as they bring healing and restoration to the sick and hopeless in the Bible. This is because miracles help to restore joy and peace in people's lives, giving them a reason to believe in God and Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Matthew 8:16 talks about how Jesus " healed them all." Another reason is that miracles are also a fulfilment of God's Word and thereby a testament of His goodness. This is because there are many prophecies in the Bible concerning miracles about healing the sock, which Jesus fulfils in the New Testament, further providing people with reasons to believe in God as well.
3) 12/15 markers are probably the hardest just because of the structure of them. One thing I've learnt the most with questions like these is to NOT give YOUR opinion or view on the matter but the opinion/view of OTHERS on the matter. This question is based on evaluating both sides of the argument, viewing the question from different angles.
Again, this is an EVALUATION question, not just an explanation question. You have to reason whether the points and reasons being brought forth concerning a certain matter are valid or not. Would you consider the reasons of this person or group of people to be strong or weak?
Let's break the question down into mark's. For the 12 marker, you should be writing at least 3 mini paragraphs (4 if you have the time). This doesn't include the small but important introduction and the well explained CONCLUSION. No, one or two sentences as a conclusion is not enough to call it a day. You need to, shortly, re-iterate the points you were making earlier in your short essay and make it clear to the examiner whether you would agree or disagree with the question, using your strongest point to JUSTIFY your decision.
Each mini paragraph should be around 3-4 marks worth. Here's the format I used for my mini paragraphs:
Para 1&2: Agree (or disagree)
Para 3(&4): Disagree (or agree)
What makes 15 markers different from 12 markers is that you get 3 extra marks for your use of terminology. For example in the Islam paper you could easily get marks for using the terms 'Al-Qadr' and 'Akhirah' (as long as the terms are related to the question). Another way to get these marks is by giving short but precise definitions of terms or important words, or by incorporating quotations from sources of wisdom and authority in your essay.
One thing that helped me a lot was practice questions. Don't be afraid to email your teacher exam questions to mark for you. That's what I did. I would even do questions on the morning of the exam.
For me personally, it's by the Grace of God that I was able to get the scores I got and that I could even remember these tips and tricks. Also having an amazing teacher, though mine was quite strict marker, was also quite helpful (shout out to my RS teacher who believed I could get higher grades despite being stuck on a 6 for almost the entire year; I ended up getting an 8
Anyways, I hope these tips help and all the best!
PS: pm if you would like some model answers or if you would like me to mark some of your answers
1) 5 markers are just like the 4 markers, both either asking for explanation, significance or importance of a specific event, topic or person. The only difference between them is that your fifth mark comes from using a quotation from a religious text. This quotation HAS to SUPPORT one of your reasonings. I can not stress this enough. For example in the Christianity paper, don't be throwing in John 3:16 because that's the only verse you know when the question is clearly asking about the importance of miracles in the Bible. It would be very difficult to use that verse to either support or provide evidence for one of your explanations. The quote should either support your explanation or provide evidence of the question or your point.
E.g. Explain the importance of miracles in the Bible, you could use Matthew 8:16-17 "[He] healed all that were sick" as to support the point that miracles are important in the Bible as they free people from their problems and provide reason for people to believe in God. You could also use verse 17 "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet" to support the point that miracles are important in the Bible as they are a fulfilment of God's word and promises to His people and the world.
Remember, you DO NOT NEED TO WRITE A WHOLE VERSE DOWN. You won't get more marks for knowing an entire text/verse/quote, you'll only get 1 mark out 5 for quotations. Tip: you don't need to know the quote exactly word for word. You just need to remember the important parts of it and be able to refer to where it comes from (e.g. "For God so loved the world" - John 3:16).
2) Just like I said earlier 4 markers and 5 markers are practically almost the same. This means despite the extra quote you need to include, the answering style is pretty similar. Give your point, explain it, give a quote to support it and then repeat (but no need for another quote the second time).
E.g. Explain the importance of miracles in the Bible using a source of wisdom in your answer.
Miracles are important in the Bible as they bring healing and restoration to the sick and hopeless in the Bible. This is because miracles help to restore joy and peace in people's lives, giving them a reason to believe in God and Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Matthew 8:16 talks about how Jesus " healed them all." Another reason is that miracles are also a fulfilment of God's Word and thereby a testament of His goodness. This is because there are many prophecies in the Bible concerning miracles about healing the sock, which Jesus fulfils in the New Testament, further providing people with reasons to believe in God as well.
3) 12/15 markers are probably the hardest just because of the structure of them. One thing I've learnt the most with questions like these is to NOT give YOUR opinion or view on the matter but the opinion/view of OTHERS on the matter. This question is based on evaluating both sides of the argument, viewing the question from different angles.
Again, this is an EVALUATION question, not just an explanation question. You have to reason whether the points and reasons being brought forth concerning a certain matter are valid or not. Would you consider the reasons of this person or group of people to be strong or weak?
Let's break the question down into mark's. For the 12 marker, you should be writing at least 3 mini paragraphs (4 if you have the time). This doesn't include the small but important introduction and the well explained CONCLUSION. No, one or two sentences as a conclusion is not enough to call it a day. You need to, shortly, re-iterate the points you were making earlier in your short essay and make it clear to the examiner whether you would agree or disagree with the question, using your strongest point to JUSTIFY your decision.
Each mini paragraph should be around 3-4 marks worth. Here's the format I used for my mini paragraphs:
Para 1&2: Agree (or disagree)
•
Point
•
Explain point
•
Is this a strong/weak point
•
Why is that (+who would have this point, is it limited to only one group of people or is an universal point of view?)
Para 3(&4): Disagree (or agree)
•
Point
•
Explain point
•
Is this a strong/weak point
•
Why is that (+who would have this point, is it limited to only one group of people or is an universal point of view?)
What makes 15 markers different from 12 markers is that you get 3 extra marks for your use of terminology. For example in the Islam paper you could easily get marks for using the terms 'Al-Qadr' and 'Akhirah' (as long as the terms are related to the question). Another way to get these marks is by giving short but precise definitions of terms or important words, or by incorporating quotations from sources of wisdom and authority in your essay.
One thing that helped me a lot was practice questions. Don't be afraid to email your teacher exam questions to mark for you. That's what I did. I would even do questions on the morning of the exam.
For me personally, it's by the Grace of God that I was able to get the scores I got and that I could even remember these tips and tricks. Also having an amazing teacher, though mine was quite strict marker, was also quite helpful (shout out to my RS teacher who believed I could get higher grades despite being stuck on a 6 for almost the entire year; I ended up getting an 8
Anyways, I hope these tips help and all the best!
PS: pm if you would like some model answers or if you would like me to mark some of your answers
Reply 3
Original post by SofiiaI
Hi! I've been getting 8s and 9s only for RE on every single test and mock and I'm going to take A level RS next year. Here is some advice I can give:
Make sure you know enough quotes to cover each topic and I would advise you to pick them yourself as the quote banks on the internet are not the best. Have a look at this YouTube channel, it's amazing for revision https://youtu.be/3Lm-Qz2NQQo?si=HoWThOA-47Wq26Ij
Obviously know the content well, make flashcards or mindmaps, whatever works best for you.
Also, here is the way you need to answer each question which is very important:
2 marker - give few words for each point, DO NOT explain anything
4 marker - point, explain, point, explain. You can fit it into 2 sentence but I prefer writing in 4.
5 marker - point, explain, point, explain, quote(it can be anywhere in the answer). It would be good if you were to state 1 quote and 2 different interpretations, than explain them. But it can be simply point+explanation and point+explanation+quote, it's also totally fine.
12 marker Paper 1 - Short introduction explaining what the statement is asking(never write anything like "In this essay I'm going to write about...", it's waffling), 1 Agree PEEL paragraph and 1 Diagree PEEL paragraph, another Agree or Diagree PEEL Paragraph if you have time, conclusion where you state which point you find the most convincing and why.
12 marker Paper 2 - all the same except you write 1 paragraph about religious view that agrees with the statement, 1 that disagrees and 1 non-religious perspective.
Evidence doesn't have to be a quote and a quote doesn't have to be from a religious text, you can use a reference to an event, case study or what Pope said, for example.
I hope you found it helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
Make sure you know enough quotes to cover each topic and I would advise you to pick them yourself as the quote banks on the internet are not the best. Have a look at this YouTube channel, it's amazing for revision https://youtu.be/3Lm-Qz2NQQo?si=HoWThOA-47Wq26Ij
Obviously know the content well, make flashcards or mindmaps, whatever works best for you.
Also, here is the way you need to answer each question which is very important:
2 marker - give few words for each point, DO NOT explain anything
4 marker - point, explain, point, explain. You can fit it into 2 sentence but I prefer writing in 4.
5 marker - point, explain, point, explain, quote(it can be anywhere in the answer). It would be good if you were to state 1 quote and 2 different interpretations, than explain them. But it can be simply point+explanation and point+explanation+quote, it's also totally fine.
12 marker Paper 1 - Short introduction explaining what the statement is asking(never write anything like "In this essay I'm going to write about...", it's waffling), 1 Agree PEEL paragraph and 1 Diagree PEEL paragraph, another Agree or Diagree PEEL Paragraph if you have time, conclusion where you state which point you find the most convincing and why.
12 marker Paper 2 - all the same except you write 1 paragraph about religious view that agrees with the statement, 1 that disagrees and 1 non-religious perspective.
Evidence doesn't have to be a quote and a quote doesn't have to be from a religious text, you can use a reference to an event, case study or what Pope said, for example.
I hope you found it helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
Original post by tom47234912348
Failed my rs mock in november. been grinding to get my grades up i got mocks after half term so im aiming for a 6. any tips for 12 and 5 makes / content + mocks only themes so just revising thsg
Hi, I got a 9 on my RS gcse last year and the most important part for your 15 markers is to plan what you will write and include in each paragraph quickly and roughly before you start writing. And also make sure you have A LOT of evidence to back the statement your writing and that evidence is mainly quotes and verses. And then finally make sure you stick to the PEEL structure so that you include everything you need. For 5 markers you just need to write five points on that specific topic. The only way to improve your grade is first of all nailing the content perfectly and then analysing as many past papers as you can do that you understand what the mark scheme is asking of you and the general structure will remain the same throughout despite the question.
Reply 5
Original post by tom47234912348
i only really failed bc i didnt revise and i had surgery like before hand. in practice 12 markers I'm stuck at always getting around 10 marks. any tips?
10 marks and 12 marks are very similar but 12 marks have very clear structure, more detailed(in-depth) explanations and some advanced ideas(your own thoughts)
Reply 6
Original post by username6534959
Hi! I've been getting 8s and 9s only for RE on every single test and mock and I'm going to take A level RS next year. Here is some advice I can give:
Make sure you know enough quotes to cover each topic and I would advise you to pick them yourself as the quote banks on the internet are not the best. Have a look at this YouTube channel, it's amazing for revision https://youtu.be/3Lm-Qz2NQQo?si=HoWThOA-47Wq26Ij
Obviously know the content well, make flashcards or mindmaps, whatever works best for you.
Also, here is the way you need to answer each question which is very important:
2 marker - give few words for each point, DO NOT explain anything
4 marker - point, explain, point, explain. You can fit it into 2 sentence but I prefer writing in 4.
5 marker - point, explain, point, explain, quote(it can be anywhere in the answer). It would be good if you were to state 1 quote and 2 different interpretations, than explain them. But it can be simply point+explanation and point+explanation+quote, it's also totally fine.
12 marker Paper 1 - Short introduction explaining what the statement is asking(never write anything like "In this essay I'm going to write about...", it's waffling), 1 Agree PEEL paragraph and 1 Diagree PEEL paragraph, another Agree or Diagree PEEL Paragraph if you have time, conclusion where you state which point you find the most convincing and why.
12 marker Paper 2 - all the same except you write 1 paragraph about religious view that agrees with the statement, 1 that disagrees and 1 non-religious perspective.
Evidence doesn't have to be a quote and a quote doesn't have to be from a religious text, you can use a reference to an event, case study or what Pope said, for example.
I hope you found it helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
Make sure you know enough quotes to cover each topic and I would advise you to pick them yourself as the quote banks on the internet are not the best. Have a look at this YouTube channel, it's amazing for revision https://youtu.be/3Lm-Qz2NQQo?si=HoWThOA-47Wq26Ij
Obviously know the content well, make flashcards or mindmaps, whatever works best for you.
Also, here is the way you need to answer each question which is very important:
2 marker - give few words for each point, DO NOT explain anything
4 marker - point, explain, point, explain. You can fit it into 2 sentence but I prefer writing in 4.
5 marker - point, explain, point, explain, quote(it can be anywhere in the answer). It would be good if you were to state 1 quote and 2 different interpretations, than explain them. But it can be simply point+explanation and point+explanation+quote, it's also totally fine.
12 marker Paper 1 - Short introduction explaining what the statement is asking(never write anything like "In this essay I'm going to write about...", it's waffling), 1 Agree PEEL paragraph and 1 Diagree PEEL paragraph, another Agree or Diagree PEEL Paragraph if you have time, conclusion where you state which point you find the most convincing and why.
12 marker Paper 2 - all the same except you write 1 paragraph about religious view that agrees with the statement, 1 that disagrees and 1 non-religious perspective.
Evidence doesn't have to be a quote and a quote doesn't have to be from a religious text, you can use a reference to an event, case study or what Pope said, for example.
I hope you found it helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!
How do you do the explaining part of PEEL like, i am unsure how to do that i always get capped at lik 7/12 or like 9/12 and sometime i get 12/12 but i don't know why?
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