GCSE Religious Studies
Easter Revision
OCR Specification B
Starter
‘Can of Worms’
The examination
 Learning Objectives:
 To understand the structure of the course
 To understand the structure of the paper
 To understand the structure of the examination
questions
 To consider time allocations
 To consider examination techniques
 To ensure up-to-date knowledge.
What skills are you examined on?
 Assessment Objectives:
 Assessment Object 1 (AO1) :
 Describe, explain and analyse, using knowledge and
understanding
50%
 Assessment Object 2 (AO2) :
 Use evidence and reasoned argument to express and
evaluate personal responses, informed insights, and
differing viewpoints
50%
What units do you study?
 Unit B601: Philosophy 1 - Belief about deity
 Nature of God
 Beliefs about the nature of God
 Belief in God
 Reasons given in support of belief
 Miracles
 Concept of miracles, including different beliefs within the
religion
 God intervening in the world through:
 Miracles
 Jesus
 Holy Spirit
 Unit B601: Philosophy 1 - The end of life
 Body and soul
 Concept of soul
 The relationship between the body and soul
 Life after death
 Concept of life after death
 Beliefs about:
 Heaven
Hell
 Purgatory
Salvation
 Redemption
The suffering of Christ
 Resurrection
 Unit B601: Philosophy 1 - The end of life
 God as judge
 Relationship between God the judge, life on
earth and the afterlife
 Funeral rites
 The ways funeral rites reflect belief and aim to
support the bereaved
 Unit B603: Ethics 1 - Religion and Human
Relationships
 Roles of men and women in the family
 Roles of men and women in a Christian family
 Roles of men and women in the Church family
 Marriage and marriage ceremonies
 Marriage ceremonies
 The ways in which the ceremonies reflect and emphasise
Christian teaching about marriage
 Responses to civil partnerships
 Unit B603: Ethics 1 - Religion and Human
Relationships
 Divorce
 Beliefs about the ethics of divorce
 Beliefs about the ethics of re-marriage
 Sexual relationships and contraception
 Beliefs about sexual relationships
 Beliefs about contraception
 Unit B603: Ethics 1 - Religion and Medical Ethics
 Attitudes to abortion
 Different attitudes towards abortion
 Reasons for different attitudes
 Attitudes to fertility treatment
 Responses to issues raised by fertility treatment and
cloning
 Unit B603: Ethics 1 - Religion and Medical Ethics
 Attitudes to euthanasia and suicide
 Different attitudes towards euthanasia
 Different attitudes towards suicide
 Reasons for different attitudes
 Using animals in medical research
 Beliefs about the use of animals in medical research
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The structure of the paper:
Each paper you sit has three topics on it
You are answering on two of these topics only
Each topic has six questions, each of five parts
You have been taught the Christianity topics and
should answer only on these
 You must not answer more than one question for
each topic.
 The structure of the questions:
 Each question is in five parts:
(a) 1 mark testing your knowledge
(b) 2 marks testing your knowledge
(c) 3 marks testing your knowledge
(d) 6 marks testing your understanding
(e) 12 marks testing your evaluative skills
 Time allocations:
 You have one hour in which you should answer two
questions:
 This means you should spend about 30 minutes on
each question
 In total each question has 24 marks so it is just
about one minute per mark
 Examination techniques:
 For parts (a), (b), and (c) you need to show your
knowledge of the subject matter
 You could be asked to name 3 things for example
 Or you might be asked to describe something for 3
marks
 Whichever it is you should not spend much more
than 3 minutes on part (c).
 Examination techniques:
 For part (d) questions you need to show what you
understand about a particular topic
 There are several different types of (d) questions such
as:
 Explain why people might believe …
 Explain how x might affect the life of …
 However, they are all testing the same skill.
 Examination techniques:
 The next slide shows one way which makes it easier
to answer some (d) questions
 It works for those question which asked how
something might ‘affect the live of a believer’ for
example.
A structure for answering ‘affects’ type questions
AO1
Personal
Social
Moral
Spiritual
 Examination techniques:
 For part (e) questions you need to show that you can
consider and discuss different viewpoints
 Each (e) question is structured like this:
‘If God existed we would know it.’
Discuss this statement. You should include different,
supported points of view and a personal viewpoint.
You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [12]
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
[3]
 Examination Techniques:
 So, for a part (e) question you need to give at least 3
viewpoints:
 1 view must be a Christian one
 1 view must be your own
 1 view must be a different Christian one, the point
of view of a different religion or a secular or
Humanist viewpoint.
 Examination Techniques:
 Each viewpoint must be supported by evidence and /
or argument
 The (e) part of the question carries half the total
marks and you should spend about 15 minutes on it.
 Remember there are three marks for the quality of your spelling,
punctuation and grammar so make sure your writing is as clear
as possible and try to avoid spelling mistakes. These marks are
assessed on the two part (e) questions which you answer on
each paper. You will be awarded the higher of the two marks
which you receive. As a reminder this symbol  appears next to
the questions.
 You should:
 ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and
grammar are accurate so that meaning is clear
 present information in a form that suits its purpose
 use an appropriate style of writing, and where applicable,
specialist terminology.
 Examination techniques:
 The next slide shows one way which makes it easier
to answer (e) questions.
This view may be supported by:
Some people would agree because…
who say - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OR
This view can be supported by saying- - - Some people would disagree because…
Their view may be supported by saying - -
OR by
who say - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - And therefore I……………….because…
?
 Activity 1:
 (d) Explain why some Christians do not
agree with abortion? [6 marks]
 Activity 1:
 Peer mark the answer:
 www - what worked well
 ebi – even better if
A procured abortion is the deliberate expulsion of the foetus
from the womb. If a woman unfortunately has a miscarriage
this is also described as an abortion.
Roman Catholics consider that all life is a gift from God. If a
woman becomes pregnant then it is God’s wish that a new
life should come into the world. To have the foetus aborted is
to go against God’s wishes.
Catholics also believe that all human life is sacred – this is
called the sanctity of life. An abortion would break this
sanctity.
If an abortion is caused as an unintended result of an
operation, such as when the egg is fertilised in the fallopian
tubes, an ectopic pregnancy, this is not a sin and is explained
by the Doctrine of Double Effect.
Catholics believe that as God gives life also only God has the
right to take life therefore humans have no right to end a life.
 Activity 2:
(e) “Women should have the same rights
as men in religion.”
Discuss this statement. You should include
different, supported points of view and a
personal viewpoint. You must refer to
Christianity in your answer.
[12]
Spelling, punctuation and grammar [3]
 Activity 2:
 Peer mark the answer:
 www - what worked well
 ebi – even better if
I agree that women should have the same rights as men in
religion. God created men and women in his image (Genesis
1) therefore there should be no difference between their
rights. Also women can worship God just as men can. There
have been many great Christian women such as Blessed
Mother Teresa who have devoted their whole life to God’s
work and therefore they should have the same rights as men.
Some people would disagree with me because they would
say that in Genesis 2 God created the woman from the side of
the man and that this shows that women have a secondary
place. If women did have equal rights with men then women
would be able to be priests and the Roman Catholic Church
does not allow this even though many other churches such as
the Church of England do. Because women are the ones who
have to bear children many people would say that although
they are equal to men they have different rights and duties in
church.
Thank you and best
wishes!
© Mayled-Pillay 2014