Religious Studies

Collaboration between QEII & RGS

Details of the Examination Specification

Religious Studies WJEC 1120QS

What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course? 

Before taking this course, you don’t need to have any religious beliefs or prior knowledge - just an open mind and a willingness to think critically.  While studying the GCSE course can be helpful, it’s not essential.  What matters most is your ability to engage with big questions, debate different perspectives and explore complex ideas about philosophy, religion and ethics.  The course is academic and you’ll need to have and/or develop strong essay skills and a passion for reading around a subject.

You’ll develop analytical, writing and discussion skills, all of which are useful for other subjects and outside the classroom.  If you enjoy challenging assumptions, viewing the world with different lenses and forming well reasoned arguments then Religious Studies A’Level is the perfect course for you!

What will I learn on this A Level course? 

Unit 1: Option B - An Introduction to the Study of Islam

Religious figures and sacred texts, Islamic concepts, religious life for Muslims and Islamic practices that shape religious identity.

Unit 2: Section A - An Introduction to Ethics

Ethical thought, Aquinas’ Natural Law with application to abortion and voluntary euthanasia, Situation Ethics with application to homosexual relationships and polyamorous relationships, and Utilitarianism with application to animal experimentation for medical research and the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent. 

Unit 2: Section B - An Introduction to Philosophy

Inductive arguments for God’s existence (the cosmological and teleological arguments), deductive arguments for God’s existence (the ontological argument), religious experience and the problem of evil.

Year 13 Topics

Unit 3: A Study of Islam

Religious figures and sacred texts, significant historical developments within Islam, significant social developments within Islam and Islamic practices that shape religious identity.

Unit 4: Religion and Ethics

Ethical thought, deontological ethics including application to immigration and capital punishment, determinism and free will.

Unit 5: The Philosophy of Religion

Challenges to faith including from psychology and New Atheism, religious experience with a focus on miracles and religious language.

Is this subject right for me?
Religious Studies is both a highly academic study and a personally fulfilling course.  You will develop your skills of critical analysis by a deep and broad study of philosophical and ethical approaches to religious belief. Critical reading skills and willingness to write at length are essential. 

How will I be assessed? 

The course is fully exam based, with two exams at the end of Year 12 (AS) and three exams at the end of Year 13 (A2).  There is no coursework element.  The exams are essay based and you will be given lots of opportunity to develop essay skills before the exams.

What can I do after I complete the course? 

A Level Religious Studies is highly valued by universities because it demands critical thinking, analytical skills and the ability to argue, all of which are essential for higher education.  It is an excellent foundation for degree study in philosophy, theology, law, history, politics, sociology and psychology (and of course RS!), but the skills you gain are transferable to a huge range of subjects.

Beyond university, RS opens doors to careers where understanding people, ethics and complex ideas is key.  Many students go on to work in journalism, politics, education, social work, counselling, policing and human rights.  Whether you’re debating moral dilemmas, analysing evidence or working with diverse communities, the ability to think deeply, communicate effectively and engage with different perspectives will set you apart.  In a world where anti-intellectualism and anti-truth are asserting their presence, the ability to think for yourself has never been more important!