GCSE Religious Studies specification
GCSE Religious Studies (full course) is the systematic study of two religious traditions - their beliefs, teachings, sources of authority and practices - alongside contemporary philosophical and ethical themes such as relationships, life and death, crime and punishment, peace and conflict and human rights. It builds skills of structured argument, evaluation of viewpoints (religious and non-religious) and the ability to weigh evidence and competing perspectives.
Assessed entirely by written exam (100%, no coursework/NEA). Boards split the qualification into a 'study of religions' element (beliefs, teachings and practices of two chosen faiths) and a thematic/philosophical-and-ethical element. AQA uses two equally weighted papers; Eduqas uses three components; Edexcel A/B use three papers (with the third being the philosophy/ethics element); OCR uses a structure built around its three religion papers plus a philosophy-and-ethics-in-the-modern-world paper. Papers are typically 1h45–2h and use a mix of short knowledge questions and extended evaluative ('discuss'/'evaluate') answers.
High-level topics
The main areas of content and what a student is expected to know and do.
Core beliefs and teachings of the first chosen religion (e.g. nature of God, creation, key figures, afterlife). Students explain doctrines and reference sources of wisdom and authority.
Worship, festivals, rituals and ways of life of the first religion, and how beliefs are expressed in practice within and between traditions.
The beliefs, teachings, sources of authority and practices of a second chosen religion, studied for comparison and contrast with the first.
Scriptures and authoritative texts/teachings of the studied religions, and how believers interpret and apply them (a distinct assessed strand in Edexcel and OCR; embedded throughout for other boards).
Religious and non-religious attitudes to marriage, divorce, family, gender roles, sexuality and contraception.
Origins and value of the universe and life, environmental responsibility, the sanctity of life, abortion, euthanasia and beliefs about life after death.
Philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God (design, cosmological), the problem of evil and suffering, and the nature of religious experience and revelation.
Religious attitudes to violence, war, just war and holy war, pacifism, terrorism, and peacemaking/reconciliation.
Causes of crime, aims of punishment, religious and non-religious views on justice, forgiveness, the treatment of criminals and the death penalty.
Equality, prejudice and discrimination, freedom of religion and belief, wealth and poverty, and religious responses to social injustice.
Eduqas/Edexcel-style theme on the nature of good and evil, the origin of evil, suffering, and moral decision-making - overlapping with existence-of-God and ethics content elsewhere.
An optional textual-studies route (notably AQA) replaces two thematic themes with close study of set scriptural texts (e.g. Christian or Catholic Christian sources).
Exam boards
The awarding bodies that offer this qualification, how their papers are structured, and what's distinctive about each - with links to the official specification.
AQA GCSE Religious Studies A
Papers & assessment
2 written papers, each 1h45, each 50% (96 marks + 3 SPaG). Untiered, linear, 100% exam. Paper 1 (Component 1): beliefs, teachings and practices of two chosen religions (from Buddhism, Christianity, Catholic Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism; Christianity + Catholic Christianity is a prohibited pairing). Paper 2 (Component 2): four themes from six - A Relationships and families, B Religion and life, C The existence of God and revelation, D Religion, peace and conflict, E Religion, crime and punishment, F Religion, human rights and social justice. An alternative textual-studies route swaps two themes for two textual studies.
What's distinctive
Offers both a non-textual route (two religions + four themes) and a textual-studies route (one religion incl. Christianity/Catholic Christianity + two themes + two scriptural textual studies). Six clearly numbered themes A–F is the most widely used framework. AQA also publishes a separate Religious Studies B (8063) with fewer religion options.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A (Faith and Practice in the 21st Century)
Papers & assessment
Untiered, linear, 100% exam. Religion-focused route: a Study of Religion paper plus an Area of Study paper for a second religion, and Paper 3 - Philosophy and Ethics (based on a chosen religion). Each studied religion is examined across four sections: Beliefs and Teachings; Practices; Sources of Wisdom and Authority; Forms of Expression and Ways of Life.
What's distinctive
The 'A' route gives systematic in-depth study of religions (e.g. options including Catholic Christianity, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism), with an explicit 'Sources of Wisdom and Authority' strand. Edexcel runs two parallel full-course specs - A (faith-centred, 1RA0) and B (ethics/issues-centred, 1RB0).
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies B (Beliefs in Action)
Papers & assessment
Untiered, linear, 100% exam. Three papers offered, of which students sit two: Paper 1 Religion and Ethics, Paper 2 Religion, Peace and Conflict, Paper 3 Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice (each based on a chosen religion). All seven religions are offered for each paper.
What's distinctive
The 'B' route is ethics/issues-led rather than systematic-religion-led, organised around applied themes (ethics, peace and conflict, philosophy and social justice) studied through a chosen faith - a contrasting emphasis to Edexcel A's faith-and-practice focus.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
OCR GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies
Papers & assessment
Untiered, linear, 100% exam. Built around study of two religions (chosen from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism) - beliefs and teachings & practices for each - plus 'Religion, Philosophy and Ethics in the Modern World' studied from the perspective of a chosen religion (Christian, Muslim or Jewish perspective papers, etc.). Short course is J125.
What's distinctive
Component-coded papers per religion (e.g. J625/01 Christianity, J625/02 Islam, J625/03 Judaism) and dedicated 'Philosophy and Ethics in the Modern World' papers written from a specific faith perspective (J625/06 Christian, /07 Muslim, /08 Jewish). Explicitly threads sources of wisdom and authority throughout.
Past papers & mark schemes
WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies (Route A)
Papers & assessment
Untiered, linear, 100% exam (three components). Component 1: Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World - four themes (Issues of Relationships; Issues of Life and Death; Issues of Good and Evil; Issues of Human Rights). Components 2 and 3: Study of two religions (beliefs, teachings and practices) chosen from Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism. Route B is a Christianity-focused alternative.
What's distinctive
Distinctive issues-based, thematic approach in Component 1 (any named world faith can 'drive' the four themes), combined with two systematic religion components. Offers Route A (two religions) and Route B (Christianity-focused). A short course is also available.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
WJEC GCSE Religious Studies (for Wales)
Papers & assessment
Untiered, 100% exam. Unitised qualification for Wales balancing core beliefs, teachings and practices of at least two religions (Christianity plus one of Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism) with their application to philosophical and ethical themes; includes non-religious beliefs (atheism, humanism). A short course is also offered.
What's distinctive
WJEC is the Wales-facing awarding body (Eduqas is its England-facing brand); content is closely related to Eduqas but delivered as a unitised qualification for the Welsh market. A revised WJEC GCSE Religious Studies is being introduced for teaching from 2025.
Past papers & mark schemes
All boards examine two religious traditions plus contemporary philosophical/ethical themes, are untiered and linear, and assess by 100% written exam with no coursework. The main choice is framing. AQA (8062) is the most common in England, with a clean two-paper structure (study of two religions + any four of six numbered themes A–F) and an optional textual-studies route that swaps two themes for set-text study; Christianity + Catholic Christianity cannot be paired. Edexcel uniquely splits into two distinct full specs: A (1RA0, faith-and-practice centred, with an explicit 'Sources of Wisdom and Authority' strand) and B (1RB0, ethics/issues-led, organised around Religion and Ethics, Peace and Conflict, and Philosophy and Social Justice - pick two of three papers). OCR (J625) codes its papers per religion and offers 'Philosophy and Ethics in the Modern World' written from a specific faith perspective. Eduqas (Route A) takes a strongly issues-based approach in its first component (four themes: relationships, life and death, good and evil, human rights) plus two systematic religion components, with a Christianity-focused Route B alternative. WJEC offers the closely related Wales-facing version (unitised; Christianity plus one further religion). Which religions are available varies by board (Christianity, Catholic Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism in various combinations), so the chosen second religion and the A vs B route are the key decisions for students and parents.
Original sources
Straight from the awarding bodies - the specifications these summaries are drawn from.
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