Students study aspects of the beliefs and practices of two contrasting world faiths: Christianity and Buddhism. You will also study contemporary ethical issues from both a religious and secular point of view. In doing so, you will consider religious and other attitudes towards abortion, euthanasia, relationships, human rights, and good and evil
How is the course structured and graded?
The course is assessed through examination only. There are three components: ‘Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World’ is assessed by a two-hour examination and is worth a total of 50% of the qualification; ‘The Study of Christianity’ has a one-hour examination and is worth 25% of the final qualification; ‘The Study of a World Faith’ is also examined by an exam of one hour and is worth 25% of the final qualification. The course is awarded with the 9-1 grading system.
Will this course be suitable for me?
In order to do well in this subject, you must be interested in exploring the beliefs of others and be able to see things from different perspectives. You will need to have good written English as the exams are mostly essay based.
What could this course lead to?
Further study in Religious Studies or Philosophy and Ethics in Sixth Form is possible. The key skills of analysis and structured argument are a good platform for study in other areas such as Law, Politics and History too.
“The GCSE is a great course. I really enjoyed looking at the different issues and learning about the different opinions out there. I especially liked ethics as it allowed me to express my views on some really great topics.”
