Paper 1 technique
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How is paper 1 structured?
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All Flashcards in Topic 8.1
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8.1.17 cards
How is paper 1 structured?
Nine questions, one per introductory tradition, in three sections matching the guide's three columns. Answer five, at least one from each section. 1 h 15 min, 45 marks, 30%.
Which tradition is each paper 1 question?
1 Hinduism, 2 Buddhism, 3 Sikhism, 4 Judaism, 5 Christianity, 6 Islam, 7 Taoism, 8 Jainism, 9 Bahá'í Faith. The order never changes.
What is paper 1 part (a) worth, and what does it ask?
3 marks, AO1: knowledge and understanding of a key idea or concept associated with the passage. Bullet points are allowed.
What is paper 1 part (b) worth, and what does it ask?
6 marks from May 2017 (7 before), AO2: understanding and application of that idea in relation to the passage and the religion.
How is each part of paper 1 marked?
Part (a) against a question-specific markscheme. Part (b) against a question-specific markscheme plus the part (b) markbands, using a best-fit approach.
How should the fifteen minutes for one question be split?
Roughly one minute reading the passage, four on part (a) and ten on part (b) — the marks are 3 and 6, so the time should follow.
What happens if you answer five questions from only two sections?
The at-least-one-per-section rule is broken, and the extra question does not count. Section C cannot be avoided.
8.1.27 cards
Which command term does paper 1 part (b) use from May 2017?
Explain, and only Explain. The amendments made the change so that candidates could reach the higher marks.
What does AO2 require?
Application and analysis of knowledge and understanding — the guide's AO2 terms are Analyse, Distinguish and Explain.
Name the two levers the paper 1 part (b) markbands turn on.
Terminology (incorrect → mostly accurate → accurate throughout) and examples (vague → do not always support → effectively support).
What does the 1–2 band say about a descriptive answer?
That the response displays little understanding of the demands of the question and is descriptive in nature — so an accurate description alone lands there.
Give the four-sentence shape of a strong part (b).
Attribute and name the concept; give the tradition's own reason; support it with one example that carries the point; tie it back to the passage.
How long should a part (b) answer take, and how long should it be?
About ten minutes, four or five carefully built sentences. It is 6 of the question's 9 marks.
What changed about part (b) in May 2017?
It went from 7 marks to 6, making the paper total 45 rather than 50, and Explain became its only command term. The curriculum did not change.
Topic 8.1 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Paper 1 technique
World Religions exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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