Key Idea: Paper 2 is 1 hour 30 minutes, worth 45%, and consists of fourteen questions across two sections. You answer two essays, each from a different section, at 15 marks each — 30 marks in total. That is 45 minutes per essay, which is enough to plan.
The shape
- Section A: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism. Section B: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
- Seven questions per section: two on each religion, plus one open-ended
- Two answers, one from each section, on the two religions you studied in depth
Command terms
- AO3 terms: Discuss, Evaluate, Examine, To what extent, Justify
- Compare, Contrast, Compare and contrast
- All require a judgment based on evidence and, where relevant, an argument
Watch for
- Writing everything you know instead of what bears on the question
- An open-ended question answered with broad generalisations
- A conclusion decided before the essay was written
| Band | What the descriptor asks for |
|---|---|
| 13-15 | Detailed, relevant knowledge throughout; consistent terminology; a reasoned argument, well structured and coherent; connections clearly identified and effectively developed; conclusion supported; a developed evaluation |
| 10-12 | Relevant knowledge throughout; consistent terminology; argument structured and coherent; connections identified and developed; conclusion supported; evaluation partially developed |
| 7-9 | Mostly relevant knowledge; terminology not always consistent; an argument generally supported; connections identified but not developed; conclusion only partially supported |
| 4-6 | Some relevant knowledge; limited argument; examples generally vague; a limited conclusion not supported by the evidence |
| 1-3 | Minimal knowledge; little terminology; descriptive; conclusions superficial, anecdotal or common-sense |
Each section carries one question answerable in relation to any of its three religions. The instruction attached to it is explicit: answer using specific examples; broad generalizations will not be given credit; and answers should contextualize examples, making reference to differences in denomination, culture and geography. So an open-ended question is harder than a specific one, not easier.
Discuss how a candidate should plan a paper 2 essay in the time available.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Examine the claim that a paper 2 essay should present both sides of a question.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
How many essays, and from where? Two, each from a different section, on the two religions studied in depth. Each is worth 15 marks, giving 30 for the paper.
What separates the 7-9 band from 10-12? Connections identified but not developed at 7-9; identified AND developed at 10-12, with a supported conclusion and a partially developed evaluation.
What does the open-ended question require? Specific examples, contextualised with reference to differences in denomination, culture and geography. Broad generalisations are not credited.
What do all AO3 command terms have in common? They require a judgment based on evidence and, when relevant, a constructed argument — so a descriptive essay cannot reach the upper bands whatever it knows.
Exam tips
- Plan the conclusion first, then select the evidence that reaches it.
- After each point, write one sentence saying what follows from it. That is "developed".
- Use a tradition's own term once, correctly, rather than four times loosely.
- The open-ended question needs named examples with denomination, culture or region attached.