Religious Studies

If you are someone who likes to think about your own beliefs for yourself or if you are interested to see how faith makes a difference to people’s lives and viewpoints, then whether you are religious or not the New Advanced Subsidiary [AS] examination in Religious Studies may appeal to you.

The New AS examination is pitched at a level halfway between GCSE and A level. You don’t have to have studied GCSE RS beforehand. It is modular and has three modules for study. At the end of one year you gain a qualification in its own right and in the UCAS point system an AS will count for half an A level.

Should you wish to go on to study at A level you would study a further three more modules [A2] for the A level award.

 

COURSE UNITS

For each of the units there is a written paper lasting 1 hour. There is no coursework but Unit 1 is compulsory. The Assessment Units are:

Unit 1 An Introduction to Religion and Human Experience

Unit 2 An Introduction to the New Testament

Unit 3 An Introduction to Religion and Ethics

Unit 4 An Introduction to Aspects of a Major World Faith

Unit 5 An Introduction to Religion and Science

For the AS examination you would study Unit 1 and 2 from Units 2-5.

With the AS being studied in one year the earliest a Unit could be examined is in the January with the other two units studied examined in June. You also have the opportunity to re-sit any of the units once.

For the A level the units for study are a continuation of those at AS level but will be more demanding The examination would be of six units either over two years or at the end of two years.

 

CAREER PROSPECTS

RS would be useful for careers involving dealing with people e.g. teaching (especially primary), nursing, police or any care organisation, or you may want to go on to study related courses at university or further education colleges, which can lead to a wide range of careers.

 

For further advice see Mrs Wray / Mrs Fenton.