A Level Religious Studies Topics by Exam Board: Full List

As an A-Level Religious Studies student, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the specific topics covered by your exam board to plan your revision successfully and ensure you have prepared for everything you may be asked in your final exams.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the AQA, Edexcel and OCR A-Level Religious Studies courses, outlining the structure and content of the assessments to help you focus your studies effectively.

AQA A Level Religious Studies Topics

Studying AQA A-Level Religious Studies will help you to develop your analytical and evaluative skills. You will gain a deep understanding of religious, philosophical, and ethical issues. The A-level course is structured into two key components:

1: Philosophy of Religion and Ethics

2: Study of Religion and Dialogues

1. Philosophy of Religion and Ethics 

In this component, you’ll explore some of the most fundamental philosophical questions about religion, morality, and ethics. There are two sections within this component

1. Philosophy of Religion

2. Ethics and Religion

A. Philosophy of Religion

The topics covered include:

• Arguments for the existence of God including the design, cosmological and ontological arguments

• The problem of evil and suffering

• The nature of religious experience

• The use and value of religious language

• Miracles

• Self, death, and the afterlife

B. Ethics and Religion

The topics covered include:

• Ethical theories

• Issues of human life and death

• Issues of animal life and death

• Meta-ethics (the meaning of right and wrong)

• Free will and moral responsibility

• Conscience

• The ethical thought of Bentham and Kant

2. Study of Religion and Dialogues

In this component you’ll undertake an in-depth study of one religious tradition from this list:

• Buddhism

• Christianity

• Hinduism

• Islam

• Judaism

For your chosen religion, you’ll undertake a detailed study of its key beliefs, teachings, and practices. You’ll also look at how these beliefs are expressed in the lives and ethical approaches of believers.

There are two sections within this component

• A: Study of Religion

• B: Dialogues

A: Study of Religion

For the religious tradition you have chosen, you’ll undertake a study that covers topics such as:

• Sources of wisdom and authority

• Beliefs about God, gods, or ultimate reality

• The self, death, and the afterlife

• Key moral principles and conduct

• Expressions of religious identity

• Religion in relation to gender, sexuality, science, secularisation, and religious pluralism

B: Dialogues

This section is all about the connections between the various elements you have studied in the rest of the course. You will need to be able to show how developments in belief over time have been influenced by philosophical studies of religion and ethical studies.

The two elements you will need to demonstrate a critical awareness of are:

• The dialogue between the philosophy of religion and your chosen religion

• The dialogue between ethical studies and your chosen religion

What is Covered in AQA A Level Religious Studies Paper 1?

The assessment consists of two written exams at the end of your course. 

Paper 1 is called Philosophy of Religion and Ethics 

The paper is a written exam lasting 3 hours.

It covers all the content in Component 1 of your course, both the Philosophy of Religion and the Ethics and Religion sections.

There are two sections in Paper 1:

• Section A on Philosophy of Religion consists of two compulsory two-part questions, each worth 10 marks and 15 marks.

• Section B on Ethics and Religion consists of two compulsory two-part questions, each worth 10 marks and 15 marks.

The paper is marked out of 100. It is worth 50% of your total mark.

What is Covered in AQA A Level Religious Studies Paper 2?

Paper 2 is called Study of religion and dialogues. 

The paper is a written exam lasting 3 hours.

It covers all the content in Component 2 of your course, both the study of your chosen religion and the dialogue between philosophy of religion and ethical studies and religion.

There are three sections: 

• Section A on the study of your chosen religion consists of two compulsory two-part questions, worth 10 and 15 marks each.

• Section B, Dialogue with Philosophy, requires you to write one synoptic essay, worth 25 marks.

• Section C, Dialogue with Ethics, requires you to write one synoptic essay, worth 25 marks.

The paper is marked out of 100. It is worth 50% of your total mark.

Revision Resources for AQA A Level Religious Studies

You’ll find revision resources for this course at Save My Exams, including past papers and mark schemes.

AQA A Level Religious Studies Past Papers

Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Topics

The Edexcel A Level Religious Studies course is designed to develop your critical thinking, analytical, and evaluative skills by exploring philosophical, ethical, and religious issues in depth.

All students must study three out of four available components, and you will sit one exam for each component at the end of the course, each one worth one-third of the overall mark.

The components for study are:

1. Philosophy of Religion

2. Religion and Ethics

3. New Testament Studies

4. Study of Religion 

1. Philosophy of Religion

This popular component requires you to examine fundamental philosophical issues concerning religion, including the nature of God, religious experience, and the problem of evil. You will engage with key thinkers and theories to evaluate arguments surrounding religious belief.

The key areas covered are:

• Philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God (Design, Cosmological, and Ontological arguments)

• The problem of evil and suffering

• Religious experience and its influence

• The nature and meaning of religious language

• Influence of scholars on religious philosophy

• The relationship between religion and science

2. Religion and Ethics

In this part of the course, you’ll be looking at ethical theories and moral philosophy. You’ll explore different approaches to morality and how they impact real-world ethical dilemmas.

The key areas covered are:

• Ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Situation Ethics, Natural Moral Law, Virtue Ethics, Kantian Ethics

• The application of ethical theories to contemporary issues such as medical ethics, war, and sexual ethics

• Meta-ethics and the nature of moral language

• The relationship between religion and morality

• The influence of scholars in the field of ethics

3. New Testament Studies

If you study this component, you’ll be taking an in-depth look at New Testament texts, examining the historical, literary, and theological aspects of these vital early Christian writings.

The key areas covered are:

• The social and historical context of the New Testament

• The nature of Jesus and key theological debates

• Interpretation of New Testament texts

• The role of scholars in understanding the New Testament

• Ethical teachings and their implications for modern Christian life

4. Study of Religion

Students who opt for this component will study one religion in detail from a choice of:

• Buddhism

• Christianity

• Hinduism

• Islam

• Judaism

• Sikhism

For your chosen religion, you’ll take a detailed look at its religious beliefs, practices, sources of wisdom, and response to contemporary social and ethical issues.

The key areas covered are:

• Core religious beliefs and teachings

• Sources of religious authority and sacred texts

• Religious practices, identity, and traditions

• Religion in contemporary society, including issues of secularisation, pluralism, and interfaith dialogue

What is Covered in Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Paper 1?

The assessment consists of three written exams at the end of your course, out of a choice of four. You’ll sit the papers that relate to the components you have studied. 

Paper 1 is called Philosophy of Religion.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Philosophy of Religion unit of your course.

There are three sections in Paper 1:

• Section A consists of two structured questions 

• Section B is a two-part essay question on an excerpt from a relevant text you have studied on your course. You will be provided with a printed version of the extract on your paper.

• Section C is an extended essay question

The paper is marked out of 80. It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

What is Covered in Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Paper 2?

Paper 2 is called Religion and Ethics.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Religion and Ethics unit of your course.

There are three sections in Paper 2:

• Section A consists of two structured questions 

• Section B is a two-part essay question on an excerpt from a relevant text you have studied on your course. You will be provided with a printed version of the extract on your paper.

• Section C is an extended essay question

The paper is marked out of 80. It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

What is Covered in Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Paper 3?

Paper 3 is called New Testament Studies.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the New Testament Studies unit of your course.

There are three sections in Paper 3:

• Section A consists of two structured questions 

• Section B is a two-part essay question on an excerpt from a relevant text you have studied on your course. You will be provided with a printed version of the extract on your paper.

• Section C is an extended essay question

The paper is marked out of 80. It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

What is Covered in Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Paper 4?

Paper 4 is called Study of Religion.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Study of Religion unit of your course.

There are three sections in Paper 4:

• Section A consists of two structured questions 

• Section B is a two-part essay question on an excerpt from a relevant text you have studied on your course. You will be provided with a printed version of the extract on your paper.

• Section C is an extended essay question

The paper is marked out of 80. It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

Revision Resources for AQA A Level Religious Studies

You’ll find revision resources for this course at Save My Exams, including past papers and mark schemes.

Edexcel A Level Religious Studies Past Papers

OCR A Level Religious Studies Topics

The OCR A-Level Religious Studies course, like AQA and Edexcel, is designed to develop an in-depth understanding of key philosophical, ethical, and religious issues. 

The OCR course is divided into three main components. You will study all three parts and sit an exam on each one at the end of your course, each paper contributing one third of your final grade.

The three components for study are:

1: Philosophy of Religion

2: Religion and Ethics

3: Developments in Religious Thought

1: Philosophy of Religion

This component explores significant philosophical issues related to religion. You’ll be asking some of the fundamental questions about God and the nature of existence and developing strong critical analysis skills along the way.

The key areas covered are:

• Ancient philosophical influences (Plato, Aristotle)

• The nature of the soul, mind, and body

• Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God

• The nature and impact of religious experience

• The problem of evil and suffering

• The nature and attributes of God

• Issues in the use of religious language

2: Religion and Ethics

This part of the course examines how ethical theories can be applied to contemporary moral issues.

The key areas covered are:

• Normative ethical theories (Natural Law, Situation Ethics, Kantian Ethics, Utilitarianism)

• Application of ethical theories to two contemporary issues of importance, such as euthanasia

• Ethical language and thought

• The idea of conscience, looking at the approaches of scholars such as Aquinas and Freud

• Sexual ethics and how developments in religious beliefs have influenced ethical thought

3: Developments in religious thought

This component examines theological concepts and developments within one chosen religious tradition. Students choose one of the following religious traditions:

• Christianity

• Islam

• Judaism

• Buddhism

• Hinduism

You will study a variety of concepts for the chosen religion. For example, the units of study for the Christianity option are:

• Religious beliefs, values, and teachings

• Sources of wisdom and authority (scripture, religious leaders)

• The nature of God and religious identity

• Religious pluralism and society

• Secularism and its impact on religious thought

• Liberation theology and Marxism

What is Covered in OCR A Level Religious Studies Paper 1?

The assessment consists of three written exams at the end of your course.

Paper 1 is called Philosophy of Religion.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Philosophy of Religion unit of your course.

There are four essay questions in Paper 1, and you will answer three of the four. Each essay will be worth 40 marks. 

The total for the paper will be 120 marks. 

It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

What is Covered in OCR A Level Religious Studies Paper 2?

Paper 2 is called  Religion and Ethics.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Religion and Ethics unit of your course.

There are four essay questions in Paper 2, and you will answer three of the four. Each essay will be worth 40 marks. 

The total for the paper will be 120 marks. 

It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

What is Covered in OCR A Level Religious Studies Paper 3?

Paper 3 is called Developments in Religious Thought.

The paper is a written exam lasting 2 hours, covering all of the material you studied in the Developments in Religious Thought unit of your course.

There are four essay questions in Paper 3, and you will answer three of the four to answer. Each essay will be worth 40 marks. 

The total for the paper will be 120 marks. 

It is worth 33.3% of your total mark.

Revision Resources for OCR A Level Religious Studies

You’ll find revision resources for this course at Save My Exams, including past papers and mark schemes.

OCR A Level Religious Studies Past Papers

Improve Your Grades with Save My Exams

Save My Exams can support your preparation for the AQA, Edexcel and OCR A Level Religious Studies exams and all your exam courses. There’s an extensive range of resources tailored to your specific needs, all carefully designed by expert educators and examiners. We want to help you achieve the best possible grade for all your exams.

Religious Studies A Level Resources

References

AQA A Level Religious Studies 

Edexcel A Level Religious Studies

OCR A Level Religious Studies