Challenges of IGCSE RS

What students might not know about IGCSE Religious Studies is that it involves a fair amount of non-religious studies. The course teaches through religious studies themes, but emphasises a balanced approach to the application of knowledge that candidates will be assessed on. This means that studying for the exams should be balanced between revision and written practice.

IGCSE RS is sometimes taught as Philosophy & Religious Studies (PRS), and involves a significant amount of content consolidation as well as critical thinking. The course can be divided into two parts, mirroring the two final exams: component one involves the study of religions, while component two concerns thematic studies. Each exam is worth 50% of the final grade. Component one teaches the beliefs, teachings, and practices of two religions that the Religious Studies teacher will choose, and candidates are assessed on their knowledge in the final written exam.

Component two involves learning four religious, philosophical, and ethical studies from a set list of themes (e.g. theme D is ‘religion, peace, and conflict’, and theme F is ‘religion, human rights, and social justice’), or two themes and two texts. The difference here is that IGCSE students amass knowledge of a variety of themes, rather than two religions in more depth.

The exams are difficult because they assess application of understanding and structured argumentation: candidates need to show that they can summarise content succinctly; show an insight into the influences of religion, key sources of wisdom and authority, religious values; and construct informed and balanced arguments.

Weaker IGCSE RS response

Let’s take a look at an example of a weaker tackling of a 5-mark RS question:

Evaluate a non-religious account for the origins of the universe. (5)

Scientists believe that the Big Bang was the origin of the world. This is a strong argument because it has scientific evidence and is backed up by the law of thermodynamics and the red shift effect. It is also strong because our science continues to support this account. However, it is weak because it is not compatible with religious beliefs about the existence of God like in Christianity. There is also some scientific evidence that may not support it.

Why is this considered weak for IGCSE RS?

Although it attempts to provide a balanced view by showing the strengths and weaknesses of the non-religious theory, it is weak for the following reasons:

Unclear and informal expression: For higher marks, it should signpost how it answers the question, and use more formal expression. This means that the topic sentence should clearly answer the question, and the student should not use language such as ‘like in’ and ‘also some’.
Undeveloped arguments: The main issue is that it only gestures to contrasting perspectives without developing them, indicating a lack of thorough engagement with the studies.

Improved IGCSE RS model

A higher-level RS response would look like this:

The ‘Big Bang’ theory is a non-religious account for the origins of the universe, which states that 14 billion years ago there was a ‘singularity’ which set in motion the continually expanding universe. On the one hand, this theory is convincing as it appeals to logos through empirical evidence. As it is generally accepted in scientific paradigms, the account can be seen as strong as it is not purely reliant on faith. An additional strength is that it can be compatible with a belief in religion. On the other hand, it can be argued that this theory is weak, as it does not appeal to those looking for the purpose or reason for the universe and their existence. Another weakness is that there remains unanswered questions or incompatible scientific findings, such as unfound matter from the beginning of the universe, and the question of why matter was compressed in the first place.

Why is it stronger?

This response is better as it shows a more informed and formal discussion of the question. Ultimately, when students study for the RS exams they need to make sure that they are actively evaluating and critically approaching the studies they were exposed to.

Working with an experienced IGCSE RS tutor to consolidate theoretical knowledge and exam technique ensures that you can confidently meet all the assessment objectives. Feel free to contact us today for more information about our bespoke tutoring programmes at (852) 2882 1017 or enquiries@bartyed.com.