Performing well in Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies comes down to understanding the exam just as much as the content itself.
Edexcel offers two Religious Studies courses: Religious Studies A and Religious Studies B. While both assess similar skills, they are structured differently.
This guide walks you through how both courses work, what examiners are looking for, and how to prepare effectively, so your revision time turns into real marks.
Key takeaways
- Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies is assessed entirely through written exams, taken at the end of Year 11
- There is no coursework; your final grade comes 100% from exam performance
- You’ll study two religions across both courses
- Religious Studies A focuses more on beliefs, practices, and textual understanding
- Religious Studies B focuses more on ethics, philosophy, and applied religion
- Strong answers combine accurate knowledge, religious sources of authority, and clear evaluation
What’s the format for Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies?
Edexcel offers two full-course GCSE Religious Studies specifications:
Both courses are linear, meaning all exams are sat at the end of Year 11, and both assess the same core skills: knowledge, explanation, and evaluation.
Religious Studies A: exam format
Religious Studies A consists of three exam papers:
Paper 1: Study of religion
1 hour 45 minutes | 50% of the qualification
Paper 2: Study of a second religion
50 minutes | 25% of the qualification
Your school will choose between paper 3 & 4:
Paper 3: Philosophy and Ethics
50 minutes | 25% of the qualification
Paper 4: Textual Studies
50 minutes | 25% of the qualification
Religious Studies B: exam format
Religious Studies B is assessed through two exam papers:
Paper 1: Area of Study 1
1 hour 45 minutes | 50% of the qualification
Paper 2: Area of Study 2
1 hour 45 minutes | 50% of the qualification
Students study two Areas of Study, each from a different religion. An Area of Study is a themed unit (such as ethics, peace and conflict, or social justice), explored through the beliefs and teachings of one religion.
What’s the difference between the Papers for Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies?
Religious Studies A
Religious Studies A is more structured and content-led.
- Paper 1 focuses on one religion, covering:
- Beliefs and teachings
- Practices
- Sources of wisdom and authority
- Forms of expression and ways of life
- Paper 2 covers a second religion, focusing on:
- Beliefs and teachings
- Practices
- Paper 3 (Philosophy and Ethics) explores arguments for God’s existence and religious views on relationships and families
- Paper 4 (Textual Studies) focuses on a close study of either Mark’s Gospel or the Qur’an
Religious Studies A emphasises detailed knowledge, the use of scripture, and clear explanations of religious beliefs and practices.
Religious Studies B
Religious Studies B is organised around real-world themes and issues rather than studying one religion in isolation.
Students study two Areas of Study from this list:
- Religion and Ethics
- Religion, Peace and Conflict
- Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice
Each Area of Study includes topics such as:
- Beliefs
- Ethical issues (e.g. life and death, crime and punishment)
- Living the religious life
- Philosophical and social questions
Religious Studies B focuses on real-world issues and looks at how different religious beliefs are applied, discussed, and evaluated.
What are examiners looking for?
Edexcel examiners assess answers using two assessment objectives:
- AO1: Knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs
- AO2: Analysis and evaluation of religious beliefs, arguments, and viewpoints
To reach the top grades, examiners want to see:
- Accurate knowledge: a clear understanding of beliefs, practices, and key terms
- Use of sources of authority: including scripture, teachings, and religious texts
- Developed explanations: explaining why beliefs matter, not just what they are
- Balanced evaluation: considering more than one viewpoint
- Justified conclusions: clear, reasoned judgments that follow from the argument
A simple structure works best: make a point, explain it, support it, and evaluate it. This is often referred to as the PEEL technique. You can read a full breakdown of how to use it effectively here.
What are the grade boundaries for Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies?
It’s important to remember that the exact grade boundaries for your GCSE exams will change every year. Exam boards adjust grade boundaries after an exam, depending on the exam's difficulty and how the cohort performed.
This is so students don’t have an advantage or disadvantage because of the year they took the paper. For example, if your paper were harder, grade boundaries would be lowered so that a grade 5 reflects the same level of knowledge as in previous years
To give a sense of what to expect, here are the grade boundaries for Religious Studies Edexcel GCSE from the last year:
Religious Studies A:
Religious Studies B:
