CCEA AS-Level · Analysis & Prediction

2023 CCEA AS-Level Religious Studies 4610 Past Paper: Analysis & Answers

The 2023 CCEA GCE AS Religious Studies examination suite tests candidates across textual, historical, philosophical, and ethical modules. Each unit paper adheres to a uniform structure: Section A requires one two-part question (25 marks AO1 knowledge, 25 marks AO2 critical evaluation) and Section B requires one two-part question with an evaluative focus on 'other aspects of human experience' (AO2). High performance demands precise textual and scholarly scholarship in part (a) and balanced, multi-perspective synoptic argumentation with robust contemporary or historical exemplification in part (b).

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 3.4/5

Total marks

100

Duration

80 mins

Most tested

Evaluative Essay Writing on Religion and Other Aspects of Human Experience

Paper breakdown

AS 1: Gospel of Luke [SRE11]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 2: Acts of the Apostles [SRE21]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 3: Themes in Old Testament [SRE31]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 4: Early Christian Church [SRE41]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 5: Celtic Church in Ireland [SRE51]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 6: Introduction to Islam [SRE61]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 7: Foundations of Ethics [SRE71]: 100 marks · 80 minsAS 8: Philosophy of Religion [SRE81]: 100 marks · 80 mins

Top chapters

Other aspects of human experience (AS 1 to AS 8) · 25 marksFoundations of Ethics with Special Reference to Issues in Medical Ethics · 25 marksPhilosophy of Religion: God, Evil, and Arguments · 25 marksBiblical Studies: Luke, Acts & Old Testament Prophecy · 25 marks

Overall Exam Structure and Difficulty Verdict

The CCEA AS Religious Studies papers provide a rigorous and balanced assessment of both theological/philosophical knowledge (AO1) and analytical evaluation (AO2). Each standard AS unit carries a total examination mark of 100 marks across 1 hour 20 minutes, structured symmetrically into two sections:

Section A (50 marks): Choice of one question from two (Q1 or Q2). Part (a) is a 25-mark AO1 essay assessing knowledge and understanding; part (b) is a 25-mark AO2 essay requiring critical analysis and justification.
Section B (50 marks): Choice of one question from two (Q3 or Q4). Part (a) is a 25-mark AO1 essay; part (b) is a 25-mark AO2 evaluative essay explicitly requiring integration of 'other aspects of human experience' to access Bands 3–5.

The overall difficulty sits at a standard GCE AS standard (3.4 / 5). The paper offers generous question choice (answering two questions out of four provided across both sections), giving candidates flexibility to select their strongest thematic areas.

Where the Marks Are Won and Lost

The 50/50 split between AO1 and AO2 means revision must not be confined to narrative regurgitation. In AO1 sections (part a), top-band marks require dense scriptural and scholarly citations, precise Greek/Hebrew or technical terminology, and coherent structural frameworks. Marks are lost when candidates write vague summaries rather than engaging directly with the explicit focus of the stem (such as specific internal evidence in Luke or precise definitions of natural law in Hume).

In AO2 sections (part b), particularly in Section B, the most critical differentiator is the candidate's engagement with other aspects of human experience. Examiners penalise responses that remain trapped in the historical/textual period and fail to introduce broad, nuanced contemporary or historical case studies (e.g., medical ethics, secular humanism, modern extremism, or global social justice movements).

Key Examiner Pitfalls and Pitfall Avoidance

Asymmetric AO2 Discussion: Offering a one-sided polemic rather than a balanced, critically evaluated debate before reaching a substantiated conclusion.
Neglecting 'Other Aspects of Human Experience': In Section B part (b), failing to draw upon external human experience caps the response at Band 2 (maximum 10/25 marks).
Imbalance in Time Allocation: Spending 50 minutes on Section A and rushing Section B results in truncated evaluations and lost higher-band marks.

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Charts

Marks by chapter

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Question type mix

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AO1 Structured Essay50 marks · 2 questions
AO2 Evaluative Essay50 marks · 2 questions

Mark accessibility

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70%within easy or medium reach

easy: 22 marksmedium: 48 markshard: 30 marks

Difficulty trend

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Command word frequency

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Skill weighting

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Study ROI

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AO2 Other Aspects of Human Experience Exemplification

25 marks · Difficulty 3 · recurrence 100%

Primary Scriptural Exegesis & Theological Terminology

25 marks · Difficulty 3.2 · recurrence 100%

Scholarly Views, Critiques & Counter-positions

25 marks · Difficulty 3.8 · recurrence 90%

Historical & Contextual Critical Analysis

25 marks · Difficulty 3.5 · recurrence 85%

Time vs marks

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marksmins

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Synoptic Application of Moral and Religious Authority in Secular Society95%

Section B part (b) persistently tests the contemporary relevance of sacred tradition vs secular moral autonomy across all AS papers.

Theological Concepts of Suffering and Divine Action85%

Core theoretical debates on miracles, evil, and discipleship cost consistently alternate across paper cycles.

Cumulative marks ladder

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Topic-year heatmap

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Jun 2022

Jun 2023

Understanding & Themes in the Gospel of Luke / Acts (AS 1 & AS 2)

Foundations of Ethics / Bioethics & Philosophy (AS 7 & AS 8)

Church History / Celtic Church / Islam (AS 4, AS 5, AS 6)

Other aspects of human experience (Section B Synoptic AO2)

Core Textual / Theoretical Foundations (Section A, Part a)

Ethical / Thematic Evaluation (Section A, Part b)

Historical / Scriptural Analysis (Section B, Part a)

Other Aspects of Human Experience Evaluation (Section B, Part b)

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Omitting explicit contemporary or wider historical reference in Section B part (b), which automatically caps the mark at Band 2 (maximum 10/25).
Writing purely descriptive or narrative accounts in part (b) rather than developing sustained, evaluative arguments with balanced perspectives.
Failing to address the specific terms of the quote in part (a) or part (b), resulting in pre-prepared 'stock' essays that lack focus.

Misconceptions

Believing that AO2 essays require the candidate to choose one side and ignore the opposing viewpoint rather than providing a balanced critique.
Assuming that named scholarly references are only needed at A2 level, whereas AS Level Band 5 criteria explicitly reward sophisticated scholarly engagement.

Where marks are lost

Superficial treatment of the second half of the question when a prompt contains dual elements (e.g. 'purpose and meaning' or 'similarity and difference').
Imbalanced time allocation leading to rushed, truncated Section B part (b) answers.

Estimated grade cut-off

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Source: CCEA

Level	Mark	Percentage
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%

Official grade boundaries published by CCEA.

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