Frequently Asked Questions

A. Entry Level Religious Studies is an appropriate course for students who find GCSE and equivalent vocational qualifications too challenging. It provides recognition for students’ achievements and it it enhances the place of Religious Studies in a school’s curriculum provision.

A. Students are presented with nine options. They are required to study two of these. However, Option 9 cannot be taken with either Option 2 or Option 3.

A. We must approve the oral assessment and structured assignment. Centres must submit these to us at least one month before they are carried out. Once we have approved an assignment, centres can continue to use them in future years unless they dramatically change.

CCEA will provide centres with feedback on the other assessment units in a report sent to each school.

A. We recognise that the some students will be absent for the oral assessment or final exam. Students will not be disqualified if they fail to complete all six elements but they will be marked accordingly. If a student builds up a score of 30 percent from the assignments completed they will be awarded a pass at Entry Level 1.

A. Students are eligible for an award of Entry 1, Entry 2 or Entry 3 for this course. (These awards are comparable with Levels 1, 2, 3 of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.) Students need a score of 30 percent to be awarded Entry 1, 60 percent to be awarded Entry 2 and 75 percent for Entry 3.

A. Yes, the classroom test can be based on the content of past exam papers. Centres can either:

• use a past external exam, which has been set by CCEA; or
• mix and match questions from a range of past papers.

If a centre decides to mix and match questions from past papers, it is important that the test paper covers all sections of the specification and that the questions in each section have the correct weighting for knowledge, understanding and evaluation.

Centres can also set their own class test papers.

A. Most centres set the paper when they have completed the option as part of the normal summer series of school examinations.

A. We recommend that the oral assessment take place towards the end of the course. This allows time for a good relationship to develop between the teacher and students.

It is essential that teachers carry out oral assessment in a relaxed atmosphere and that they adopt a conversational approach that puts students at ease. Students should have an opportunity to express themselves rather than being faced with a list of closed questions. No interruptions should occur whilst an oral assessment is in progress, and arrangements should be in place to ensure that students who have taken the oral assessment are not able to communicate with those who have not.

The oral assessment should last between 5 and 10 minutes per candidate and must be approved by us.

A. Centres are required to send a maximum of six sample oral assessments for moderation. The sample chosen should show the full range of responses.

A. The structured questions should be regarded as an ongoing assignment and should not be assessed merely in a test format.

A. Questions should range from those requiring a one word answer to those encouraging an element of continuous prose. The questions should allow students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and there should be an opportunity for them to relate it to their own experiences.

A. The investigative study encourages students to undertake an individual enquiry. Teachers will need to give students some support and guidance, but it is important that the student, not the teacher, be responsible for the final work submitted.

Centres should strive to set a simple, structured investigation that helps the students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and evaluation of their chosen study. It is important the structured assignment isn’t too broad, but it is also important that it isn’t so prepared that it is a set of structured questions.

A. Centres must send the following materials for moderation:

• copies of all four assignments and the internal examination with the mark schemes/expectations for each;
• the coursework mark sheet (signed and dated) and the total candidature for the centre listed in rank order. An asterisk should be placed beside those students whose coursework has been submitted to the moderator;
• the oral assessment mark sheet, with an asterisk beside those candidates whose oral has been forwarded for moderation;
• an audio tape with six sample orals for moderation (and the students’ names);
• the individual Candidate Record Sheets for the students included in the sample;
• the coursework submission sheet, which allows centres to give additional relevant information for the moderator; and
• an appropriate number of samples of the students work, with each piece of coursework clearly labelled

Please note the TAC1 forms must be sent directly to us.

A.

• Centres must submit one fifth of the total number of students’ work, (with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10) for moderation.
• Centres that have less than five students sitting the course should submit all the students’ work for moderation.
• Co-educational centres must send samples of the work for both boys and girls.
• In some centres, the course is delivered by more than one teacher or to more than one class. In this scenario, all teachers must submit samples of work for moderation.
• Centres should forward samples of students’ work that shows a range of ability.

A. Centres have a maximum of 18 months to implement the changes. Teachers should use the coursework submission sheets to indicate that the necessary alterations are underway.