As students (and teachers) recover from the aftermath of this year’s exam questions, I have taken some time to reflect. I have to admit I was irritated with the philosophy paper due to the tricky wording, repeating Religious Experience AGAIN and selecting topics that are generally known to be either quite hard or unpopular with students. It just felt a bit mean. Then came ethics. I think nothing other than surprise can describe my reaction. I began to question OCR – are they just playing ‘pin the tail on the spec’ randomly picking areas of the specification and seemingly forgetting about certain topics/ areas that have NEVER appeared on the exam. At this point I was also questioning OCR’s motives. Religious Studies is by design one of (in my humble opinion) the trickiest A levels because not only do you have a huge amount of content but the students also have to develop high level evaluation skills alongside being able to write full essays like a degree level student. Then throw in the mix surprising and somewhat tricky Q/topics and you just wonder, why are OCR making it so hard?!?
Now I know (as I always reiterate) OCR can do anything they want! They can pick any topics, any wording and specific small areas, as long as it is present on the spec. And yes, they are doing this. But this year broke the mould in many different ways. Over the years I have studied the patterns, taken the courses, marked exam papers, been a close advocate of OCR for many years (well my whole 18-year career), so maybe I just got complacent. Or maybe OCR need to be more mindful of the capabilities of A level students (which I already reflected upon last year in Do the exam markers for DCT need a reality check?). OCR also need to ensure they remain competitive not only with other exam boards offering the same qualification but also other A level subjects.
So here are my top takeaways from the exams this year:
- The examiners might NOT ask an application question. They might ask an ‘ethical topic’ but this does not mean you have to apply it to a normative theory. So this year they did ask euthanasia but did not invite any application to a normative theory within the question (you could have applied if you wanted to, the question just didn’t specify it). Note that when it says ‘making moral decisions’ for example this is inviting you to discuss the normative theory with a ‘moral decision’ thus the relevant application topic.
| Ethics application questions over the years | |
| 2018: x2 | Assess the view that natural law is of no help with regard to the issue of euthanasia. |
| ‘Kantian ethics provides the best approach to Business Ethics.’ Discuss | |
| 2019: x2 | Asses the view that utilitarianism does not help with business ethics. |
| ‘Natural law provides the best approach to sexual ethics.’ Discuss | |
| 2020: x2 | Assess the view that Kantian ethics does not help with practical moral decision making. |
| ‘Situation ethics provides the best approach to sexual ethics.’ Discuss | |
| 2021: x3 | ‘Issues raised by euthanasia are best addressed by situation ethics.’ Discuss |
| Critically assess the view that natural law is of no help in making moral decisions. | |
| Evaluate the view that Kantian ethics provides a more useful approach to whistle blowing than utilitarianism. | |
| 2022: x1 | ‘Choices about sexual behaviour should only follow the approach of utilitarian ethics.’ Discuss |
| 2023: x3 | “In situation ethics, moral decision making is entirely individualistic and subjective.” Discuss |
| “Kant’s categorical imperative is very helpful in moral decision making.” Discuss | |
| Evaluate the view that utilitarianism provides the best approach to sexual ethics. | |
| 2024: x1 | “According to utilitarianism, a business should focus on profit making and nothing else.” Discuss |
| 2025: x0 | |
2. The examiners ask similar (sometimes very similar) questions between year groups. So AS questions used in A level exams and vice versa. This means going over past questions and planning answers for these would be very helpful.
3. The examiners might ask very similar questions in the same year between AS and A level papers (as seen this year with body, mind and soul topic). This means keeping an eye on the AS questions, as these may give an insight into possible A level questions.
Similar/ repeated questions:
| Evaluate Descartes’ solution to the mind/soul and body problem. (2022) | “Descartes offers a coherent solution to the mind/soul and body problem.” Discuss (2023) – following year |
| ‘To what extent can materialism be said to be a full explanation of consciousness?’ (2025) | Critically assess the idea that consciousness can be fully explained by material interactions. (2025) -same year! |
| Assess the claim that natural evil has a purpose (2017) | “Natural evil has no purpose.” Discuss (2023) |
| “Individual religious experiences are never to be understood as union with a greater power.” Discuss (2023) | ‘Evaluate the claim that individual religious experiences are a union with a greater power (2025) – nearly same question |
| To what extent is natural law too reliant on telos in making moral decisions? (2020) | Critically assess the concept of telos in natural law. (2025) |
| ‘The five primary precepts are the most helpful part of natural law in moral decision making.’ Discuss. (2025) | “The five primary precepts are the most important part of natural law.” Discuss (2024) – A level questions also inspire AS level questions following year |
| Assess the view that the approach taken by Fletcher’s situation ethics makes moral decision making entirely individualistic and subjective. (2019) | “In situation ethics, moral decision making is entirely individualistic and subjective.” Discuss (2023) (same question just shorter) |
| ‘Quality of life is the only important issue when making moral decisions about euthanasia.’ Discuss (2022) | “Quality of life is the only relevant concept in decisions regarding euthanasia.” Discuss (2025) – slight change of wording |
| “The Christian idea of purgatory makes much more sense than hell.” Discuss (2023) | Discuss the view that the idea of purgatory makes more sense than hell. (2019) |
| Evaluate the claim that human knowledge of God’s existence is innate. (2020) | ‘Humans have an innate knowledge of God.’ Discuss (2019) – A level question used in AS following year |
| To what extent is a full and perfect knowledge of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ? (2024) | ‘True knowledge of God is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.’ Discuss (2022) |
| ‘Christian ethics involves more than just living by the principle of love (agape).’ Discuss (2022) | Assess the claim that love (agape) is sufficient as the only source of Christian ethics. (2024) |
| “Christian moral principles must be based on the Bible.” Discuss (2023) | Assess the view that Christians should obey moral commands from the Bible and nowhere else. (2021) |
4. The examiners might ask the same topic 3 years running (as we found with RE this year)
5. Final takeaway is to consult the sample assessment material (accessible for everyone on the OCR website). Thank you to those students who drew my attention to it through social media platforms. I have never looked at the sample papers before (WHY???) and we can learn a lot from them.
| Sample Questions AS (2025) | Actual Questions | Sample Questions A Level (2025) | Actual Questions |
| 1. Assess the effectiveness of Aristotle’s four causes in explaining the world. 2. ‘Individual religious experience does not make sense of belief in God.’ Discuss. – Similar to A level Q 3.Evaluate the success of Augustine in resolving the problem of evil. | 1. ‘To what extent can materialism be said to be a full explanation of consciousness?’ (2025) 2. Critically assess Paley’s teleological argument. (2025) 3. ‘William James does not give any helpful insights into the nature and influence of religious experience.’ Discuss (2025) | 1. To what extent is the ontological argument successful in proving the existence of God? – Same Topic 2. ‘Religious experience shows that we can be united with something greater than ourselves.’ Discuss. – Nearly same Q 3. Evaluate the view that the thinking mind is separate from the body. – Same Topic 4. Critically compare the via negativa with symbolic language as ways of expressing religious beliefs in words. | 1. Critically assess the idea that consciousness can be fully explained by material interactions. (2025) 2. ‘Anselm’s ontological argument justifies belief in God.’ Discuss (2025) 3. Evaluate the claim that individual religious experiences are a union with a greater power (2025) 4. ‘Falsification successfully shows that religious language has no factual quality.’ Discuss (2025) |
| 1. The strengths of natural law outweigh its weaknesses.’ Discuss. – Same Topic 2. Assess the view that Fletcher’s Situation Ethics gives no useful guidance for making moral decisions. 3. Assess the view that euthanasia is always morally wrong. | 1. ‘The five primary precepts are the most helpful part of natural law in moral decision making.’ Discuss. 2. Assess the view that Kantian ethics is of little help in moral decision making. (2025) 3. ‘The most useful approach to business ethics is provided by utilitarianism.’ Discuss. (2025) | 1. ‘Ethical terms are meaningless.’ Discuss– Same Topic 2. ‘Conscience is just the super-ego.’ Discuss. – Nearly same Q 3. Assess the view that utilitarianism provides the best approach to business ethics. 4. Assess the view that situation ethics is of no help with regard to the issue of euthanasia. – Same Topic | 1. Critically assess the concept of telos in natural law. (2025) 2. “Quality of life is the only relevant concept in decisions regarding euthanasia.” Discuss (2025) 3. To what extent is intuitionism correct in stating that good is self-evident? (2025) 4. ‘God is present within the workings of the conscience and the super ego.’ Discuss (2025) |
| 1. Critically assess Augustine’s teaching on Original Sin. 2. To what extent can God be known through the natural world? – nearly same question 3. ‘The Bible is the only authority for Christian ethics.’ Discuss. – nearly same question | 1. ‘God may be known through the natural order of creation.’ Discuss. (2025) 2. Jesus’ mission was primarily to be a teacher of wisdom.’ Discuss. (2025) 3. To what extent does reason have more authority than the Bible for Christian ethics? (2025) | 1. Secularists who say Christianity is a source of unhappiness are wrong.’ Discuss. – Same Topic 2. ‘Christianity is not the only means to salvation.’ Discuss. – Same Topic 3. Assess whether Christianity and feminism are compatible. 4. ‘Hell is an idea not a place.’ Discuss. | 1. Critically discuss Augustine’s interpretation of Genesis 3 (the Fall). (2025) 2. ‘Jesus’ authority comes from his divinity.’ Discuss (2025) 3. Critically assess Christian views about theological exclusivism. (2025) 4. Evaluate the claim that Christianity should play no part in public life. (2025) |
Quickly, I was very happy with the DCT paper. This was much more reminiscent of OCR with challenging but accessible questions and a variety of topics including new areas of the spec asked.
Let me know in the comments below or on my other social media platforms what your thoughts were on the exams this year.