1 · Belief, practice and respectful comparison
adherent · ritual
U1-Q1 · 2 marks
What is the most careful conclusion from the two accounts?
Answer and reasoning
Practice and experience can vary within the same religious tradition.
U1-Q2 · 4 marks
Explain the mechanism or reasoning in this original case: Two members of one tradition describe a festival differently. Their accounts may reflect region, family and personal experience.
Answer and reasoning
One account emphasizes communal celebration, another reflection. Record who speaks, the context and which practice is described. Compare both with trustworthy information about the selected tradition before drawing a general conclusion.
- Accurate relevant concept (1)
- Specific evidence from the case (1)
- Connected reasoning (2)
Do not rank traditions as more or less advanced or assume one interview represents all adherents. / School-selected five religions need their own detailed content and sources; this lesson teaches comparison, not all doctrines.
2 · Sources, meaning and religious practice
doctrine · interpretation
U2-Q1 · 2 marks
What strengthens an account of a religious practice?
Answer and reasoning
A connection between reliable sources, meanings and lived context, including differences of interpretation.
U2-Q2 · 4 marks
Explain the mechanism or reasoning in this original case: A sacred narrative and an adherent's account may illuminate different aspects of the same practice. The relationship needs interpretation, not a claim that text determines every action.
Answer and reasoning
Compare a reliable account of a practice with a relevant text and an academic interpretation. Explain where they agree and where local context changes emphasis. Use precise terms from the selected religion and acknowledge interpretive differences.
- Accurate relevant concept (1)
- Specific evidence from the case (1)
- Connected reasoning (2)
School chooses two in-depth religions under the group rule. / A comparative table of names is not adequate preparation for the extended responses in Paper 2.
3 · A bounded religious-studies inquiry
investigation · reflexivity
U3-Q1 · 2 marks
Which step should precede a voluntary interview?
Answer and reasoning
School approval and informed consent for the focused inquiry.
U3-Q2 · 4 marks
Explain the mechanism or reasoning in this original case: You investigate how a local community explains a particular festival. A focused inquiry can respect personal beliefs and privacy.
Answer and reasoning
Compare the community's public explanation with an academic source and voluntary, consented accounts if the school approves them. Track attribution and reflect on what access, translation or sample choice limits.
- Accurate relevant concept (1)
- Specific evidence from the case (1)
- Connected reasoning (2)
Do not invent interviews or expose personal religious identity without consent. / This current investigative study is distinct from the future Religion and Society inquiry report and its conceptual framework.