GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES: HOW TO ANSWER 12 MARK QUESTIONS (AQA)

Summary

In this GCSE religious studies revision video, Ben Wardle offers a comprehensive guide on tackling 12-mark questions to achieve top grades. He emphasizes the importance of evaluation, presenting arguments for and against a statement with supporting religious evidence. The video outlines a structured approach to answering, including presenting two religious arguments for agreement, two for disagreement, and concluding with a justified personal stance. Wardle also advises on the effective use of religious teachings, the relevance of evidence, and the importance of a strong conclusion to demonstrate a deep understanding and secure full marks.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video is a GCSE religious studies revision guide focused on answering 12-mark questions effectively.
• 🎯 To achieve full marks, students must provide a balanced evaluation, including arguments for and against the statement, supported by evidence and a justified conclusion.
• 🔑 The keyword for answering is 'evaluate', which means to consider both sides of an argument before reaching a conclusion.
• 📈 Half of the marks in AQA GCSE exams come from 12-mark questions, emphasizing their importance.
• 💡 Including religious teachings and linking them to the argument is crucial for scoring high marks.
• 🕒 Students should allocate around 15 minutes for a 12-mark question, including planning and proofreading.
• 📝 The answer should be structured with at least three paragraphs: arguments for agreement, arguments for disagreement, and a concluding paragraph.
• 📈 The video suggests using specific religious sources like scripture, teachings of religious leaders, or catechisms to support arguments.
• 📑 It's important to be specific about religious denominations or schools of thought when presenting arguments.
• ⏱ The video provides a recommended structure and timing for each part of the 12-mark answer to ensure comprehensive coverage within the time limit.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to provide guidance on how to answer 12-mark questions in GCSE religious studies, aiming to secure top marks.

What does the term 'evaluate' mean in the context of the video?

In the context of the video, 'evaluate' means to give both sides of an argument before reaching a justified conclusion.

Why are 12-mark questions important in AQA GCSE exams?

Half of the marks in AQA GCSE exams come from the 12-mark questions, making them crucial for achieving high scores.

What are the three key ingredients needed to secure 12 out of 12 marks in a 12-mark question, according to the video?

The three key ingredients needed are: presenting two religious arguments to agree with the statement with evidence, presenting two religious arguments to disagree with the statement with evidence, and reaching a justified conclusion.

What does AQA suggest for structuring a 12-mark answer?

AQA suggests including two different points of view, religious teachings relevant to the argument, and a strong justified conclusion.

How much time should be spent on a 12-mark question according to the video?

The video suggests spending around 15 minutes on a 12-mark question, including planning and proofreading.

What is the minimum number of paragraphs recommended for a 12-mark answer?

The minimum number of paragraphs recommended for a 12-mark answer is three, with one paragraph for agree arguments, one for disagree arguments, and one for the conclusion.

Why is it important to include religious teachings in the 12-mark answers?

Including religious teachings is important because it shows the examiner that the candidate is knowledgeable about religious sources of wisdom and authority, which is essential for an RE exam.

How should non-religious arguments be used in the 12-mark answers?

Non-religious arguments should be kept to a minimum, with no more than 20-25% of the 12-mark answer being non-religious.

What is the significance of the conclusion in a 12-mark answer?

The conclusion is significant because it shows the examiner that the candidate has considered both sides of the argument and has made a judgment, which is essential for achieving top marks.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to GCSE Religious Studies Revision

Ben Wardle introduces a GCSE religious studies revision video focused on answering 12-mark questions effectively. He emphasizes the importance of mastering this question style as it accounts for half the marks in AQA GCSE exams. The video aims to guide students to achieve full marks by understanding the command word 'evaluate,' which requires presenting balanced arguments with evidence before reaching a justified conclusion. Ben encourages students to utilize religious teachings and wisdom to impress examiners with depth and strength in their conclusions.

05:02

📝 Structuring the Perfect 12-Mark Answer

The video outlines the structure for a high-scoring 12-mark answer, which includes presenting two religious arguments for and against a statement with supporting evidence. It stresses the importance of a justified conclusion that reflects a personal stance after considering all arguments. Ben advises on the use of scripture and other authoritative sources, linking them back to the question to demonstrate a deep understanding. He also discusses the marking scheme, focusing on level four responses, and provides tips from AQA on writing effective answers within a 15-minute timeframe, including planning and proofreading.

10:03

🕒 Time Management and Paragraph Structure

Ben suggests a time management strategy for answering 12-mark questions, advocating for a minimum of three paragraphs: one for arguments to agree, one for disagree, and a concluding paragraph. He advises against spending more than 15 minutes on these questions, including planning and proofreading. The video provides a rough guide for the number of words and paragraphs, emphasizing the quality and relevance of content over quantity. Ben also highlights the importance of evaluation and a strong, justified conclusion to demonstrate a high level of understanding and reasoning.

15:04

📖 Evidence and Logical Reasoning in Exam Answers

The video discusses the importance of including evaluation in answers and finishing with a strong, justified conclusion. It explains the significance of logical chains of reasoning and the need for a clear judgment on the arguments presented. Ben encourages students to be specific in their references to religious teachings and to paraphrase rather than copy texts verbatim. He also advises on the inclusion of a variety of sources of wisdom and authority, and the relevance of different denominations' beliefs to strengthen exam answers.

20:04

📝 Crafting Effective 12-Mark Responses

Ben provides examples of how to structure a 12-mark response, including an introduction, agree and disagree arguments, and a conclusion. He shares an AQA exemplar response and offers his own structure, emphasizing the importance of relevance, evidence, and clear linking back to the question. The video also touches on the use of non-religious arguments and the need to keep them minimal, ensuring the focus remains on religious teachings and their evaluation. Ben concludes with tips for securing top marks by demonstrating a deep understanding of the evidence's strength and its impact on the conclusion.

25:04

🌟 Achieving Top Marks with Evidence Evaluation

In the final part of the video, Ben emphasizes the need to evaluate the strength of the evidence presented in 12-mark answers to achieve top marks. He provides examples of how to discuss the significance of biblical teachings and their impact on a Christian's agreement or disagreement with a statement. Ben encourages students to justify their conclusions by selecting the strongest argument and presenting it confidently. The video concludes with advice on being specific in references to religious denominations and beliefs, and a reminder to believe in oneself and aim for high marks.

Keywords

💡Evaluation

Evaluation in the context of the video refers to the process of considering both sides of an argument before reaching a justified conclusion. This is a key concept in answering 12-mark questions in GCSE religious studies, as it demonstrates critical thinking and the ability to weigh evidence. The video emphasizes that to secure full marks, students must not only present arguments for and against a statement but also evaluate the strength of these arguments and conclude with a personal stance, as exemplified by phrases like 'I personally agree or disagree with the statement for this reason.'

💡Religious Studies

Religious Studies is the academic discipline that the video is focused on. It involves the examination of religious beliefs, practices, and scriptures. In the script, the video aims to help students excel in GCSE religious studies exams, particularly in answering 12-mark questions that require a deep understanding of religious texts and doctrines. The video provides strategies for referencing religious teachings and authorities to support arguments.

💡GCSE

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is a key stage 4 qualification in the UK education system. The video is a revision guide specifically tailored for students preparing for GCSE exams in religious studies. The term is used to set the context for the type of examination the advice is applicable to, and the script frequently refers to GCSE to emphasize the relevance of the strategies discussed.

💡Evidence

In the script, 'evidence' pertains to the religious texts, teachings, or authoritative sources that students use to support their arguments in an essay or exam response. The video stresses the importance of providing evidence to back up both agree and disagree arguments, such as references to scripture or teachings of religious figures. For instance, the video suggests using phrases like 'This is shown in the Bible which teaches that...' to introduce evidence effectively.

💡Argument

An 'argument' in this context refers to a set of reasons or evidence presented to support or refute a particular statement or proposition within a religious studies exam question. The video outlines the need for students to provide both sides of an argument, with evidence and explanations, to demonstrate a comprehensive evaluation. The script gives examples of how to structure arguments and how to link them back to the question to ensure relevance.

💡Conclusion

A 'conclusion' in the video script refers to the final part of an essay where the student summarizes their evaluation and states their personal stance on the statement in question. The video emphasizes the importance of a justified conclusion that reflects a careful consideration of the arguments presented. It is highlighted as a key component in achieving top marks, as it shows the examiner that the student has reached a judgment after evaluating the evidence.

💡Scripture

Scripture in the context of the video refers to the sacred texts of a religion, such as the Bible or the Quran, which are used as sources of evidence in religious studies exams. The video advises students to reference scripture to support their arguments, showcasing their knowledge and understanding of religious teachings. For example, the video suggests that students might say 'This is shown in the Bible which teaches that...' to provide a strong religious argument.

💡AQA

AQA stands for Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, which is an examining body in the UK that sets and marks GCSE exams, including those in religious studies. The video references AQA guidelines and exemplars to provide students with an understanding of the standards and expectations for answering 12-mark questions effectively. The script uses AQA's criteria to explain what constitutes a high-scoring response.

💡Denominations

Denominations refer to different groups or branches within a religion that have distinct beliefs, practices, or organizational structures. The video encourages students to be specific about which denominations or schools of thought they are referring to when making arguments. This specificity adds depth to the analysis and shows the examiner that the student has a nuanced understanding of religious diversity, as illustrated by the video's advice to say 'some Catholic Christians may agree with the statement because...'

💡Justified Conclusion

A 'justified conclusion' is a conclusion that is supported by the arguments and evidence presented in the essay. The video stresses that a strong conclusion is essential for a top-scoring response, as it demonstrates the student's ability to evaluate the arguments and make a judgment. The script provides guidance on how to craft a justified conclusion, such as by using phrases like 'In conclusion, after considering both sides of the argument, I personally agree/disagree with the statement for this reason...'

Highlights

Introduction to the GCSE religious studies revision video by Ben Wardle.

Emphasis on the importance of 12-mark questions in GCSE exams, which contribute to half of the marks.

Explanation of the term 'evaluate' and its significance in answering 12-mark questions.

Guidance on structuring responses to achieve full marks, including presenting arguments for and against a statement.

The necessity of using evidence from religious texts and sources of wisdom to support arguments.

Advice on impressing examiners with depth of explanation and strength of conclusions.

Details of the marking criteria used by examiners to grade 12-mark answers.

Recommendation to focus on level four of the marking scheme to secure top marks.

Three key elements required for a perfect 12-mark answer: agree arguments, disagree arguments, and a justified conclusion.

AQA's advice on writing 12-mark answers, including the need for two different points of view.

The importance of including religious teachings and explaining their relevance to the argument.

Advice on the structure of the answer, including the number of paragraphs and the use of planning and proofreading time.

The significance of a strong, justified conclusion that demonstrates the evaluation of arguments.

How to use phrases to evaluate the strength of evidence and arguments presented.

The value of being specific about religious denominations and schools of thought when presenting arguments.

Examples of how to structure a 12-mark answer, including the use of an introduction and alternating agree and disagree points.

Ben Wardle's personal structure for approaching 12-mark questions, with suggested timings for each section.

The importance of linking evidence back to the question and using phrases that show the implications of the evidence.

Encouragement to refer to the strength of the evidence to secure a grade nine in the exam.

Closing remarks, offering luck and confidence to students preparing for their GCSE exams.

Transcripts

uh low to you I do hope you're well

welcome to this GCSE religious studies

revision video I'm Ben Wardle and today

we are talking about how to answer 12

Mark questions so we are going to cover

everything you need to know in order to

secure the top marks to get 12 out of 12

in your 12 markers now remember half of

your marks in your AQA GCSE exams come

from the 12 Mark questions and so it's

really important we are experts at

answering this style of question and

remember this question is all about

evaluation the key command word as I've

written on the screen there is to

evaluate and evaluate simply means to

give both sides of an argument before

reaching a Justified conclusion so in

order to secure 12 out of 12 you're

going to explain reasons to agree and

disagree with the statement and you're

going to use evidence there before

reaching a Justified conclusion and it

is so important at the end of your 12

markets that you are reaching that

justified conclusion that you are saying

to The Examiner that in conclusion after

considering both sides of the argument I

personally agree or disagree with the

statement for this reason so this is a

really brilliant opportunity I think to

show The Examiner you're a Grade 9

student because you can Dazzle them with

your references to scripture and other

sources of wisdom and authority and you

can really impress them with the depth

of your explanations and with the

strength of the conclusion you then

reach so let's see this as an

opportunity to secure lots of marks so

we can get that grade nine and to really

show The Examiner we are a top Grade 9

re student so here is the marks theme

that the examiner will be using to mark

your 12 markers and as you can see it's

split into four levels we are of course

going to focus on level four because we

are all aiming for at least 10 out of 12

in our 12 markers so we want to be

securing those top marks and here on the

right of the screen I've put what I

think are the three things you need to

do in order to secure 12 out of 12. so

in your 12 Market you need to present to

me two religious arguments to agree with

the statements with evidence so for

example references to scripture and

other sources of wisdom and authority

and to then explain that evidence in a

way that links back to the question you

need to give two religious arguments to

disagree with the statement again with

evidence and explanation that links back

to the statement before reaching that

justified conclusion at the end of your

12 marker so you're going to say at the

end of your essay in conclusion having

considered both sides of the argument I

personally agree or disagree with the

statement because you're then going to

reach that clear Justified conclusion

which will confirm to The Examiner that

you are a Grade 9 candidate that your

essay deserves 12 out of 12 Health now

here is the advice that AQA give us in

terms of writing our 12 Mark answers so

they tell us that a 12 Mark answer

should number one include two different

points of view and that's why I've said

you need to include your reasons to

agree with the statement and then

include your reasons to disagree with

the statement because if you just give

one side of the argument you're not

going to get any more than six marks and

that is not what we want is it we want

to be aiming for 12 out of 12. and so

the key Point here is that you need to

give both sides of the argument whenever

you're evaluating you are considering

both sides of an argument before

reaching a Justified conclusion so make

sure in your 12 Mark if you are giving

both sides of the argument you also need

to include religious teaching and

explain how it is relevant to the

argument being made and that is why I've

said you need to include

um your evidence for example scripture

or it might be a quote from Pope Francis

or it might be something from the

catechism of the Catholic church for

example and then you you need to link

that back to the question you need to

say to me really clearly why this would

mean someone agrees with the statement

or why it would mean someone disagrees

with the statement and remember if you

only refer to non-religious views so if

you only gave secular responses you

would be capped again at six marks this

is an Ari exam so make sure you're using

as much religious evidence and as many

religious examples as you possibly can

as I say see this question as a chance

to show The Examiner that you are a top

marks Grade 9 re student that you know

your scripture that you know your

sources of wisdom and authority and

really leave this opportunity to show

The Examiner that our next key point

then is that you need to be detailed as

I say explanation is absolutely crucial

for securing 12 out of 12. as I've

mentioned to you the a02 questions for

your 12 markets accounts are 50 of the

total Mark the AQA status spend actually

up to 15 minutes answering these

questions now I don't think you should

spend 15 minutes writing I think that

should include maybe one or two minutes

of planning time beforehand and again

one or two minutes after you've written

it to proofread it because remember

spelling punctuation and grammar is

assessed in this question but as a Rough

Guide we are saying 15 minutes for your

12 markers including planning and

proofreading you also need to make sure

you use a minimum of free paragraphs and

of course that means giving one

paragraph where there are arguments to

agree with the statement and you're then

giving obviously your arguments against

the statement and then you're reaching

that final conclusion so they are the

three key ingredient for your agree

arguments your disagree arguments and

then your final conclusion now AQA say

that as a guide this could be around 250

words you don't actually need to write a

lot in order to secure 12 out of 12. it

really is about the quality and the

relevance of what you're writing making

sure that everything you're writing is

clearly linked back to the statement

don't just go off on a tangent

um you know telling me all about the

quote that you've used show me why that

quote would mean someone agreed or

disagree with the statement our next key

point then is to ensure that the answer

includes evaluation and it finishes with

a strong Justified conclusion it is so

important that you are ending year 12

markets with that clear conclusion that

shows the examiner that you've

considered the agree argument you've

considered the disagree and then you've

actually made a judgment and now they

tell us that judgments on the arguments

are essential for the top level so don't

just present to me the arguments to

agree with the statement and the

arguments to disagree with the statement

you then need to make a judgment and

that's why the conclusion's so important

isn't it because it shows you making a

judgment whether you thought that the

agree arguments or the disagree argument

was Stronger so AQA say we could use

phrases such as this argument all this

evidence is robust you could say that

this argument or evidence is strong weak

inconclusive insubstantial that it's

convincing and then telling the examiner

why so you're not just presenting

evidence but you're actually then

evaluating it so for example for a

Christian if something's from the Bible

then that's going to be really strong

evidence for them isn't it because they

might believe you know that if the

infallible inerrant word of God and so

with some things in scripture then

that's going to be very strong very

substantial evidence for them and and

this will also help they're fed to

address the logical chains of reasoning

now all that that means is that there is

a really clearly developed chain of

reasoning in your answer and all you

need to do to secure that is present

your agree arguments present your

disability argument and then reach your

conclusion after considering both sides

any references to religious teaching

this is important guys can be

paraphrased AQA you're not expecting you

to copy out entire verses from the Bible

or the Quran or to be copying out entire

pages of Pope francis's encyclicals and

and so you can paraphrase the teachings

also you don't need to cite specific

references in your answers you don't

need to be saying in Genesis 1 verse 24

you can just refer to the the text or to

the source and now I would actually say

in order to secure 12 out of 12 I do

want you to be specific I don't want you

to be saying in the Bible it says please

tell me what book in the Bible for

example you know please do be specific

in that sense but you don't then need to

be giving me exact minute details and

remember as well that other sources of

wisdom and authorities such as religious

leaders that prayer hymns the catechism

and other religious figures are also

credit worthy and you will the my

revision videos we don't just focus on

the Bible and the Quran we do talk about

Pope Francis we do talk about the

catechism you know make sure you are

bringing in all those different sources

of wisdom and Authority we want to see

you know that really strong evident

faith in your 12 markers so you know do

bring those different opinions in do

bring those different sources of wisdom

and Authority in if you think of course

that they're relevant to either agreeing

or disagreeing with the statement and

finally last but not least your answers

can draw on the beliefs of different

denominations or schools of thought so

one of my pet hates when I'm reading 12

Marcus is when students write some

people may agree with the statement I

want you to be more specific than that I

want you to tell me some Catholic

Christians may agree with the statements

or some Quaker Christians May disagree

with the statement really be as specific

as you can talk about those different

denominations talk about the different

schools of thought for example the

inclusive mosque initiative and whenever

you're talking about homosexuality in

Islam is a great specific example yeah

one group within Islam that actually

have quite a clear opinion and it's

actually one of the only opinions that

could support

um homosexual relationships for example

so really try to be as specific as

possible you don't want to be assuming

that every single Christian in the world

or every single Muslim in the world

believes exactly the same thing so try

to be specific try to refer to different

denominations and different schools of

thought a quick note as well that you

can use non-religious arguments in your

themes paper answers but please please

keep them to a minimum please make sure

that no more than you know 20 25 of your

12 markers on the themes paper are ever

non-religious arguments we need to

remember we're getting our marks for our

religious teachings and our explanations

of those teachings we are doing an re

exam after all so what I want to do now

is show you two examples from AQA of how

to structure a 12 marker I am then going

to share with you my structure which you

might like to use and I've included on

their timings as well for each section

of your answer now this first AQA

Exemplar is very interesting because it

is three paragraphs which remember is

the minimum requirement from AQA so I've

had a look at this question in response

to the statement a loving God would not

send anyone to Hell evaluate this

statement for 12 marks plus of course

your spelling punctuation and grammar so

it's really important that you are

proofreading your answers after you've

written them now they have as we say

given three paragraphs they've given

their paragraph of really well explained

agree arguments with great references to

um scripture and then they've given

their disagree arguments again with

really excellent level of explanation

and really great examples before

reaching a really clear conclusion so

hey please have a read of this by the

way please have a read through but I'm

not going to read it to you don't want

to send you to sleep but what what can

we say about this well this student has

chosen to write one detailed agree

paragraph one detailed disagree

paragraph and then they've reached a

fully Justified conclusion which is

really important make sure you always

end with a fully Justified conclusion

each of their paragraphs includes

evidence for example they've referred to

scripture they've given examples of

Jesus's conduct and remember that's

great evidence for Christians because he

is the key role model he is the key

Exemplar he's not just a moral teacher

he is the Incarnate Son of God so if

he's doing something Christians are

going to take that seriously aren't they

that's going to really influence whether

they agree or disagree with that

statement if it's in alignment with what

she's the third and of course what Jesus

did in the gospels and they also include

really good explanations of their

evidence so the phrase this shows for

example is one that I particularly like

because it's where you're saying okay

here my evidence but then you're

actually saying what that shows what its

relevance is to the statement and that's

really really important for securing the

marks here and it is always always in

both paragraphs clearly linked back to

the question you must always be linking

back to the question guys they've

written therefore a benevolent God

wouldn't sentence anyone to such an

unloving life as hell so a really clear

link back to the question

um now what did AQA say about this they

said this is a high level response

despite it times being less concise than

it could be so they've said actually it

could be even shorter than this it is

well argued relevant and has reasoned

consideration of different points of

view because you've got you agree really

detailed arguments and then you've got

your disagree really detailed arguments

the reasoning leads to judgments which

is supported by knowledge and

understanding of relevant evidence and

information so they've made sure that

they're giving evidence why a Christian

would agree with the statement they're

then giving evidence why Christian would

disagree with the statement their

reference to religion is constant and

accurate and so they've said this is an

easy maximum for students at this level

so this is all they could ever expect

from you at GCSE now I'm going to be

really honest with you I think that's

pretty easy to write yeah I think that's

a really easy thing for you to do in the

exam in the time that we have available

to us all that I would say is that you

do need to know your teachings of course

and that you do need to be ready to

explain the teachings and obviously link

them back to the question so they've

given that one 12 out of 12. I want to

now give you a second example from AQA

and as you can see they've taken a

slightly different approach haven't they

they've written shorter paragraphs now

they still achieve 12 marks but as they

say they've actually broken those

paragraphs down what they've also done

which is quite interesting is they've

alternated their agree and disagree

points so they've actually done an agree

disagree and then they've gone back to

agree and then they've gone back to

disagree now again you know there is a

lot of flexibility here in terms of what

approach works for you so for this

student as they say they've chosen to

write two agreed paragraphs and two

disagree paragraphs followed Again by a

fully Justified conclusion I really like

this conclusion because they've written

that in conclusion after assessing both

sides I disagree with this statement and

I think that's really powerful in terms

of showing the examiner that you've

considered both sides of the argument

before reaching that conclusion I think

that's really impactful and because it

you know it's showing as well that

you've not just then suddenly thought of

another argument and you've decided to

write that as your conclusion you're

actually showing the examiner that you

have weighed up both sides and that that

has informed the Judgment you've now

made

so their arguments are again supported

by relevant evidence for example they've

got their Bible quotes in there they've

refer to key beliefs of the religion

such as purgatory and they've explained

them so they've used the phrase which

means so again a really powerful phrase

to be using they have again clearly

linked back to the question then surely

they deserve to go to hell and there is

nothing God can do to prevent it so

again you're seeing aren't you the same

key ingredients that there is evidence

that is explained and clearly linked

back to the question they are I have to

tell you guys the key ingredients for

securing 12 out of 12. so here's what

AKA did say this is a very articulate

response and it is easily deserving of

bull marks again I don't think that

they've done anything particularly

special in the nicest possible way to

whoever wrote this I just think that

they have really clearly understood what

it means to evaluate that they're fully

engaged with that particular statement

that they've given that evidence they've

explained it and linked that back to the

question and there you go you at the

12th Mark and the fetty is mildly

repetitive at times but the content is

impressive clear knowledge and

understanding is shown throughout with

good use of religious Concepts to argue

and come to judgments it's well argued

different points of view are addressed

and the chains of reasoning are

demonstrated so again a level 4 12 out

of 12 response so for the grand finale

of today's video guys I want to share

with you my structure for approaching

these questions and it brings those two

answers together

um now an interesting question I often

get asked is do I need an introduction

now as you saw if I just go back that

Exemplar included an introduction uh you

know they told us in one sentence what

hell is and then they actually asked us

a question always like to see a question

in your 12 markers by the way they're a

really great tool for developing your

evaluation however the original one did

not have a standalone introduction so it

is you know very much a personal choice

thing here I think my advice is if

you're going to write an introduction do

not spend more than 30 seconds writing

it so you might want to if you do want

that introduction there just have a

keyword definition so whatever the

keyword or the key concept is in the

question give me a 30 second definition

of it so just to start the essay to show

The Examiner that you understand the key

concept but here's the thing guys this

is an aoq question you are being

assessed on your evaluation not on your

knowledge and so don't worry too much

about showing the examiner you know that

that knowledge of the concept the most

important thing is that you are

evaluating the statement and of course

your knowledge will come through in your

written response there so what I would

then say is to write agree argument one

I want you to make a point you're going

to think you know Catholic Christians

may agree with the statement because

you're then going to give evidence why

they would agree with the statement you

know in the Bible in the catechism

Francis says you're then going to

explain this means this shows that and

you're going to include in there a link

back to the question you know therefore

they would agree with the statement

therefore they would strongly agree with

the statement

um so you're making sure that what

you're writing is relevant it always has

to be relevant guys this is one of the

things that loses people marks they

start going off randomly on

you have to make sure everything you're

writing is completely relevant that

everything you're writing is about

either agreeing or disagreeing with the

statements that's paragraph one that's

going to be a two and a half minutes

we're going to be really specific about

our timings here of a point evidence

explanation with a link back to the

question you're then going to do the

same thing you're going to put your

second agree argument on the page so

you're going to give me a really strong

points you might say you know Quaker

Christians would also agree with the

statement because and then again you're

going to give me your clear evidence and

then that needs to be explained this

means that this shows this teaches

Quakers that and that explanation is

going to include a link back to the

question as well again you've got to be

always linking back you'll need to show

The Examiner that you're evaluating this

particular statement you need to show

them why the evidence you've given is

relevant

I would then move on to my disagree

argument so again I'd be spending two

and a half minutes doing my first

disagree point my point evidence

explanation and Link and then my second

disagree argument with my point evidence

explanation and Link you will notice

there then that I am saying spend five

minutes writing your agree arguments

five minutes writing your disagree

arguments and I am saying to write to

agree and to disagree so that is what I

would be aiming for and then really

importantly guys is that at the end you

have got your fully Justified conclusion

and I'm saying spend about 90 seconds on

this this is where you're going to give

your judgment if you're going to say in

conclusion after assessing both sides of

the argument I and then you're either

going to say that you agree with the

statement or you disagree with the

statements because and then you need to

explain to me why you've reached that

judgment remember it's a Justified

conclusion you have to justify what

you're saying and you have to give that

reason why you've reached that specific

conclusion so I have then included here

excuse me God's just starting some green

tea

some examples of statements that I think

would be particularly helpful for

crafting your 12 markers the example you

might as of Zed want to refer to

specific denominations when you're

making your points so you might say

Roman Catholics may agree with the

statement because they believe that in

terms of uh including your explanation

and evidence a great way to introduce

evidence is to say this is shown in the

Bible which teaches that or to say for

example the catechism of the Catholic

Church teaches that

um or this is been in the gospels when

Jesus and then give me a specific

example of something that Jesus did you

know when he feeds the 5 000 for example

or he you know drives out a demon or he

you know stops the man stoning the

adulterous woman

um and then of course in terms of

explaining that you're going to say this

means that or you're going to write the

implication of this is that Christians

today should and then you know keep

going this clearly shows that and again

that's where you're actually

um passing judgment on the arguments and

and so you need to make sure that

explanation is there you are explaining

the evidence really clearly what does

that Bible quote say you know what does

it teach me what does it show me what

does the catechism

um mean you know what is the implication

of what we've read in the catechism for

example

um and so then with your link back I

would recommend using phrases such as

this would lead to a Christian or this

would lead to a Catholic Christian

strongly agreeing with the statement so

you're making it clear to The Examiner

that the evidence you've given is

relevant to the question so you've got

your evidence and then you're explaining

it with that link back to the question

in there with that link back to that key

statement you are evaluating in order to

then introduce the disagree arguments I

would use one of those really nice

linking phrases such as on the other

hand or contrastingly some Christians

would disagree with the statement

because or I might say however other

Christians such as Quaker May disagree

with the statement on the grounds that

so in know you are then really clearly

introducing the other side of the

argument you're making it really clear

that there is a shift in tone that there

is a change in the direction of the

essay that you have set out really

clearly with excellent evidence and

explanation the agree arguments but now

we're shifting tone now we're actually

going to flip the coin over and really

go into detail with really excellent

evidence on the disagree side of things

and then again I would be using the same

lines to introduce my evidence this is

shown in the Bible for example the

catechism teaches that or this is seen

in the gospels and then again explaining

it with phrases such as this means that

the implication of this is that and then

at the end really importantly guys you

are writing that conclusion so you are

going to say in conclusion after

assessing both sides of the argument I

either agree or disagree with the

statement because and then you need to

give me the strongest argument that you

have you need to really impress examiner

by selecting very carefully the

strongest argument that you have for

either agree or disagree the argument

that has swayed you to that side of the

argument and you've got to present that

to me really clearly really confidently

but also nice and succinctly we don't

want to spend really any more than 90

seconds on this at the end of your 12

Mark essay now I've put here on the

screen that if you would like to make

sure you've got that grade nine you will

refer to the strength of the evidence so

it you know it's just something that you

just add in and you know as I say you're

not then going to be writing any more

paragraph It's just in terms of what

you're including in your paragraph So

for that grade nine I'd want to see you

referring to the strength of the

evidence now this is actually really

easy to do and so for example if he was

saying this is shown in the Bible which

teaches that and then you're giving me

the key teaching from the Bible and then

you're explaining what that shows you

need to tell me why that's particularly

important why that would lead to a

Catholic Christian for example agreeing

with the statement so I would say that

the Bible is seen as the infallible and

inherent word of God therefore what it

teaches will be taken seriously so you

are saying not only what the Bible says

but actually why that would be taken

seriously why does that matter you know

why is it that because this book says

this someone is going to agree with this

statement and so just by including those

subtle references to the strength of the

evidence being presented you can show

The Examiner you are a Grade 9 candidate

because you don't just present evidence

but you actually assess the quality the

strength of the evidence so you know

basically as I put there on the second

bullet point you're showing um that you

are evaluating the strength of the

arguments you're presenting you're

saying whether you think the argument

succeeds and why so for example based on

where that quote is from well it's from

the Bible you know for a Christian the

Bible is seen as in infallible in that

inherent word of God so of course if the

Bible is saying this then yeah they are

going to agree with that statement

because they don't believe that this is

just someone's idea that they've come up

with they believe that this is the word

of God and so if the word of God is

saying this then they're absolutely

going to strongly agree with the

statement so you know really try to

start thinking about evaluating the

strength of the evidence that you are

fighting in order to secure those top

marks so yes that is it from this video

I do hope it's been helpful any

questions let me know any of your top

tips for the 12 markers please share

them in the comments below uh very best

of luck to you I hope everything is

going well for you and yes be confident

believe in yourself and let's secure

those great lines have a great day and

I'll see you soon bye-bye