Exam Overview and timing
Each of the three papers has a set structure, and understanding what sort of questions to expect is key in boosting your grade. Setting a general time structure to know how long to spend on each question is also recommended.
Paper 1: UK Politics & Core Political Ideas
- 30-mark source question (roughly 45 mins)
- 30-mark essay question (roughly 45 mins)
- 24-mark ideology question (roughly 30 mins)
Paper 2: UK Government & Non-Core Political Ideas
- Same structure as Paper 1
Paper 3A: USA Politics or Paper 3B: Global Politics
- 12-mark examine question (roughly 15 mins)
- 12-mark analyse question (roughly 15 mins)
- 2x 30-mark essay questions (roughly 45 mins each)
Why sit exams?
Exams may be stressful and difficult, but they are your opportunity to demonstrate everything you have learned and grasped over the last two years of study.
- Short questions allow you to show off what you know.
- Source questions allow you to demonstrate you can quickly digest information and use it to create an argument, along with using your knowledge.
- Essay questions allow you to analyse and evaluate political arguments, and show the two sides to a debate.