AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 2 practice questions

What is on Paper 2?

• Paper 2 covers thematic studies.
• It is a written paper of 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 96 marks plus marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar — 50% of the GCSE.
• Each question builds from 1-mark recall up to a 12-mark evaluation.
• Always check the latest specification on your exam board's website, as details can change between exam years.

Paper 2 practice questions with answers

12 original questions across the 6 Paper 2 topics. Try each one before reading the answer.

1. Relationships and families

   1. What term describes a couple living together without being married?

   • • Cohabitation
   • • Annulment
   • • Nikah
   • • Talaq

   Answer: Cohabitation

   Cohabitation is living together as a couple without marrying.

2. Relationships and families

   2. What is the Islamic term for the marriage contract?

   • • Talaq
   • • Nikah
   • • Zakat
   • • Salah

   Answer: Nikah

   Nikah is the Islamic marriage contract and ceremony.

3. Life, death and the existence of God

   3. The design argument claims that the order in the universe suggests what?

   • • An intelligent designer
   • • Random chance only
   • • No creator
   • • Evolution alone

   Answer: An intelligent designer

   The design argument infers a designer from apparent order and purpose.

4. Life, death and the existence of God

   4. Explain the basic idea of the cosmological argument.

   Answer: Everything that exists has a cause, and since the universe cannot have caused itself, there must be a first, uncaused cause, often identified as God.

   This is a classic philosophical argument for God's existence.

5. Religion, peace and conflict

   5. What is Just War theory?

   • • Conditions for a war to be morally justified
   • • A ban on all warfare
   • • A religious command to fight
   • • A treaty ending World War Two

   Answer: Conditions for a war to be morally justified

   Just War theory sets out criteria such as just cause and proportionality.

6. Religion, peace and conflict

   6. What is the 'greater jihad' in Islam?

   • • The inner spiritual struggle to live righteously
   • • Armed conflict against enemies
   • • A form of terrorism
   • • A type of holy pilgrimage

   Answer: The inner spiritual struggle to live righteously

   The greater jihad refers to struggling against one's own sin and temptation.

7. Religion, crime and punishment

   7. What is the definition of crime?

   • • Behaviour that breaks the law of the land
   • • Any immoral thought
   • • Breaking a personal promise
   • • A type of punishment

   Answer: Behaviour that breaks the law of the land

   Crime is legally defined; sin refers to breaking religious teaching.

8. Religion, crime and punishment

   8. Which aim of punishment focuses on making the offender 'pay' for their crime?

   • • Retribution
   • • Reformation
   • • Protection
   • • Deterrence

   Answer: Retribution

   Retribution is about proportionate punishment because the offender deserves it.

9. Human rights and social justice

   9. What is prejudice?

   • • Holding a negative opinion about a group without just cause
   • • Treating someone unfairly through action
   • • A form of charity
   • • A legal right

   Answer: Holding a negative opinion about a group without just cause

   Prejudice is an attitude, while discrimination is the resulting unfair action.

10. Human rights and social justice

    10. What is discrimination?

    • • Treating people unfairly because of prejudice
    • • A form of charity
    • • Freedom of speech
    • • A type of trafficking

    Answer: Treating people unfairly because of prejudice

    Discrimination is prejudice put into unfair action.

11. Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions

    11. Which of these is a sacred text?

    • • A newspaper
    • • The Bible
    • • A history textbook
    • • A dictionary

    Answer: The Bible

    The Bible is a sacred text considered authoritative by Christians.

12. Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions

    12. What is 'tradition' in a religious context?

    • • A new scientific theory
    • • Beliefs and practices passed down through generations
    • • A single person's private opinion
    • • A government law

    Answer: Beliefs and practices passed down through generations

    Tradition refers to inherited beliefs and practices within a faith community.

Where Paper 2 marks are usually lost

• Stating a belief without naming a source of authority or teaching to support it.
• Giving only one religious view when the question asks for contrasting views.
• Forgetting a clear, justified conclusion in the 12-mark evaluation answer.
• Describing practices without explaining why believers carry them out.
• Losing spelling, punctuation and grammar marks on the questions that award them.

How to pick up the extended-answer marks

• Underline the command word and the focus of the question before writing — most dropped marks come from answering a different question.
• Plan for one or two minutes: three or four points, each backed by evidence and explained.
• Keep linking back to the question in every paragraph, not just the conclusion.
• For 'evaluate' or 'how far do you agree' questions, weigh both sides and finish with a clear judgement.

Timing that works under pressure

• Check the marks per question and give each one time in proportion, keeping spare minutes for checking at the end.
• Bank the short questions first, then return to the longer answers with your remaining time.
• If a question stalls for more than two minutes, write down what you know and move on — partial marks still count.
• Leave five minutes to check spelling of key terms, units and whether any question part was skipped over a page break.

Revise each Paper 2 topic

• Relationships and families (70 questions)
• Life, death and the existence of God (83 questions)
• Religion, peace and conflict (70 questions)
• Religion, crime and punishment (83 questions)
• Human rights and social justice (83 questions)
• Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions (70 questions)

AQA Religious Studies Paper 2 FAQs

What topics are on AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 2?

Paper 2 assesses four religious, philosophical and ethical themes, such as relationships, life and death, peace and conflict, crime and punishment, and human rights.

How long is AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 2?

It is a 1 hour 45 minutes written exam worth 96 marks plus marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar, which is 50% of the GCSE. Check your board's latest specification for any changes.

How should I revise for Religious Studies Paper 2?

Practise answering questions rather than rereading notes. Short daily sets of five questions per topic, marked straight away, expose weak areas faster than a long passive revision session.