Thank you to our members for attending and supporting our first CLPL event. We are aware there was quite a lot of takeaways from the event and so have summarised the key messages as well as shared the powerpoints used.

We are hoping to run similar events in the future and will take on board any feedback from this. We would like to thank Leigh Anderson, John McColl, Stefan Wyroslawski and Ross McMaster for their input on the evening.

In this first post from the event we have summarised the key messages from Leigh Anderson.

Leigh Anderson, Principal Assessor, Higher RMPS

Key Messages

• The most important thing that everyone has to be aware of is that the questions you are assessing candidates on need to be valid questions. Appeals will not be granted for invalid questions. 
• Anything from before 2019 is not valid, this includes course spec, past paper questions and candidate evidence. 
• You need to use the Course Specification and the bullet points from these. This coupled with the Understanding Standards website to help too.
• The questions from the 2022 exam are the most up to date and valid questions and use these as a starting point when creating questions for use in class. This is the structure that the exam will be. 
• To create questions of your own, use the structure and swap out the bullet points.
• There have been no additions to the course spec since 2019.
• Read the Course Report – this is as crucial as the course specification because it is feedback from the markers. You can use this with pupils too. 
• Questions were raised from the Course report about the comment made about you  not teaching Cosmological and Teleological Arguments in the Origins section. This was a recommendation from the markers because it is not necessary for the exam. Young people get the two arguments confused. Candidates do not need to know the arguments for this section. If a candidate accurately uses it in the exam and it is relevant to the question it will be credited. 
• Leigh is happy to answer queries and questions via email, as is Sara the Deputy PA.
• Leigh is very happy for you to email her Leigh.Anderson@sqa.co.uk or her glow email gw14andersonleigh1@glow.ea.glasgow.sch.uk (if sending essays send to her glow email as this will accept larger emails) sara.dhesi@sqa.co.uk

World Religion Question Stems

Analyse the purpose of . . . 

Analyse the relationship between . . . 

Evaluate the (relevance/ significance/ impact) of . . . 

Morality and Belief Question Stems

Analyse the religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Analyse the non religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Analyse the religious and non-religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Evaluate the non religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Evaluate the non religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Evaluate the religious and non-religious responses to moral issues arising from . . .

Religious, Philosophical Questions

Question Stems

The question stems vary but candidates should prepare the following for each section. The questions will be very generic. We want the candidates to debate within this section. The evaluation will always be To What Extent do you Agree?

Questions for Leigh

What non religious viewpoints can we use?

You can use any non religious viewpoint that you wish. These are the most challenging for the candidates. This is never as strong. The most common is utilitarianism. Kant is a great option. Declaration of Human Rights is another non religious viewpoint that is well used. They have to be specific e.g. a named source. 

How do we teach candidates how to structure?

SQA does not give advice on structure as it is depending on the pupils and context, SQA are not prescriptive about this. The course report does give suggestions on this but pupils need to be taught a structure. For example the Morality and Belief questions if you ask pupils to work backwards in the question. 

How are analysis marks awarded? 

When asked an analysis question you need to answer the question. E.g. a connection question you need to explain the link. If the candidate analyses the consequences of this they will not get the marks for it if they don’t link it back to the question. 

They will pick up marks for connections/ links/ implications in the 20 marker as there is not specific analysis required. The evaluation marks will only come when they answer the question asked. 

If a candidate uses a quotation and then explains what it means will this be analysis or KU? 

This is dependent on the context. If there is a quote that is relevant to the question then they will get KU for that. If they analyse the quotation in the 20 marker e.g. say an implication of this quotation is. . .  and do this accurately they will be awarded. They will not be awarded analysis on a 10 mark essay as it is asking you to analyse something in particular. The analysis has to be a consequence or implication and not just ‘this shows’ and repeat what the quote has just said. 

How much knowledge do the pupils need to know?

Only teach the Course Specification. You may bring in some relevant ideas but do not go into too much depth outside the course spec. If you branch out slightly, that’s okay as long as it enhances the course specification. 

It depends on your context of what your candidates will need to know – but 10 KU marks on each of the bullet points is sufficient. 

Are evaluation skills only awarded if the candidate makes a judgment on the argument. 

Yes. Where candidates are putting in strengths and weaknesses and linking it to their judgment they will be awarded the mark. However candidates tend to put a strength and weakness in but it actually is learned KU. Teach your candidate to go back to the question regularly to make your judgment. Try to get your candidates using the sentence starters An implication of this is… to help with analysis. 

Candidates need to make a judgment on the wording of the question. 

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