How Many GCSE Religious Studies Papers Are There?

If you’re taking GCSE Religious Studies, you might be wondering: “How many exam papers are there?” The answer depends on your exam board and also whether you’re doing the full GCSE course or the short course.

Most students take the full course, which means sitting two or three papers, depending on the exam board. In this guide, we’ll explain the exact number of papers for AQA, OCR, and Edexcel, what each one covers, and how to prepare. If you’re still deciding whether to take the subject, you might also want to check out our guide on what GCSE Religious Studies involves.

Key Takeaways

• Most GCSE Religious Studies students sit 2 or 3 exam papers, depending on exam board and specification.

• The short course (AQA 8061) consists of one paper and is worth half a GCSE.

• The full course includes 2–3 papers:

  • AQA A (8062): 2 papers (1h45 each).

  • AQA B (8063): 2 papers (1h45 each).

  • OCR (J625): 3 papers (1h + 1h + 2h).

  • Edexcel A (1RA0): 3 papers (1h45 + 50 mins + 50 mins).

  • Edexcel B (1RB0): 2 papers (1h45 each).

• Papers cover religions, philosophy, ethics, and contemporary issues, with some variation (e.g. Catholic Christianity in AQA B, or textual studies options in Edexcel A).

• All exams are sat at the end of Year 11; there’s no coursework.

How Many Exam Papers Are There for GCSE Religious Studies?

The number of GCSE RS exam papers you sit depends on two things:

• Your exam board (AQA, OCR, or Edexcel).

• Your course type (full course or short course).

• Full course:  usually 2 or 3 papers.

• Short course: always one paper.

Most schools enter students for the full course, as it counts as a complete GCSE. The short course is worth half a GCSE and covers a reduced amount of content, so it’s less common. It takes far less study time – as an RS teacher, I’ve steered many students successfully through the GCSE RS short course solely via extracurricular lessons. If you’re unsure about which course you’re on, do consult your teacher.

Whichever course you’re studying, all exams are taken at the end of Year 11, and they test both your knowledge of religions and your ability to explain and evaluate different viewpoints.

GCSE Religious Studies Papers by Exam Board

Different exam boards structure GCSE Religious Studies slightly differently. Here’s what to expect from each:

AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062)

• Full course: 2 papers

• Length: 1 hour 45 minutes each

• Weighting: 50% each

Paper 1: The study of religions (two religions)
Beliefs, teachings and practices for two chosen religions (e.g. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism). Each religion has two five-part questions (1, 2, 4, 5, 12 marks).

Paper 2: Thematic studies
Either four themes from A–F (e.g. Religion & Life; Peace & Conflict; Crime & Punishment; Human Rights) or two themes plus Textual studies (Mark’s Gospel themes G–H). One five-part question per theme.

AQA GCSE Religious Studies B (8063)

• Full course: 2 papers

• Length: 1 hour 45 minutes each

• Weighting: 50% each

Component 1: Catholic Christianity
Six topics (creation, incarnation, Triune God, redemption, Church, eschatology).

Component 2: Perspectives on faith
Choose Islam or Judaism plus either:

• two themes from A–C (relationships & families; peace & conflict; human rights & social justice), or

• both Textual studies themes on Mark’s Gospel (D–E).
  Both sections use five-part questions with a 12-mark evaluation.

AQA Short Course (8061)

• Short course: 1 paper (covers selected religion content + themes)

• Length: 1 hour 45 minutes

• Weighting: 100% of the short course
  Assessed via two sections (Study of Religions and Themes), with common five-part question structures. 

OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)

• Full course: 3 papers

• Length:
    • Paper 1 (Beliefs, Teachings & Practices – Religion 1): 1 hour
    • Paper 2 (Beliefs, Teachings & Practices – Religion 2): 1 hour
    • Paper 3 (Religion, Philosophy & Ethics in the Modern World): 2 hours

• Weighting:
    • Paper 1 + Paper 2 together = 50% (25% each)
    • Paper 3 = 50%

Paper 1: Beliefs, Teachings & Practices (Religion 1)
Study of one religion – beliefs, teachings, and practices.

Paper 2: Beliefs, Teachings & Practices (Religion 2)
Study of a second religion – beliefs, teachings, and practices.

Paper 3: Religion, Philosophy & Ethics in the Modern World
Philosophical and ethical themes such as relationships, the existence of God, peace and conflict, and justice.

The OCR Short course (J125) has one paper, covering selected content from the full course.

Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies

Edexcel offers two different specifications: Specification A and Specification B. Both are full course only.

Specification A (1RA0) -  3 papers:

• Paper 1: Study of Religion – 1h45 (50%)

• Paper 2: Study of Second Religion – 50 mins (25%)

• Paper 3 or Paper 4: 50 mins (25%)
  (Choose either Philosophy & Ethics or Textual Studies.) 

Specification B (1RB0) - 2 papers:

• Paper 1: Religion & Ethics – 1h45 (50%)

• Paper 2: Religion, Peace & Conflict – 1h45 (50%)
  (You study two Areas of Study; schools pick the route/religions.)

What Each Paper Tests You On

All GCSE Religious Studies courses test two main skills:

• Knowledge (AO1): explaining religious beliefs, teachings, and practices.

• Evaluation (AO2): comparing viewpoints, analysing issues, and forming a justified conclusion.

Across exam boards, common areas include:

• World religions: beliefs, teachings, and practices (usually two religions, chosen by your school).

• Philosophy and ethics: arguments about God, moral decision-making, good and evil.

• Contemporary issues: including human rights, relationships, war and peace, and crime and punishment.

Some boards add their own focus:

• AQA Specification B places strong emphasis on Catholic Christianity alongside another religion.

• Edexcel Specification A offers options such as Textual Studies or Philosophy and Ethics for its third paper.

For a full breakdown of themes across boards, see our GCSE Religious Studies topics guide.

Tips for Preparing for GCSE RS Papers

To do well in Religious Studies, you’ll need to balance strong subject knowledge with clear exam technique. Here are some practical ways to prepare:

• Practise time management

  • You’ll need to pace yourself carefully for each exam, no matter which board you’re studying with. Practise past papers under timed conditions to get used to just how long you should spend on each question.

• Revise by theme

  • Create mind maps or tables linking beliefs, teachings, and ethical issues across different religions. This helps you compare viewpoints in longer questions.

• Plan essay answers

  • For 12-mark evaluation questions, practise writing introductions, balanced arguments, and reaching reasoned conclusions. Learning a structure to apply, no matter what topic you’re writing about, is key to higher marks.

• Learn key terms and teachings

  • Short, memorable quotes or teachings from sacred texts are essential to support your answers and achieve top marks. Remember: examiners are looking for the gist of the teaching, who taught it, and how it relates to the question.

• Pay attention to command words

  • Know the difference between the terms used by your exam board, such as “describe,” “explain,” and “evaluate”, so that you give the right type of answer for each question.

For more support, check out our guide on how to revise GCSE Religious Studies and our step-by-step advice on how to get a 9 in GCSE RS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between short course and full course GCSE RS?

The short course (AQA 8061) is worth half a GCSE and consists of a single exam paper. It covers a reduced amount of content. The full course counts as a full GCSE and includes 2–3 exam papers, depending on your exam board and specification. 

Most schools enter students for the full course.

How long are the GCSE RS exams?

• AQA A (8062): 1h45 per paper (2 papers)

• AQA B (8063): 1h45 per paper (2 papers)

• AQA Short Course (8061): 1h45 (1 paper)

• OCR (J625): 1h, 1h, and 2h (3 papers)

• Edexcel A (1RA0): 1h45, 50 mins, 50 mins (3 papers)

• Edexcel B (1RB0): 1h45 per paper (2 papers)

Do I have to study all religions for GCSE RS?

No, you don’t need to cover every religion listed in the specification. 

Your school chooses which religions you will study. Most exam boards require you to focus on two religions, though some specifications are different. For example, AQA B has a core focus on Catholic Christianity alongside either Judaism or Islam.

Final Thoughts

Most GCSE Religious Studies students will sit 2 or 3 exam papers, though the exact number depends on your exam board and whether you’re taking the full or short course. Regardless of the structure, every exam assesses both your understanding of religious beliefs and your ability to evaluate different viewpoints.

With steady revision, regular practice of essay-style questions, and good time management, you can approach each paper with confidence. You’ll find plenty of support in Save My Exams’ GCSE Religious Studies resources, including revision notes, exam questions, and past papers. 

References:

• AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062) (opens in a new tab)

• AQA GCSE Religious Studies B (8063) (opens in a new tab)

• AQA GCSE Religious Studies Short Course (8061) (opens in a new tab)

• OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625, J125) (opens in a new tab)

• Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (1RA0) (opens in a new tab)

• Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0) (opens in a new tab)