WJEC A Level Sociology specification (1200)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your WJEC A Level Sociology exam. It lays out exactly what you need to learn, how you'll be assessed, and what skills the examiners seek. Whether you're working through the course for the first time or revising for your final exams, the specification helps you stay focused and confident in your preparation.
We've included helpful revision tools to support you in putting the specification into practice. Wherever you're starting from, you'll find everything you need to feel prepared, from the official specification to high-quality resources designed to help you succeed.
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In the next section, you'll find a simplified summary of the official WJEC A Level Sociology specification, along with a breakdown of key topics, assessment structure, and useful study resources. We've also included links to topic-level guides and revision tools to help you put the specification into practice.
Contents
Disclaimer
This page includes a summary of the official WJEC A Level Sociology (1200) specification, provided to support your revision. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, Save My Exams is not affiliated with the awarding body.
For the most complete and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend consulting the official WJEC specification PDF.
Specification overview
This A-level Sociology course (WJEC) is designed to foster critical and reflective thinking through engagement with contemporary society, especially within a Welsh context. It promotes understanding of social structures, diversity, and processes through theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence. Learners are encouraged to develop personal sociological awareness and a deeper interest in social issues, supported by analytical and evaluative skills transferable to both academic and real-world settings:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.Subject content breakdown
Unit 1: Acquiring Culture
- Cultural transmission, socialisation, identity
- Social construction of culture: norms, values, diversity, Welsh examples
- Primary and secondary socialisation: agencies, roles, control
- Identity formation: gender, class, ethnicity, nationality
Option (choose one):
- Families and households: family forms, demographic change, roles, theories (functionalism, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, New Right)
- Youth cultures: formation, globalisation, deviance, theories (including interactionism)
Unit 2: Understanding Society and Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Research methods: concepts (validity, reliability, ethics), sampling, quantitative and qualitative approaches
- Theories of research: positivist, interpretivist, realist
- Application to options (choose one):
- Education: roles, inequalities, policies, material and cultural factors
- Media: effects, ownership, representations, theories
- Religion: functions, participation, secularisation, organisations, theories
Unit 3: Power and Control
- Theme: power, differentiation, stratification
Option (choose one):
- Crime and deviance: patterns, measurement, definitions, policy impact, theories
- Health and disability: patterns, causes, social construction, access and policies, theories
- Politics: participation patterns, role of organisations, power theories (final assessment 2021)
- World sociology: global inequalities, explanations (dependency, world systems), globalisation impact
Unit 4: Social Inequality and Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Section A: research design—method, sampling, ethical/practical issues
- Section B: inequality themes—social class, gender, ethnicity, age, with theories (functionalist, Marxist, Weberian, feminist, New Right, postmodernist):contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
Assessment structure
Unit 1: Acquiring Culture
- Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 60 marks (15% of A level)
- Section A: compulsory structured question
- Section B: one option, including compulsory and essay questions
Unit 2: Understanding Society and Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Written exam: 2 hours
- 90 marks (25% of A level)
- Section A: compulsory methods question
- Section B: one option, data-based and essay questions
Unit 3: Power and Control
- Written exam: 2 hours
- 70 marks (25% of A level)
- One option from four, including compulsory and essay questions
Unit 4: Social Inequality and Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Written exam: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 100 marks (35% of A level)
- Section A: research proposal question
- Section B: social inequality with compulsory and essay questions
Assessment Objectives
- AO1: Knowledge and understanding (44%)
- AO2: Application to issues (33%)
- AO3: Analysis and evaluation (23%)
Marking Scheme
- Each unit has defined mark allocations and scaled weighting
- A-level awarded on total uniform mark (max 500); Grade A* requires 90% in A2 units:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Key tips for success
Doing well in your WJEC A Level Sociology isn't just about how much you study, but how you study. Here are a few proven tips to help you stay on track
- Start with a clear plan: Break the subject into topics and create a revision schedule that allows enough time for each. Start early to avoid last-minute stress.
- Focus on understanding, not memorising: Use our revision notes to build a strong foundation in each topic, making sure you actually understand the material.
- Practise regularly: Attempt past papers to familiarise yourself with the exam format and timing. Mark your answers to see how close you are to full marks.
- Be strategic with your revision: Use exam questions by topic to focus on weaker areas, and flashcards to reinforce important facts and terminology.
- Learn from mistakes: Whether it's from mock exams or practice questions, spend time reviewing what went wrong and why. This helps prevent repeat mistakes in the real exam.
- Stay balanced: Don't forget to take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep, a healthy routine makes revision much more effective.
With the right approach and consistent practice, you'll build confidence and improve your chances of exam success.
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