WJEC Eduqas A Level Sociology specification (A200)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your WJEC Eduqas 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 Eduqas 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 Eduqas A Level Sociology (A200) 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 Eduqas specification PDF.
Specification overview
This A-level Sociology course (Eduqas) develops learners’ understanding of contemporary UK society through themes of culture, identity, power and inequality. It promotes critical and reflective thinking, sociological awareness, and appreciation of social structures and diversity. The specification supports independent engagement with real-world issues, encouraging analysis of sociological theories, research methods, and evidence. Learners gain valuable skills in evaluation and argumentation applicable to academic study and professional life:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.Subject content breakdown
Component 1: Socialisation and Culture
- Cultural transmission: norms, values, beliefs, subcultures, social construction
- Socialisation: primary (family), secondary (peers, education, religion, media, work), social control
- Identity: personal, gender, class, ethnicity, nationality
Option B (choose one):
- Families and households: forms, demographic changes, relationships, theories (functionalist, Marxist, feminist, postmodernist, New Right)
- Youth cultures: media, globalisation, subcultures, deviance, theories (interactionist, feminist, etc.)
Option C (choose one):
- Education: role, attainment patterns, social policy, material/cultural factors, labelling, theory (New Right, feminist, postmodernist)
- Media: audience effects, ownership/control, representations, policy, theory (pluralist, neo-Marxist)
- Religion: role, participation, secularisation, structures, fundamentalism, policy, theory (Weberian, neo-Marxist)
Component 2: Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Concepts: validity, reliability, ethics, objectivity, generalisability
- Research methods: questionnaires, interviews, observation, focus groups
- Methodologies: surveys, ethnography, longitudinal, triangulation
- Secondary data: official statistics, documents, prior studies
- Sampling: random, quota, snowball, purposive, gatekeeping, access
- Theories of research: positivism, interpretivism, realism
- Practical/ethical issues: operationalisation, consent, time, cost
Component 3: Power and Stratification Section A
- Social inequality: class, gender, ethnicity, age
- Income, wealth, mobility, stratification
- Theories: Marxist, Weberian, feminist, postmodernist, New Right
Section B (choose one):
- Crime and deviance: social patterns, measurement, construction, theory (right/left realism, feminist, subcultural)
- Health and disability: distribution, definitions, medicalisation, theory (biomedical, Marxist, feminist)
- Politics: participation patterns, political organisations, theory (elite, pluralist)
- World sociology: inequality (health, education, poverty), aid, globalisation, theory (dependency, world systems):contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
Assessment structure
Component 1: Socialisation and Culture
- Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 120 marks (40% of qualification)
- Section A: cultural transmission (20 marks)
- Section B: families or youth (50 marks)
- Section C: education, media or religion (50 marks)
Component 2: Methods of Sociological Enquiry
- Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 60 marks (20% of qualification)
- Two extended response questions
- One stimulus-based on existing research
- One designing and evaluating a sociological enquiry
Component 3: Power and Stratification
- Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 120 marks (40% of qualification)
- Section A: inequality and stratification (60 marks)
- Section B: crime, health, politics or world sociology (60 marks)
Assessment Objectives
- AO1 (45%): Knowledge and understanding of theories, evidence, methods
- AO2 (35%): Application to issues
- AO3 (20%): Analysis and evaluation to draw conclusions
Grading
- Linear assessment
- Grade range: A* to E
- Qualification code: A200QS:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Key tips for success
Doing well in your WJEC Eduqas 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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