philosophy gcse paper

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GCSE Philosophy Revision Notes

Explore philosophical ideas and concepts with our GCSE Philosophy revision notes. Compiled by previous students, these revision notes have been tried and tested and provide you with bite-sized explanations to help you understand even the most difficult of philosophical ideas.

For Buddhists, ‘impermanence (anicca) is the most important of the Three Marks of Existence.’

How can i effectively prepare for essay questions in philosophy, which require critical analysis and argumentation.

Start by practising with past essay questions and structuring your responses logically. Provide clear arguments and counterarguments, and support your points with relevant examples and evidence.

Should I write my own GCSE Philosophy revision notes?

Writing your own notes is a good way of actively absorbing the information that you read. You don't have to start from scratch though. You can use our revision notes as a starting points or add to your class notes. You can also create your own flashcards and quizzes and further condense the information you read.

Are there any study techniques for improving my understanding of philosophical concepts and theories?

Create mind maps or concept diagrams to visualise connections between different philosophical ideas. Discuss and debate these concepts with classmates to gain diverse perspectives and insights.

What's the best approach for memorising philosophical theories and the philosophers associated with them?

Use flashcards with the philosopher's name on one side and their major contributions or theories on the other. Connect each theory with a memorable example or analogy to aid recall.

How can I manage my time effectively during the GCSE Philosophy exam, particularly when dealing with long essay questions?

Allocate specific time slots to each section of the exam, ensuring that you have enough time for each question. For essays, start by outlining your response to stay organised and on track within the time limit. Remember that you won't gain more marks just because your answer is long. Spend time before the exam looking at previous mark schemes to make sure you stay on track and maximise your chances of scoring top marks.

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GCSE Religious Studies A

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Exampro: searchable past paper questions, topic tests, marks and examiner comments [exampro.co.uk]

Published 12 Dec 2023

Answers and commentary: Paper 2A Non-textual studies - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 242 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 2B Textual studies - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 234 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 5 The study of religions (Islam) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 238 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 6 The study of religions (Judaism) - Sample set 2

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 1 The study of religions (Buddhism) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 227 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 7 The study of religions (Sikhism) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 239 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 3 The study of religions (Christianity) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 250 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 2 The study of religions (Catholic Christianity) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 254 KB

Answers and commentary: Paper 1 Option 4 The study of religions (Hinduism) - Sample set 2

Published 20 Sep 2023 | PDF | 257 KB

Examiner report: Paper 1 Option 2 The study of religions (Catholic Christianity) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 112 KB

Examiner report: Paper 1 Option 5 The study of religions (Islam) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 113 KB

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 3 The study of religions (Christianity) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 381 KB

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 1 The study of religions (Buddhism) - June 2022

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 5 The study of religions (Islam) - June 2022

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 4 The study of religions (Hinduism) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 410 KB

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 7 The study of religions (Sikhism) - June 2022

Question paper: Paper 1 Option 6 The study of religions (Judaism) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 412 KB

Question paper: Paper 1 The study of religions (Catholic Christianity) - June 2022

Question paper (Modified A4 18pt): Paper 1 Option 3 The study of religions (Christianity) - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 241 KB

What do Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping want from each other?

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Does the “no limits” relationship have limits?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is embarking on his first foreign trip since his splashy inauguration to a fifth term in office, and his destination is no surprise: China.

The two-day state visit beginning Thursday is expected to be heavy on pomp and ceremony, with effusive toasts and carefully choreographed gestures of friendship and mutual respect.

But status matters, and Putin is clearly the junior partner to Chinese President Xi Jinping. As the Economist magazine put it after the visit was announced: “Vladimir Putin will meet his big brother in Beijing.”

Despite inherent lopsidedness in their dealings — China is Russia’s principal trade partner, while Beijing’s largest export market is the United States — Xi has gone out of his way to imbue the visit with a sense of historic significance.

The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration after their talks, and there will be a gala celebration marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

World & Nation

Chinese President Xi’s trip to Europe: ‘Charm offensive’ or canny bid to divide the West?

Touring Europe for the first time in five years, Chinese President Xi has sought to both woo and divide. Ukraine and trade are wedge issues for China.

May 9, 2024

Putin — known for sometimes staging haughty keep-them-waiting displays when other leaders make the trek to the Kremlin — has taken a notably deferential tone toward his host.

In a pre-trip interview with China’s official Xinhua news agency, he expressed admiration for elements of Chinese culture, including martial arts and philosophy.

“Our peoples are bound by a long and strong tradition of friendship and cooperation,” he told Xinhua .

Putin’s expressions of gratitude are well-warranted. Since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine , Xi has propped up his Russian counterpart in a variety of crucial ways.

China has helped Putin weather wartime Western sanctions, extending a particular lifeline to Russia’s lucrative oil and gas industry. Over the last two-plus years, Russia’s energy exports to China have easily offset the rupture in what had been Moscow’s cozy prewar energy relationship with Europe.

In many ways, the strategic relationship serves both Beijing and Moscow — and represents, in the view of many analysts, two autocrats’ unified challenge to the West.

“China and Russia are forging a partnership increasingly reminiscent of a great power alliance,” military intelligence analyst Chels Michta wrote in a commentary this week for the Center for European Policy Analysis.

But while Xi and Putin share a disdain for a U.S.-led world order, their interests are not identical. And the Ukraine war is at times a complicating factor.

China does not provide Russia with weaponry. But the Biden administration has prodded Xi’s government over its sale to Russia of so-called dual-use items — components such as machine tools, microelectronics and rocket propellant, which have civilian and military uses.

Blinken, in a somber visit to Kyiv, reasserts U.S. support for Ukraine

Ukrainian president signals to U.S. secretary of State that the need is dire, but that the war against Russia is not lost.

May 14, 2024

That came up last month when U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited Beijing and chided China for “powering Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Washington has also said it will take a harder line against Chinese-based financial institutions and firms that help Moscow circumvent wartime restrictions, warning of secondary sanctions against them.

Even as China publicly professes neutrality on Ukraine, many observers believe Putin was emboldened in his war aims by a joint pact struck with Beijing days before the invasion, proclaiming a “no-limits” partnership.

In the course of the Ukraine war, however, some points of friction have emerged. China has been made uneasy by Putin’s occasional strident nuclear threats , the latest of which came this month when the Kremlin announced it would conduct exercises simulating the use of tactical — or battlefield — nuclear weapons near Ukraine.

News analysis: Why Putin is raising the specter of nuclear weapons again

Russia announces plans to hold drills near Ukraine simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons.

May 6, 2024

In a variety of international settings — most recently during a high-profile European tour last week — Xi has expressed hopes for peace in Ukraine, even as he has refused to condemn Russia’s ongoing attempt to batter its neighbor into submission.

Ukraine has been careful not to publicly denigrate China’s peace proposals — a 12-point plan unveiled more than a year ago, followed by additional “principles” set forth last month — but the government in Kyiv and its allies believe that if Beijing wanted to genuinely play the conciliator, it could use its influence to rein in Putin.

On the eve of the visit, Putin praised the Chinese proposals, which were tepidly received elsewhere, as “realistic and constructive.” The Russian leader also draws frequent parallels between his contention that Ukraine rightfully belongs to Russia and China’s claim to Taiwan .

Russia tries to breach Ukraine’s defenses in the Kharkiv region

Ukraine is trying to determine if Russia’s ground attack in Kharkiv is opening a new war front — or meant to divert overstretched Ukrainian troops?

May 10, 2024

During last week’s European tour, Xi joined France’s President Emmanuel Macron in calling for a “global truce” during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris — one that would theoretically apply in Ukraine, where the tempo of fighting has been intensifying .

Ukrainian military officials acknowledge that for the moment at least, Russia has battlefield momentum on its side , making new territorial seizures in Ukraine’s northeast and notching steady incremental gains on the eastern front lines.

Despite elaborate displays of Sino-Russian friendship, in some parts of the world the two see each other as rivals rather than partners.

Super spy or paper pusher? How Putin’s KGB years in East Germany helped shape him

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s KGB years in East Germany offer a window into his crackdown on protests, war on Ukraine and yearning for empire.

June 15, 2023

Xi is well aware that Putin’s international isolation leaves him at a disadvantage, and in some venues, such as Eastern Europe, that gives China greater economic latitude.

“The full-scale invasion of Ukraine is accelerating the process of China edging out Russia from Central and Eastern Europe,” wrote analyst Dimitar Bechev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center after Xi’s visit last week to Hungary and Serbia.

Putin, he wrote, “has become toxic in a way that the Chinese leadership is not.”

More to Read

In talks with Putin amid Ukraine war, Xi calls Russia-China ties a ‘strong driving force’

May 16, 2024

As Blinken meets with Xi, he emphasizes ‘responsibly managing’ U.S.-China differences

April 26, 2024

As Blinken heads to China, these are the major divides he will try to bridge

April 23, 2024

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Laura King is a Washington, D.C.-based reporter for the Los Angeles Times. A member of the Foreign/National staff, she primarily covers foreign affairs. She previously served as bureau chief in Jerusalem, Kabul and Cairo.

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