Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A (1RA0)
Exam structure at a glance for Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A: every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus tiers, practicals and the links you need.
- Board
- Pearson Edexcel
- Specification code
- 1RA0
- Tiers
- No tiers (one paper set for all)
- First teaching
- 2016
- First exams
- 2018
- Exam papers
- 4
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
RE is required at every key stage but follows a locally agreed syllabus, not the national curriculum.
Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Area of Study 1: Study of Religion | 1 h 45 min | 102 | 50% | Catholic Christianity, Christianity or Islam; four questions, each in parts (a)-(d). |
| Paper 2: Area of Study 2: Study of Second Religion | 50 min | 51 | 25% | A second, different religion from seven; two questions in parts (a)-(d). |
| Paper 3: Area of Study 3: Philosophy and Ethics (option) | 50 min | 51 | 25% | Same religion as paper 1; two questions in parts (a)-(d). Take paper 3 or paper 4. |
| Paper 4: Area of Study 4: Textual Studies (option) | 50 min | 51 | 25% | Mark's Gospel or the Qur'an; two questions in parts (a)-(d). Take paper 3 or paper 4. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole GCSE. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Papers each student sits: 3
- SPaG: 5% of marks on every paper are for SPaG and specialist terminology.
- Routes: 2 possible combinations of papers; each adds up to 100%.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- Pearson Edexcel: Specification at a glance (board website)
- Pearson Edexcel: Specification (PDF, board website)
- Pearson Edexcel: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- Pearson Edexcel: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: qualifications.pearson.com.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A exams?
Paper 1: 1 h 45 min; Paper 2: 50 min; Paper 3: 50 min; Paper 4: 50 min.