AS 90827 Annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 283 KB]

TKI Religious Studies assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to analyse, with perception, the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• critically evaluating the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions
• drawing conclusions that address the wider implications arising from the analysis.  

The student has provided evidence that critically evaluated the key beliefs of Christians (in particular Protestants), and an atheistic worldview, in relation to our origins and what happens at the end of life.

The student has drawn conclusions that address both social and personal implications arising from the analysis (1). 

For a more secure Excellence, the student could provide more analysis, with perception of the wider implications of Christian and atheistic key beliefs, with regard to questions regarding the origins and end of life.   

For example, the student could draw a conclusion around how geographic variance will affect how readily people accept or reject either Christianity or atheism, and how political parties are often associated with the views of different Christian or atheistic views on social policy.

Additionally, the student could draw a conclusion as to why there is a difference between branches of Christianity and atheism in their understanding of the origins and end of life, and how these reflect the way a person may choose to live.

For Merit, the student needs to analyse in depth the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular worldview in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• discussing the similarities and differences in the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions 
• drawing conclusions supported by a range of evidence.

The student has discussed a number of similarities and differences between atheistic and Christian (in particular Protestant) beliefs concerning the origin and end of life (1).

The student has used biblical teachings regarding sin as evidence, and how atheists explain the origin of life (Evolution/Big Bang theory), and drawn conclusions about the way a person may choose to live and their belief in a deity (2).

The student has provided some evidence of a critical evaluation of atheist and Protestant beliefs with regard to the origin and end of life (3).

To reach Excellence, the student could provide evidence of conclusions drawn that address at least two wider implications of the origins and end of life for atheists and Christians. 

For example, the student could draw a conclusion around how the Christian understanding of science has changed since the time of the Enlightenment in the 18th Century. The student could draw a second conclusion around how different branches of Christianity react in different ways to atheism. The student could show perception by including further references to back up atheistic perspectives.

For Merit, the student needs to analyse in depth the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular worldview in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• discussing the similarities and differences in the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions  
• drawing conclusions supported by a range of evidence.

The student has discussed a number of similarities and differences between atheist and Christian (in particular Protestant) beliefs concerning the origin and end of life (1).

The student has drawn a conclusion supported by biblical teachings regarding sin as evidence, with regard to the way a person may choose to live, their belief in a deity, and their opinions about the theory of evolution (2).

The student has provided limited evidence of a critical evaluation of atheist and Protestant beliefs concerning the origin and end of life (3).

For a more secure Merit, the student could provide more biblical and secondary sources of evidence acceptable from within atheism and the Protestant tradition to support the conclusions. The inclusion of references to back up atheistic perspectives would help the grade.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• considering the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions, and breaking them down into components or essential features
• drawing conclusions about the key beliefs, supported by evidence.

The student has considered a number of key beliefs of both atheist and Christian (in particular Protestant) beliefs concerning the origin and end of life (1).

The student has drawn a conclusion supported by biblical teachings regarding sin as evidence, and drawn conclusions about the way a person may choose to live, their belief in a deity and their opinions about the theory of evolution (2).

To reach Merit, the student could provide more evidence of similarities between atheist and Protestant key beliefs regarding the origin and end of life. For example, the student could consider how atheists and Christians could recognise their similarities and differences in the 21st Century, especially in areas of social reform and the secularisation of society.

In addition, the student could support the discussion with more biblical and secondary sources of evidence, from both atheist and Christian perspectives.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• considering the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions, and breaking them down into components or essential features
• drawing conclusions about the key beliefs, supported by evidence.

The student has considered some key beliefs of atheists and Protestants regarding the origin and end of life (1).

The student has drawn a conclusion, supported by biblical teachings regarding regarding sin as evidence, about the way a person may choose to live, and about the theory of evolution (2).

For a more secure Achieved, the student could provide more depth to the conclusions, and support the analysis with more biblical evidence and secondary sources of information from atheist and Christian perspectives.

For example, the student could explain the significance of why there is variation in Christians’ understanding of evolution, and identify components or features that share similarities with an atheistic worldview. Additionally, the student could reference authoritative texts from Christianity such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings of atheists like Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular worldview in relation to ultimate questions.

This involves:

• considering the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions, and breaking them down into components or essential features
• drawing conclusions about the key beliefs, supported by evidence.

The student has stated some beliefs, and discussed other key beliefs of atheists and Christians, concerning the origin and end of life (1).

The student has drawn conclusions, supported by basic evidence, regarding sin and the way a person may choose to live (2).

To reach Achieved, the student could expand on the key beliefs, add more to the conclusions drawn about the key beliefs, and provide evidence in the form of biblical references and secondary sources of information to support the analysis.

For example, the student could provide more explanation of the understanding of sin from different perspectives within Christianity, as compared to secular perspectives such as the humanistic writings of Carl Rogers on the development of self.