AS 91725 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, 352 KB]

TKI Religious Studies assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to analyse, with perception, the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• critically evaluating the methods of interpretation used
• drawing conclusions that address the wider implications arising from the analysis.   

The student has paraphrased and quoted from the Bible and biblical scholars, and explained the two methods of interpretation (1).

The interpretation shows perception, with significant meanings found in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians within the Catholic tradition (2).

The student has critically evaluated the methods of historical-critical and literary-critical interpretation of St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians within the Catholic tradition (3).

The student has identified wider historical, geographical and social implications arising from the analysis of this sacred text (4). 

For a more secure Excellence, the student could critically evaluate a greater range of ideas and words from within St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians within the Catholic tradition.

For example, the student could provide evidence from other documents of the Catholic Church regarding the language and the concepts used by St. Paul to inform the Ephesians about the reign of God and its implications for living as a Christian.

Additionally, the student could provide more depth to personal implications about how the understanding of sin and grace has changed over time within Catholicism and how this could be reflected in the everyday lives of believers.

For Merit, the student needs to analyse in depth the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• discussing how differences in meaning may arise from the methods of interpretation used
• discussing the significance of the meanings within the religious tradition
• drawing conclusions supported by a range of evidence.

The student has summarised, paraphrased and quoted from the Bible and biblical scholars (1).

The student has discussed the differences in meaning because of the methods of interpretation used (2).

The student has discussed the significant meanings of verses in St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians within Catholicism (3).

Conclusions are drawn about the meaning of salvation, grace and sin, and the student has identified a wider personal implication arising from the analysis of this sacred text, supported with evidence from accepted scholars within Catholicism (4). 

To reach Excellence, the student could critically evaluate the methods of interpretation and provide another wider implication.

For example, the student could critically evaluate the historical implications of St. Paul’s imprisonment, and the evidence of commentators who question his authorship of the letter to the Ephesians due to historical and literary critical methods of interpretation.

For Merit, the student needs to analyse in depth the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• discussing how differences in meaning may arise from the methods of interpretation used
• discussing the significance of the meanings within the religious tradition
• drawing conclusions supported by a range of evidence.

The student has identified, and through the description of the verses, demonstrated how differences in meaning may arise (1).

The student has analysed in some depth the meanings of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians within Catholicism (2).

The student has drawn some conclusions supported by a range of evidence from scholars accepted within Catholicism (3). 

For a more secure Merit, the student could provide a greater discussion on the difference in meaning which may arise from using historical-critical and redaction criticism as methods of interpretation.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• applying two methods of interpretation to derive meaning from the sacred text
• explaining the interpretative methods used
• drawing conclusions about the derived meanings, supported by evidence from within the text and from recognised sources.

The student has analysed the meaning in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians by applying the two methods of historical-critical and literary criticism as understood within Catholicism (1).

The student has explained in detail the Historical Critical method and briefly explained the Literary Criticism interpretative methods used (2).

The student has drawn conclusions about the meanings of words and concepts, such as salvation and sin supported by a range of evidence from the text and accepted Catholic scholarship (3). 

To reach Merit, the student could provide a discussion of how the two methods of interpretation give rise to different meanings in the text. Additionally, the student could provide more in-depth discussion of the meanings of concepts such as grace by using the two methods of interpretation.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• applying two methods of interpretation to derive meaning from the sacred text
• explaining the interpretative methods used
• drawing conclusions about the derived meanings, supported by evidence from within the text and from recognised sources.

The student has analysed some meanings of the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, using historical and literary criticism as methods of interpretation (1).

The student has briefly explained historical and the literary as criticism methods of interpretation of the sacred text (2).

The student has drawn some conclusions about the meanings of selected words from verses in Ephesians 2:1-10, supported by evidence accepted within Catholicism (3). 

For a more secure Achieved, the student could provide more analysis of the meanings of concepts such as sin and salvation, building on the quotes from scholars. Additionally, the student could explain how historical and literary criticism as methods of interpretation are understood in Catholicism in their entirety.

For Achieved, the student needs to analyse the meanings in a sacred text within a religious tradition. 

This involves:

• applying two methods of interpretation to derive meaning from the sacred text
• explaining the interpretative methods used
• drawing conclusions about the derived meanings, supported by evidence from within the text and from recognised sources.

The student has applied the literary criticism method to interpret the sacred text of St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, without explaining the method (1).

The student has drawn a conclusion about a derived meaning regarding sin from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (2).

To reach Achieved, the student could explain two methods of interpreting a sacred text. Additionally, the student could draw conclusions about the derived meaning of sin, salvation, redemption and grace using Biblical scholars such as Raymond Brown who are recognized within Catholicism.