Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 8-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7061/2A. • Answer all questions. • Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 60. • In each question the first part tests your knowledge and understanding, while the second part tests your skills of analysis and evaluation. • You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. AS RELIGIOUS STUDIES Paper 2A Buddhism 2 IB/M/Jun24/7061/2A Buddhism Answer both questions. Each question has two parts. Question 1 0 1 . 1 Explain different Buddhist perspectives about the significance of Gautama Buddha. [15 marks] and 0 1 . 2 ‘The principle of ahimsa means that Buddhists cannot support abortion or embryo research.’ Assess this view. [15 marks] Question 2 0 2 . 1 Explain why Buddhists have different attitudes about the purpose of acts of devotion. [15 marks] and 0 2 . 2 ‘The realms of becoming can only be interpreted literally.’ Assess this view. [15 marks] END OF QUESTIONS Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk. Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. *246A7061/2A* AS RELIGIOUS STUDIES 7061/2A Paper 2A Buddhism Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final *246A7061/2A/MS* MARK SCHEME – AS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – 7061/2A – JUNE 2024 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses. A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 2 MARK SCHEME – AS RELIGIOUS STUDIES – 7061/2A – JUNE 2024 Methods of Marking It is essential that, in fairness to students, all examiners use the same methods of marking. The advice given here may seem very obvious, but it is important that all examiners follow it as exactly as possible. 1. 2. If you have any doubts about the mark to award, consult your Team Leader. Refer constantly to the mark scheme throughout marking. It is extremely important that it is strictly adhered to. Remember, you must always credit accurate, relevant and appropriate answers which are not given in the mark scheme. Do not credit material that is irrelevant to the question or to the stated target, however impressive that material might be. If a one-word answer is required and a list is given, take the first answer (unless this has been crossed out). If you are wavering as to whether or not to award a mark, the criterion should be, ‘Is the student nearer those who have given a correct answer or those who have little idea?’ Read the information below about using Levels of Response mark schemes. Be prepared to award the full range of marks. Do not hesitate to give full marks when the answer merits full marks or to give no marks where there is nothing creditable in an answer. No half marks or bonus marks are to be used under any circumstances. Remember, the key to good and fair marking is consistency. Do not change the standard of your marking once you have started. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Levels of Response Marking In AS Religious Studies, differentiation is largely achieved by outcome on the basis of students’ responses. To facilitate this, levels of response marking has been devised for many questions. Levels of response marking requires a quite different approach from the examiner than the traditional ‘point for point’ marking. It is essential that the whole response is read and then allocated to the level it best fits. If a student demonstrates knowledge, understanding and/or evaluation at a certain level, he/she must be credited at that level. Length of response or literary ability should not be confused with genuine religious studies skills. For example, a short answer which shows a high level of conceptual ability must be credited at that level. (If there is a band of marks allocated to a level, discrimination should be made with reference to the development of the answer.) Levels are tied to specific skills. Examiners should refer to the stated assessment target objective of a question (see mark scheme) when there is any doubt as to the relevance of a student’s response. Levels of response mark schemes include either examples of possible students’ responses or material which they might use. These are intended as a guide only. It is anticipated that students will produce a wide range of responses to each question. It is a feature of levels of response mark schemes that examiners are prepared to reward fully, responses which are obviously valid and of high ability but do not conform exactly to the requirements of a particular level. This should only be necessary occasionally and where this occurs examiners must indicate, by a brief written explanation, why their assessment does not conform to the levels of response laid down in the mark scheme. Such scripts should be referred to the Lead Examiner.