IGCSE Sociology

Syllabus

We have deliberately designed the course to make it as interactive as possible with lots of self-assessment exercises for you to carry out. But we don’t leave it there for we give you a comprehensive answers so that you can gauge how much you have learned. As well as that, we set you exam-type questions which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. We call these Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs). You need only send the TMAs to your tutor for comment, not the self-assessment exercises.

What will be in the examinations?

Candidates must take both papers.

The papers have the following structure:

Paper 1: 2 hours and 30 minutes

• Candidates answer one compulsory question on sociological research methods and three optional questions on culture and socialisation; social stratification and inequality and power and authority.
• This examination equals 60 percent of total marks.
• The compulsory question in Section A will be based on source material. The question will carry one third of the marks for the paper. Candidates should spend approximately 45 minutes answering this question. Section A will test Syllabus Unit 1.
• Sections B to D will consist of structured questions based on stimulus material. The stimulus will take the form of a short quotation or statement from a sociological source. Sections B to D will test Syllabus Units 2 to 4. There will be two questions related to each of these units.

Paper 2: 1 hour and 45 minutes

• Candidates answer three optional questions on the family; education; crime, deviance and social control and the mass media.
• This examination equals 40 percent of total marks.
• The three questions will be structured around some stimulus material. The stimulus will take the form of a short quotation or statement from a sociological source. Candidates will answer three questions from Sections A to D.
• Paper 2 will test Syllabus Units 5 to 8. There will be a choice of two questions related to each of these units.

We will be explaining what the references above to the’ syllabus units’ mean as we go through the course. You don’t need to worry about this now

Study Hours

This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 300 hrs.