Pearson Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (specification code 1RB0) is the largest RS collection in this archive with 438 resources, reflecting its comprehensive paper option structure. The B specification takes a different approach to RS A, organising content around living religious traditions and the study of religious, philosophical, and ethical themes in dialogue with contemporary life. Religious Studies B is assessed through three papers. Paper 1 covers a religious tradition (with seven option papers, 1A–1G, covering Christianity, Catholic Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism) and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes. Paper 2 covers religious, philosophical, and ethical studies in the modern world (also with seven options, 2A–2G), examining themes such as issues of life and death, issues of good and evil, and philosophical arguments about God's existence. Paper 3 is an optional paper covering the study of religion in the contemporary world. The Short Course options (Papers 1A–1G and 2A–2G) allow students to take GCSE RS as a half-GCSE qualification, covering just one religious tradition and one thematic study. A distinctive feature of Religious Studies B is the inclusion of Catholic Christianity as a separate option (Papers 1B), reflecting the significant number of Catholic schools following this specification. The Catholic Christianity papers cover content specific to Catholic teaching and practice alongside the shared Christian content. The breadth of option papers (seven options per paper) means this archive contains an exceptional volume of practice material across the full range of world religions and ethical themes. Even if you studied only one or two of the option combinations, exploring papers from other options builds broader knowledge of how religious traditions approach shared ethical and philosophical questions.