Edexcel A-Level Politics guide FAQ (9PL0)
Guide overview All 28 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
Edexcel A-Level Politics: questions and answers
Specification 9PL0. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
Do I do the USA or global politics?
One of the two, on Component 3, chosen by your school. Route B is the government and politics of the USA with comparison to the UK. Route A is global politics.
Both are in the guide. Work yours and skip the other.
Which ideology do I do on Component 2?
One from anarchism, ecologism, feminism, multiculturalism and nationalism, chosen by your school. All five are in the guide. Liberalism, conservatism and socialism are compulsory on Component 1 and are also here.
How current does my knowledge need to be?
Current enough to use recent examples. The guide covers the institutions, processes and debates, which do not change year to year. Keep your own file of recent examples on top of it, because examiners credit current ones.
Are the key thinkers covered?
Yes. Every ideology on 9PL0 names specific thinkers, and the guide asks for them by name with their argument attached.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics run from 28 to 174 questions.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. The essays are marked on specific evidence and on distinguishing between positions precisely, and step 2 is where a loose version gets corrected. The method page sets out the evidence.
When should I start?
9PL0 is linear, so all three components are sat at the end of Year 13. UK politics is normally taught first and is a third of the A-level on its own.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. Past papers train the source question, the comparative essay and the clock on a thirty-mark answer. Pearson publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 2,101 exam-style questions covering the whole of Edexcel A-Level Politics including both Component 3 routes, with the answers printed after each topic.
Is politics not just opinion?
Not as examined. The marks are for institutions, processes, named cases, named thinkers and the ability to weigh evidence. An opinion without that evidence scores little.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. Edexcel A-Level Politics is 9PL0.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£8.00 for the whole specification. An endorsed A-Level Politics textbook is usually £25 to £35 and covers one of the three components.
How much time does the whole course take?
157 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 52 hours for everything, and closer to 36 once the unused route and ideologies are skipped.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from Pearson, and a habit of following current politics for recent examples.
Edexcel A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
2,101 questions with their answers, 157 subtopics, one file.