Sikhism | AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062)

Sikhism

138 questions
10 subtopics
Paper 1
Paper 1

Sikhism is examined in Paper 1, The study of religions — one of the two religions chosen from seven.

It covers the Mool Mantar and the nature of God, God as Creator and God's relationship with creation, human life, the Sikh virtues and living as a gurmukh, karma, rebirth and the aim of mukti, the equality of all, sewa and the sangat, the gurdwara and its religious features, prayer in the home, nam japna and the akhand path, langar and the gurdwara in the Sikh community, festivals and visiting historical gurdwaras and birth and naming, Amrit Sanskar and the Five Ks.

Sample questions from Sikhism

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The Mool Mantar and the nature of God

What is meant by describing God as Karta Purakh?

Show the answer
Karta Purakh means 'the Creator Being'. Sikhs believe God made the whole universe and was made by nothing.
God as Creator and God's relationship with creation

What do the Sikh terms nirgun and sargun mean?

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Nirgun describes God without attributes, beyond form and beyond creation. Sargun describes God with attributes, present within creation.
Human life, the Sikh virtues and living as a gurmukh

Why is humility, or nimrata, important to a Sikh?

Show the answer
Humility keeps a Sikh from pride, which Sikh teaching treats as the main barrier to God. A humble person can serve others without wanting praise.
Karma, rebirth and the aim of mukti

Explain the positive aspect of mukti.

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The positive aspect of mukti is union with God. Sikhs describe the liberated soul as blending into God like a drop of water into the ocean.
The equality of all, sewa and the sangat

Quote a line from the Guru Granth Sahib that defends the status of women.

Show the answer
Guru Nanak asked 'why call her bad, from whom kings are born?'. The line appears in Asa ki Var at Guru Granth Sahib 473.
The gurdwara and its religious features

What is the takht in a gurdwara?

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The takht is the raised platform, or throne, on which the Guru Granth Sahib rests. The height shows that the Guru sits above the congregation.
Prayer in the home, nam japna and the akhand path

Name the prayers many Sikhs recite in the morning.

Show the answer
Many Sikhs recite Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib and Tav-Prasad Savaiye in the morning. The prayers are said after bathing, during amrit vela.
Langar and the gurdwara in the Sikh community

How does langar express the Sikh belief in equality?

Show the answer
Everyone in langar sits in rows on the floor at the same height. Rich and poor, women and men, receive exactly the same food.

The 10 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The Mool Mantar and the nature of God	These questions explain the Mool Mantar phrase by phrase, including Ik Onkar, Sat Nam, Karta Purakh and Gur Prasad, why it matters to Sikhs, and what it teaches about God being without image, form or gender.	14
God as Creator and God's relationship with creation	Students learn Sikh beliefs about creation and hukam, God as immanent and transcendent, nirgun and sargun, why God does not take human form, and how belief in God as Creator shapes attitudes to people and the environment.	13
Human life, the Sikh virtues and living as a gurmukh	The subtopic covers the value and purpose of human life, virtues such as truthful living, humility, contentment, self-control and courage, the gurmukh and the manmukh, haumai, and the three daily duties.	14
Karma, rebirth and the aim of mukti	These questions explain karma and rebirth, mukti and its negative and positive aspects, the jivan mukt, whether mukti can be earned, the five khands of liberation, and the five thieves and maya as barriers.	14
The equality of all, sewa and the sangat	Students learn Sikh teaching on the equality of all people, including caste and women, with Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh as examples, the three kinds of sewa with dasvandh, and the importance of the sangat.	14
The gurdwara and its religious features	The subtopic covers the meaning of gurdwara and its outside signs, the Khanda, the diwan hall, takht, palki, chaur and rumala, the granthi, karah parshad and golak, and why worshippers remove shoes and bow.	14
Prayer in the home, nam japna and the akhand path	These questions explain nam japna and amrit vela, the morning, evening and night prayers, prayer at home, kirtan and the ardas, and how and when an akhand path of the Guru Granth Sahib is held.	14
Langar and the gurdwara in the Sikh community	Students learn how langar began and what Guru Amar Das required of visitors, why the food is vegetarian, the pangat and equality, langar as sewa, and what a gurdwara offers the wider community beyond worship.	13
Festivals and visiting historical gurdwaras	The subtopic covers Vaisakhi and the events of 1699, nagar kirtan, Divali and Bandi Chhor Divas, gurpurbs in India and Britain, and the Harimandir Sahib and the value of visiting historical gurdwaras.	14
Birth and naming, Amrit Sanskar and the Five Ks	These questions explain the Sikh naming ceremony and the names Singh and Kaur, the Khalsa and the Amrit Sanskar, the meaning of the Five Ks, the promises of an amritdhari, and how amritdhari, keshdhari and sahajdhari Sikhs differ.	14

Sikhism is 138 of the 1,734 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.