OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide (J625)
OCR · GCSE
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic of specification J625 written as exam-style questions with the answers printed after them. 2,800 questions across 30 topics and 234 subtopics, covering all five religions in both component groups so the guide fits whichever two you study.
- OCR
- GCSE
- Specification J625
- 2,800 questions
Guide overview All 30 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What the exam asks of you
OCR GCSE Religious Studies is built from two component groups. Group 1 is the beliefs, teachings and practices of two religions, chosen as any pair from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism, each examined in a one-hour paper worth a quarter of the GCSE. Group 2 is religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world, a two-hour paper worth half the GCSE, studied from the perspective of one of your two Group 1 religions.
Group 2 runs across four themes: relationships and families, the existence of God, religion and peace and conflict, and dialogue between religious and non-religious beliefs. Every religion has its own version of each, which is why there are thirty topics.
| Paper | Covers |
|---|---|
|
Group 1 papers Beliefs and teachings & Practices (J625/01–05) |
CHRISTIANITY: BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS CHRISTIANITY: PRACTICES ISLAM: BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS ISLAM: PRACTICES JUDAISM: BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS JUDAISM: PRACTICES BUDDHISM: BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS BUDDHISM: PRACTICES HINDUISM: BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS HINDUISM: PRACTICES |
|
Group 2 paper Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world (J625/06–10) |
CHRISTIANITY: RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES CHRISTIANITY: THE EXISTENCE OF GOD CHRISTIANITY: RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT CHRISTIANITY: DIALOGUE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ISLAM: RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES ISLAM: THE EXISTENCE OF ALLAH ISLAM: RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT ISLAM: DIALOGUE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEFS JUDAISM: RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES JUDAISM: THE EXISTENCE OF G-D JUDAISM: RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT JUDAISM: DIALOGUE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEFS BUDDHISM: RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES BUDDHISM: THE EXISTENCE OF ULTIMATE REALITY BUDDHISM: RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT BUDDHISM: DIALOGUE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEFS HINDUISM: RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES HINDUISM: THE EXISTENCE OF ULTIMATE REALITY AND DEITY HINDUISM: RELIGION, PEACE AND CONFLICT HINDUISM: DIALOGUE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEFS |
What is in the guide
All 30 topics
Every topic has its own page with its subtopics, what it covers and sample questions.
Sample questions
Taken from the guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Christian terms for the nature of God
What does monotheistic mean?
Show the answer
Monotheistic means believing in only one God. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all monotheistic religions. -
Christian worship and the structure of services
What is the structure of a Roman Catholic Mass?
Show the answer
The Mass has two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The priest consecrates the bread and wine, and the people receive Communion. -
The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam
What does the article of belief in the prophets ask of a Sunni Muslim?
Show the answer
A Muslim accepts every prophet Allah sent, without favouring some and rejecting others. Muhammad is accepted as the last prophet. -
The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam
What is Salah as a pillar?
Show the answer
Salah is the ritual prayer performed in the proper way five times each day. Salah follows set words and movements while facing Makkah. -
G-d as One, Creator, Law-Giver, Judge and Eternal
What does Genesis 1:1–2 teach about creation?
Show the answer
Genesis 1:1 states that in the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, with the spirit of G-d hovering over the waters. -
The synagogue: design, features and the Temple
How does the position of the Bimah differ between Jewish groups?
Show the answer
Orthodox synagogues usually place the Bimah in the centre of the prayer hall. Many Reform and Liberal synagogues place it at the front, near the Ark. -
The life of the Buddha and his Enlightenment
Why were the Four Sights a turning point for Siddhattha?
Show the answer
The sights revealed that ageing, sickness and death come to everyone, including a prince. The holy man inspired Siddhattha to leave the palace and seek the end of suffering. -
Buddhist worship: puja, chanting, mantras and offerings
What is a mantra?
Show the answer
A mantra is a sacred sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind. Tibetan Buddhists chant Om mani padme hum, the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.
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.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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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.
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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.
Look inside
Questions for a subtopic print together and the answers for that section print after them.
- Christianity: Beliefs and Teachings105
- Christianity: Practices82
- Islam: Beliefs and Teachings134
- Islam: Practices158
- Judaism: Beliefs and Teachings128
- Judaism: Practices176
- Buddhism: Beliefs and Teachings143
- Buddhism: Practices78
- Hinduism: Beliefs and Teachings126
- Hinduism: Practices102
- Christianity: Relationships and Families74
- Christianity: the Existence of God72
- and 18 more
- What is worship for Christians?
- What are the main purposes of Christian worship?
- What is the structure of an Anglican Communion service?
- What is the structure of a Roman Catholic Mass?
- What happens at a Quaker meeting?
- What is distinctive about Greek Orthodox worship?
- What happens in Methodist Sunday morning worship?
- Why is liturgical worship important for some Christians?
- Why is informal or charismatic worship important for some Christians?
- Worship is giving honour, praise and love to God. Christians worship through prayer, praise, reading scripture and the sacraments.
- Worship praises God, strengthens faith and brings believers together. Christians also seek forgiveness and guidance in worship.
- An Anglican Communion service begins with confession and Bible readings, followed by a sermon and prayers. The service ends with the Eucharist and a blessing.
- The Mass has two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The priest consecrates the bread and wine, and the people receive Communion.
- Quakers sit together in silence with no set order or minister. Anyone may stand to speak if they feel moved by God.
- Orthodox worship follows the Divine Liturgy, with much singing and incense. Icons cover the screen, called the iconostasis, that separates the sanctuary.
- Methodist services usually include hymns, Bible readings, prayers and a sermon. Holy Communion is celebrated regularly but not every week.
- Liturgy follows a set pattern that has been used for centuries. Worshippers feel united with Christians everywhere and through history.
- Charismatic worship allows freedom to respond to the Holy Spirit with lively music and spontaneous prayer. Romans 8:14 says those led by the Spirit are children of God.
questions
Scroll sideways to turn through the pages.
Questions students ask first
I only study two religions. Is the rest wasted?
No. You study two religions for Group 1, chosen as any pair from five, and then Group 2 from the perspective of one of those two.
All five are in the guide because schools pick different pairs. Work your two and skip the other three. Each religion has its own topic pages.
How many topics do I actually sit?
Six. Two Group 1 topics for your first religion, beliefs and teachings plus practices. Two for your second religion. Then four Group 2 themes from the perspective of one of them.
That is six of the thirty topics here, which is why the rest is skipped rather than worked.
Which religion do I use for Group 2?
One of your two Group 1 religions. Your school chooses which. The Group 2 themes in the guide are labelled by religion, so pick the four with your religion’s name on them.
Do I need to quote scripture?
You need to know the sources of authority and what they teach. A named text or teaching supporting a point is credited where the same point without one is not. The guide asks for the source and what it says separately.
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic and subtopic, ready to work in three passes.