Most GCSE Religious Studies specifications end each section with an extended evaluation question — commonly worth 12 marks — presenting a statement you must argue about. Marks come from arguing both sides using religious teaching, then reaching a conclusion you actually justify. Check your own board's tariff, because the method below works whatever the number.
What the question actually asks
Evaluation questions almost always take the same shape: a bald statement in quotation marks, followed by an instruction to evaluate it. Something like "Suffering proves that God does not exist." or "Religious believers should never fight in a war."
Read what the mark scheme rewards, because it is not what students assume:
- Not your personal opinion, freely expressed.
- Not a balanced list of "some people think… other people think…" with nothing weighed.
- But reasoned argument on more than one side, supported by religious teaching, leading to a conclusion that follows from the reasoning.
The single most common way to lose marks is to write two solid paragraphs and then stop, or to finish with "so it depends on your point of view." That sentence is not a conclusion; it is a refusal to write one.
Boards typically also award a small number of marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar on one extended question per paper, so this is the answer where handwriting and full sentences matter most.
The method, step by step
Step 1 — Decode the statement (30 seconds)
Underline the strong words. In "Suffering proves that God does not exist", the load-bearing word is proves. You can argue that suffering counts as powerful evidence against God without agreeing that it proves anything — and spotting that gives you a sharper answer than a student who argues only yes or no.
Ask yourself: what would have to be true for this statement to be right?
Step 2 — Plan both sides in a two-column list (2 minutes)
Do not skip this. On the blank space beside the question, write two short columns: Agree and Disagree. Get two or three points into each. Beside each point, write one word for the evidence you will use — Job, Paley, Qur'an, Hick.
This costs two minutes and prevents the most expensive mistake in the exam: realising halfway through your final paragraph that your best point belongs on the other side.
Step 3 — Write the "agree" paragraphs
Each paragraph does three things: makes a point, explains the reasoning, and supports it with religious teaching or named scholarship.
Many argue that suffering is strong evidence against God's existence. If God is omnipotent, God could prevent suffering; if God is omnibenevolent, God would want to. The scale of natural evil — disease and earthquakes that nobody chose — suggests that at least one of those qualities must be missing. This is why some Jewish thinkers after the Holocaust concluded that belief in a God who intervenes in history could no longer be sustained.
Notice there is no padding, no "in my opinion", and one concrete reference.
Step 4 — Write the "disagree" paragraphs
Same structure, opposite direction — and crucially, respond to what you just wrote rather than starting afresh. Words like however, against this, and believers reply that signal to the examiner that you are arguing rather than listing.
Against this, believers argue that suffering has a purpose we are not placed to see. Irenaeus and later John Hick described the world as a "vale of soul-making", in which qualities such as courage and compassion could not develop in a world without hardship. On this view suffering is a condition of moral growth rather than evidence of God's absence.
Step 5 — Reference more than one viewpoint
Most specifications explicitly require reference to religion, and many reward reference to a non-religious view as well. A humanist or atheist perspective is legitimate evidence, not an aside. Where two religions disagree, saying so is worth marks: Christian and Buddhist accounts of suffering differ so fundamentally that contrasting them demonstrates real understanding.
Where believers within one religion disagree, say that too. "Some Christians argue… while others hold…" is almost always more accurate than "Christians believe…".
Step 6 — Write a conclusion that decides something
Your conclusion must state a judgement and give the reason. It should not introduce new evidence, and it should not restate both sides neutrally.
Overall, suffering does not prove that God does not exist, because a proof would require showing that no possible purpose exists — which nobody can do. It does, however, place a serious burden on believers, and the soul-making argument is weakest exactly where suffering destroys a person rather than developing them. The statement is therefore too strong, though the problem it points to is real.
That conclusion takes a position, explains it, and concedes something. Examiners reward all three.
Step 7 — Check the timing
Work out the minutes-per-mark for your paper and give this question its full share, including planning. Students routinely over-write the short knowledge questions and then rush the evaluation, which is the highest-value question on the paper.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
| Mistake | Why it costs marks | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "In my opinion…" repeated throughout | Opinion without reasoning is not evaluation | Replace with "This suggests…" or "The stronger argument is…" |
| Listing beliefs with no argument | Knowledge is assessed elsewhere on the paper | Every belief must be used to support a point |
| One side much longer than the other | Reads as unbalanced; caps the level | Aim for roughly equal weight, then let the conclusion decide |
| Vague attribution — "religious people say" | Imprecise and often inaccurate | Name the religion, the text or the thinker |
| No conclusion, or a fence-sitting one | Directly loses the top band | Always state a judgement and its reason |
| Made-up quotations | Inaccuracy undermines the whole answer | Paraphrase accurately rather than inventing scripture |
Frequently asked questions
How long should a 12-mark answer be?
Roughly three to five solid paragraphs, or about a page to a page and a half of normal handwriting — but length is a symptom, not a target. A tight page that argues both sides with named evidence and a justified conclusion beats two rambling pages of description every time. If you find yourself writing a fourth paragraph on the same side, you are describing rather than evaluating. Check your board's mark scheme for the exact tariff, as some specifications use 15 marks for the equivalent question.
Do I have to give my own opinion?
You have to give a judgement, which is not quite the same thing. A judgement is a conclusion you can defend with the reasoning you have just laid out; an opinion is a preference you happen to hold. You can perfectly well conclude in favour of a view you do not personally share, if that is where the stronger arguments point. What you must not do is leave the question undecided — "there are good points on both sides" is where a promising answer goes to die.
Can I use non-religious views such as humanism or atheism?
Yes, and on most specifications you should. Evaluation questions typically ask you to refer to religious arguments and often reward reference to non-religious ones too, so a well-explained humanist position strengthens an answer rather than diluting it. Make sure it is genuinely argued — "atheists disagree" is worth nothing, whereas explaining that humanists locate the source of moral value in human welfare rather than divine command is a real contribution. Always check the exact wording of your own board's requirement.
What if I cannot remember a quotation?
Paraphrase, and never invent. Examiners accept accurate paraphrase — "the Qur'an teaches that this life is a test" or "Job receives no explanation for his suffering, only a reminder of how little he understands" — and give full credit for it. A fabricated quotation, by contrast, signals unreliability and can undermine points that were otherwise sound. Learning a small number of references you genuinely understand is far more useful than half-remembering many.
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