A-Level Government and Politics Exam Structure: Papers and Topics Explained

What are the three papers in A-Level Government and Politics?

Under the AQA specification (the most commonly taught), the three papers are:

All three papers are sat in May or June of Year 13. There are no module-level assessments during the course.

What does Paper 1 (UK Politics and Government) cover?

Paper 1 is organised into two sections:

UK Politics (taught mainly in Year 12) covers:

• Democracy and political participation: referendums, elections, voting behaviour, party systems
• Political parties: the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties, their ideologies, internal organisation, and evolution
• Electoral systems: first-past-the-post, proportional representation, and alternative systems used in UK devolved elections
• Pressure groups and other influences: the role of think tanks, the media, and public opinion

UK Government covers:

• The constitution: uncodified nature, parliamentary sovereignty, conventions, the impact of devolution and EU membership
• Parliament: the functions of the Commons and Lords, the legislative process, parliamentary scrutiny
• The Prime Minister and cabinet: sources of power, the Cabinet system, prime ministerial dominance
• The judiciary: the role of the Supreme Court, judicial independence, judicial review

What does Paper 2 (US Politics and Comparative) cover?

Paper 2 requires students to study the US political system and to compare it explicitly with the UK system throughout.

US Politics covers:

• The US Constitution: federalism, the Bill of Rights, constitutional amendments, the separation of powers
• The US Congress: structure and function, legislative process, the committee system, the power of the purse
• The US Presidency: sources of power, the Cabinet, the relationship between President and Congress, presidential effectiveness
• The US Supreme Court: appointments process, judicial review, landmark cases and their political significance
• Civil rights: the historical civil rights movement, contemporary civil rights issues, the role of pressure groups

Comparative politics requires students to draw explicit comparisons between the US and UK systems — for example comparing the role of the judiciary, the nature of the constitution, or the power of the executive — using evidence from both systems in extended essay answers.

What does Paper 3 (Political Ideas) cover?

Paper 3 focuses on ideological traditions. AQA divides the content into core ideologies (which all students must study) and one additional ideology (chosen by the school).

Core ideologies:

• Conservatism: traditional, one-nation, and New Right variants; key thinkers including Burke, Disraeli, and Oakeshott
• Liberalism: classical and modern liberalism; key thinkers including Locke, Mill, Rawls, and Nozick
• Socialism: Marxism, social democracy, and the Third Way; key thinkers including Marx, Webb, and Gramsci

One additional ideology from: Anarchism, Ecologism, Feminism, Multiculturalism, or Nationalism — each with its own thinkers, tensions, and political applications.

Paper 3 is largely essay-based and rewards students who can compare ideologies with each other, trace their development over time, and relate them to real political events.

How is A-Level Government and Politics graded?

The final grade is A*, A, B, C, D, E or U. The A* requires at least 80% overall and at least 90% across Papers 1 and 2 combined.

As a rough guide:

• An A typically requires around 70–77% of total marks
• A C typically requires around 50–57%

Grade boundaries are published by AQA each August. The subject rewards current-affairs awareness: students who follow political news throughout the course produce richer examples and more nuanced analysis.

What skills does A-Level Politics reward?

Frequently asked questions

Do students need any prior knowledge of politics to take A-Level Government and Politics?

No formal prior qualification is required — GCSE Citizenship is helpful but far from essential. What matters more is an interest in current affairs and a willingness to engage with complex arguments about power, rights, and governance. Students who read a quality newspaper regularly and follow political events will find the course significantly easier to contextualise.

Is A-Level Politics well-regarded by universities?

A-Level Government and Politics is highly regarded by universities for social science courses — Politics, International Relations, Law, Philosophy, History, Sociology, and Economics degrees all value it. Some students combine it with History and Philosophy to build a strong humanities–social sciences portfolio. It is less common (though entirely acceptable) as a science applicant's choice.

Do students need to keep up with the news throughout the course?

Yes — and this is one of the distinguishing features of the subject. Essay questions ask students to evaluate contemporary political events as evidence for or against theoretical arguments. A student who last followed UK politics in September of Year 12 will produce much weaker Paper 1 answers than one who has been following elections, parliamentary debates, and Supreme Court cases throughout the two years. Setting a habit of reading a quality newspaper or listening to political podcasts from the start of Year 12 pays compound dividends in the exam.

Can A-Level Politics be taken alongside A-Level History?

Yes — this is one of the most popular combinations and the two subjects complement each other very well. History develops the ability to evaluate evidence, construct sustained arguments, and understand how political change happens over time. Many of the most able Politics students in the UK have taken it alongside History and either English Literature, Economics, or another essay-based subject.

---

For A-Level Government and Politics essay technique, ideology revision, and current-affairs integration, visit aitutors.me.