Grade Boost: C/D to A/B

I have researched some resources which will help boost your grade from a C/D to an A/B…

Firstly, you need to understand how essays are actually marked. You can also look at the mark scheme here.

Mark scheme decoded into simpler terms.Download

This page gives you lots of support on answering different types of questions, as some questions have different wording which can throw you off. All questions are asking you to make a judgement on a problem, but the command words or phrases need to be understood clearly.

AO2, the evaluation and argument part of the mark scheme, is where you get the most marks. But how is the best way to write a strong argument? You do not need to follow a structure to write a great essay, but it may help if you’re feeling stuck:

One area in which candidates sometimes lose marks is by merely describing the scholarly material rather than presenting it critically.

This task may help you with ensuring you are not describing, but actually evaluating:

Translate these descriptive ‘Points’ into statements which are more evaluative. (Use Judgement, Question, Reason!)

Heaven and Hell are just symbolic states’ Discuss. (Developments) The view that heaven is a symbol is taken by Rudolph Bultmann, He said that the resurrection must be demythologised and concluded that ‘any historical fact which involves a resurrection from the dead is utterly inconceivable’.
‘Religious language cannot adequately describe God’ Discuss. (Philsophy) Another way of describing God is through use of analogy. Aquinas puts forward two views of analogy, proportion and attribution.
‘Utilitarianism is the best approach to matters of business’ Discuss. (Ethics) Jeremy Bentham put forward a version of utilitarianism which is useful when applied to matters of business such as whistle-blowing.