OxfordAQA International GCSE Islamiyat: Working With the Set Qur'an and Hadith Passages

OxfordAQA International GCSE Islamiat (the board’s own spelling; 9237) is a linear, untiered qualification with no coursework, assessed by two equally weighted written papers. Paper 1, Living the Muslim Life (Section A: Islam: Beliefs and teachings; Section B: Islam: Practices), and Paper 2, The Life of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Sources of Authority in Islam (Section A: Life and teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh); Section B: Sources of authority in Islam), each run 1 hour 30 minutes, carry 50 marks and are worth 50%. Both papers require study of the specific Qur’an and Hadith passages set out in the specification – this is not a general-knowledge subject. OxfordAQA does not offer Islamiat at AS or A-level. These notes complement the site’s guides to Living the Muslim Life and Sources of Authority in Islam.

The set passages are named texts, not a general subject area

Because both papers require study of specific passages, an answer that discusses a belief or practice in general terms without reference to the actual set text is missing what the specification asks for. Exam-preparation priority: build a passage-by-passage revision list rather than a topic-by-topic one. For each set passage or Hadith, know precisely what it says, and be ready to cite it by name or description when a question invites textual support.

Fifty marks in ninety minutes is 1.8 minutes per mark – generous, if used for planning

That is a comfortable budget by GCSE standards. Exam-preparation priority: use the extra time for planning rather than for writing at greater length. A brief plan – the point, the evidence, the significance – produces a tighter, better-structured answer than writing without one, and structure is what separates strong answers from merely accurate ones.

Belief and practice need to be connected, not treated as separate lists

Paper 1 spans both beliefs and practices, and the strongest answers connect them – showing how a particular belief underpins a particular practice, rather than describing each independently. Exam-preparation priority: for each major belief, rehearse one sentence linking it to a practice it explains or motivates. That connection is frequently the difference between a descriptive answer and an explanatory one.

Significance is a distinct step from narration

A large share of the marks on both papers depends on moving from what a passage or event says to why it matters for Muslim belief and practice. Exam-preparation priority: practise the significance step explicitly. For each passage or event revised, write two sentences of significance from memory before checking notes – narrated detail without stated significance is a common way to under-score an otherwise accurate answer.

Both papers examine the life and teachings of the Prophet – from different angles

Paper 1’s practices content and Paper 2’s dedicated section on the Prophet’s life both draw on his example, but for different purposes – one to illustrate practice, one to establish authority and history. Exam-preparation priority: keep clear in revision which angle a given fact supports, so that it can be deployed correctly depending on which paper’s question calls for it.

Worked routine: citing a source within an answer

The routine below is an original model written for this resource, not a reproduction of any official past paper, source booklet or mark scheme.

Step 1 - state the point being made:
Clearly, before bringing in the source.

Step 2 - identify the specific passage or Hadith by name or
description:
Not "the Qur'an says" in general, but the specific set passage
relevant to this point.

Step 3 - state what it says, accurately and briefly:
A close paraphrase, not a lengthy quotation reproduced from
memory.

Step 4 - explain what it establishes:
The teaching, principle or example the passage supports -- this is
where the significance mark sits.

Step 5 - connect back to the question:
One sentence linking the source back to the specific demand of the
question, not left as a general observation.

Step 4 is the step most often shortened under time pressure, and it is usually where the marks for understanding (rather than recall) are concentrated.

Before/during exam checklist

• Before the exams: build a passage-by-passage revision list for the specific set texts; practise writing two sentences of significance from memory for each item revised; rehearse connecting belief to practice explicitly.
• During either paper: use the generous time budget to plan briefly before each answer rather than writing at greater length.
• In every answer that uses a source: name the specific passage or Hadith, state what it says accurately, explain what it establishes, and connect it back to the question.
• Throughout: keep clear which angle – practice or authority and history – a given fact about the Prophet’s life supports, depending on which paper it appears in.

Self-test

1. What is distinctive about how both papers use source material?
2. How much time is available per mark, and what should the extra time be used for?
3. What connects a strong Paper 1 answer’s treatment of belief and practice?
4. What step is most often shortened under time pressure, and why does it matter?

Answers: 1. Both papers require study of the specific Qur’an and Hadith passages set out in the specification – this is not a general-knowledge subject, and answers should cite the actual set text rather than discussing beliefs and practices in the abstract. 2. About 1.8 minutes per mark; the extra time should go into planning – point, evidence, significance – rather than into writing at greater length. 3. An explicit connection between a belief and the practice it underpins or explains, rather than treating the two as separate lists. 4. Explaining what a cited passage establishes – the significance step – because it is where marks for understanding, rather than recall, are concentrated.

Written against the assessment section of OxfordAQA’s own International GCSE Islamiat (9237) qualification page (official OxfordAQA page, verified 2026-08-28); OxfordAQA’s own spelling of the qualification is “Islamiat.” The citation routine above is an original model written for this resource, not a reproduction of any official past paper, source booklet or mark scheme. Always check the current specification for your examination series at oxfordaqa.com.