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AQA · GCSE · Religious Studies

Free AQA GCSE Religious Studies
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real AQA GCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

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What the real AQA GCSE Religious Studies paper looks like

Paper 1
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification.
Paper 2
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification.
Paper 3
Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions.
Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Grading: Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Religious Studies syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

According to Christian teaching, what is the main reason why all human beings have human rights?

  1. Human rights are granted by governments
  2. All humans are created in the image of God (imago Dei)
  3. Human rights are earned through good behaviour
  4. The United Nations declared them in 1948
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — All humans are created in the image of God (imago Dei)
Award 1 mark for identifying that the concept of imago Dei (image of God) from Genesis 1:27 is the theological basis for human dignity and rights in Christianity. A is incorrect because Christian teaching holds that rights come from God, not governments. C is incorrect because rights are inherent, not earned. D is incorrect because while the UN Declaration exists, the question asks about Christian teaching specifically.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

Extreme lack of money and basic needs is called:

  1. poverty
  2. wealth
  3. charity
  4. surplus
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — poverty
Poverty is severe lack of resources.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

Which three terms together make up the Three Marks of Existence in Buddhist teaching?

  1. Dana, sila and panna
  2. Greed, hatred and ignorance
  3. Dukkha, anicca and anatta
  4. Samudaya, nirodha and magga
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Dukkha, anicca and anatta
Award 1 mark. The Three Marks of Existence are dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence) and anatta (no fixed self); they describe the nature of all conditioned things. Greed, hatred and ignorance are the Three Poisons. Dana, sila and panna are generosity, morality and wisdom. Samudaya, nirodha and magga are the second, third and fourth Noble Truths.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3

The Christian holy building where believers worship together is a:

  1. synagogue
  2. mosque
  3. church
  4. temple
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — church
Christians worship in a church.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3

By what name was the Buddha known before his enlightenment?

  1. Ananda
  2. Asoka
  3. Amitabha
  4. Siddhattha Gotama
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Siddhattha Gotama
Award 1 mark. He was born a prince of the Sakya clan and took the title Buddha, meaning 'awakened one', only after his enlightenment. Ananda was his cousin and attendant. Asoka was an Indian emperor who later promoted Buddhism. Amitabha is the Buddha of the Pure Land tradition.
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3

Most religions teach that stealing and murder are:

  1. wrong (sinful)
  2. acceptable
  3. encouraged
  4. rewarded
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — wrong (sinful)
Such acts are condemned as wrong.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

The Jewish place of worship is the:

  1. church
  2. synagogue
  3. mosque
  4. temple only
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — synagogue
Jews worship in a synagogue.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

What does the Buddhist teaching of anatta state?

  1. That suffering can never be ended
  2. That all living beings will be reborn as humans
  3. That there is no permanent, unchanging self or soul
  4. That the Buddha was a god in human form
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — That there is no permanent, unchanging self or soul
Award 1 mark. Anatta teaches that what people call the self is a changing collection of processes rather than a fixed essence. Buddhism teaches that suffering can be ended, which is the third Noble Truth. Rebirth may occur in several realms, not only the human one. Buddhists regard the Buddha as an enlightened human teacher rather than a god.
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AQA GCSE Religious Studies FAQ

What does the AQA GCSE Religious Studies exam look like?
The AQA GCSE Religious Studies exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification. Paper 2: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification. Paper 3: Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions. Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Can I download a free AQA GCSE Religious Studies past paper?
Real AQA past papers are published directly by AQA on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is AQA GCSE Religious Studies graded?
Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.