Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge International AS and A Level Biblical Studies (9484)

Syllabus overview

Cambridge International AS & A Level Biblical Studies helps learners gain a better understanding of the religious writings, history and teachings of Christianity. As a result, they are able to think and argue intelligently about the subject, as well as gaining knowledge of biblical texts and Christian beliefs.

The syllabus covers four core areas:

the Four Gospels: studying gospel accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus
the Development of Christianity: exploring the life and historical context of the early Church, through Bible passages and specified texts
the Prophets of the Old Testament: exploring the role of the prophets in the life of Ancient Israel
Christian Understandings of God, Life and the Universe: reflecting on Christian approaches to philosophical and ethical questions.

Syllabuses

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

Syllabus updates

Summary of the changes
- We have consulted teachers and worked with subject experts to review the Cambridge International AS & A Level Divinity (8041/9011) syllabuses. As a result, we have redeveloped the syllabuses under the new name Biblical Studies, retaining the essence of the original subject content, while specifying and contextualising it more, and applying it to some philosophical and ethical questions.
  
  What are the main changes to the syllabus?
  
  To support teachers and learners, we have:
  - refocused some content and added new areas exploring ‘big questions’ of life and faith
  - made several different topic areas compulsory, with four topic areas studied and assessed at Cambridge International A Level, and two topic areas at Cambridge International AS Level
  - included a list of key concepts, command words and their meanings.
  What are the main changes to the assessment?
  - There are two compulsory examination papers for Cambridge International AS Level and four compulsory examination papers for Cambridge International A Level, with durations of 1 hour 30 minutes each.
  - We do not assess spelling and grammar, but focus more on analysis and evaluation skills.
  - A variety of different types of assessment questions are used at both Cambridge AS and A level.
  - There is a small number of options within each question paper, as research suggests that a large number of optional questions does not benefit learners.
  When do these changes take place?
  
  The updated syllabus is for examination from November 2023 onwards. Please see the 2023 syllabus above for full details.
Teaching and learning resources
- Support
  
  We are developing a comprehensive range of materials to help you teach the updated syllabus. These resources will be available from June 2021 onwards (before first teaching) through our School Support Hub and include:
  - Scheme of work
  - Example Candidate Responses (after first examination).
  Training
  
  Face-to-face and online training will be available. For up-to-date information, visit our Events and training calendar.

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Important notices

Syllabus replacement
- We have redeveloped and renamed Cambridge International AS Level Divinity (8041) and Cambridge International A Level Divinity (9011) to Cambridge International AS & A Level Biblical Studies (9484) from 2023 onwards.
  
  The last examination series for Cambridge International AS Level Divinity (8041) and Cambridge International A Level Divinity (9011) will be November 2022. There is no carry forward from 8041 and 9011 to the new 9484 syllabus.
Syllabus availability
- From 2023, Cambridge International AS and A Level Biblical Studies (9484) centres in Admin zones 3 and 4 only will be able to enter candidates in our June exam series in addition to November. Please see our Guide to making entries in Direct for more information.
Grade descriptions
- For some subjects, the syllabus states that Grade Descriptions will be made available after first assessment in 2020 or 2021.
  
  Publication of grade descriptions for these syllabuses has been delayed. This is to make sure that grade descriptions reflect examination outcomes appropriately and are based on the full range of candidate performance after the 2020 and 2021 series.
Front covers
- From 2020, we have made some changes to the wording and layout of the front covers of our question papers to reflect the new Cambridge International branding and to make instructions clearer for candidates - learn more.
Syllabus replacement
- We have redeveloped and renamed Cambridge International AS Level Divinity (8041) and Cambridge International A Level Divinity (9011) to Cambridge International AS & A Level Biblical Studies (9484) from 2023 onwards.
  
  The last examination series for Cambridge International AS Level Divinity (8041) and Cambridge International A Level Divinity (9011) will be November 2022. There is no carry forward from 8041 and 9011 to the new 9484 syllabus.

School Support Hub

We provide a wide range of support so that teachers can give their learners the best possible preparation for Cambridge programmes and qualifications. For teachers at registered Cambridge schools, support materials for specific syllabuses are available from the School Support Hub (username and password required).

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge International AS and A Level Biblical Studies (9484)

Syllabus overview

Syllabuses

Syllabus updates

What are the main changes to the syllabus?

What are the main changes to the assessment?

When do these changes take place?

Support

Training

Important notices

School Support Hub