Education Revision Bundle - AQA A Level Sociology: Paper 1 - 4, 6 and 10 Mark Short Answer Questions

Sep 5, 2026

Practice question and answer material for AQA A Level Sociology focused on the Sociology of Education. The resource provides structured outline questions (4 marks and 6 marks) and item-based analysis questions (10 marks), covering functions of education, ideological roles, education and social inequalities, government policy outcomes, privatisation, deprivation effects, and gender and ethnicity differences. Worked candidate examples include mark allocations and examiner comments, guiding how to develop points for higher marks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Practice Question and Answers

Outline questions (4 and 6 marks)

Analyse using the item questions (10 marks)

Candidate answers and examiner comments

For more revision resources, including access to live online A-level sociology tuition and revision please visit [ReviseSociology.com](ReviseSociology.com) Practice Question and Answers for A Level Sociology Focussing on the Sociology of Education AQA, A Level Exam: Paper 1 4, 6 and 10 Mark Questions Part of the ‘Education Revision Bundle’ 1 © Karl Thompson 2018 Contents 4 and 6 mark ‘outline questions’ 1. Outline two positive functions which the education system may perform (4 marks) 2. Outline two ways in which the education system might prepare students for work (4 marks) 3. Outline two ways in which the education system might perform ideological functions (4 marks) 4. Outline two reasons why schools today might fail to create value consensus among pupils (4 marks) 5. Outline two criticisms of the Marxist view of education (4 marks) 6. Outline three examples of ways in which government policies may have reduced social inequalities in educational achievement (6 marks) 7. Outline three reasons why government education policies aimed at raising educational achievement among disadvantaged groups may not always succeed. [6 marks] 8. Outline three ways in which education has become increasingly privatised in recent years (6 marks) 9. Outline two ways in which material deprivation may affect educational achievement (4 marks) 10. Outline two ways in which cultural deprivation may affect educational achievement (4 marks) 11.Outline three reasons why girls are now generally out-performing boys in education (6 marks) 12.Outline three reasons why girls are less likely to choose science subjects than boys (6 marks) 13. Outline three cultural factors that might explain the differences in achievement by ethnicity (6 marks) 14.Outline two ways in which the school curriculum might be ethnocentric (4 marks) 10 mark ‘analyse using the item questions’ 1. Applying material from item A, analyse two ways in which the functions of education might reproduce class inequalities in society (10) 2. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why some pupils join pupil subcultures (10) 3. Applying material from Item A, analyse two effects of increased parental choice on pupils’experience of education (10) 4. Applying material from item A, Analyse two reasons why marketization policies may have increased inequality of educational opportunities for some students (10) 5. Applying material from item A , analyse two ways in which globalisation has changed the way pupils experience education (10) 6. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which cultural capital might give some children an advantage in education (10)] 7. Applying material from item A analyse two reasons for gender differences in subject choice (10) 8. Applying material from item A Analyse two ways in which schools might reinforce gender stereotypes (10) Outline two positive functions which the education system may perform (4) Candidate X The first positive function is, according to Emile Durkheim, schools might create value consensus among pupils. The second positive function is that schools teach pupils the same subjects through the national curriculum, thus making them think the same. Mark: 1/4 Comment: The first function is acceptable – the second is the same as the first. Had the candidate used this as a development of the first point it would have got 1+1 = 2/4. NB – It may be the case that a generous examiner treats the second point as a development of the first, so this candidate may get 2/4, but I wouldn’t bank on it! Candidate Y Role Allocation – where pupils are sorted into appropriate jobs based on their qualifications. The idea here is that different pupils have different levels of ability, and the more able/ harder working get higher qualifications, proving they are more suited to the more demanding, professional jobs. Social solidarity – making people feel as if they are working toge

FAQs

What kinds of questions are included in this AQA A Level Sociology resource?

It includes outline questions worth 4 marks and 6 marks, plus item-based analysis questions worth 10 marks.

Which topics are covered by the 4 and 6 mark outline questions?

Topics include positive functions of education, preparing students for work, ideological functions, value consensus, criticisms of the Marxist view, education inequality, privatisation, deprivation, and gender and ethnicity differences.

How do the candidate examples help students improve answers?

They show how points are interpreted by an examiner, including marks awarded and comments explaining why development is (or is not) sufficient for higher marks.

Sep 5, 2026

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