GCSE in Islamic Studies

by

Sr. Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood

 

The three books needed for the course:

 

Other useful books:

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, every May is the time of year when so many of you GCSE students are perhaps sweltering away, trying to mug everything up for your exams at the last moment; or perhaps you are quietly confident that you have done your best throughout your various courses, and are awaiting that time when it will all be put to the test, with eager anticipation.

If you are in school Year 11, this is such an important time in your lives. Probably no other time has so much stress and panic, or is so vital in the way it will affect the rest of your lives. Even if you go on to do further study, and are involved in A or AS level courses, and college courses to follow, I still think that the 16+ GCSE year is the hardest – your hormones are on the boil, you are too young for half the things you would like to do and too old for the other half, your parents are not yet fully trained to think of you as a serious young adult student, and there is just so much to pack into such a short space of time.

The brightest of you will be attempting at least five GCSE subjects, and the high fliers may be attempting as many as nine or ten! Others, with less academic brains, may be struggling to achieve the level at which they may pass even one.

Let us remember that the size and type of our brains is no credit to ourselves – we did not choose our brains, or our aptitudes, or talents or skills. These are all things that Allah chose for us, before we were born, when we were just little ‘computer chips’ in the womb. So, the good news is that we cannot really be held to blame for not being able to achieve what it is beyond us to achieve. You might have longed to be a ballerina – but your size and shape and general lack of athleticism ruled that out. You might have longed to be a jockey, but you grew to six foot four. You might have longed to be a brain surgeon, but had fingers like sausages. You might have hoped to be an aeroplane pilot, but had glasses like bottle-bottoms.

Allah created in us, when we were no more than little ‘seeds’, what the eventual ‘plant’ could be. But He left it at that. The plant in all its glory did not exist – only the potential of it. If you are about 15 years old, you are still not yet a grown plant – there is a whole lot further to go and grow. In fact, of course, we keep on going and growing until we stop – at the moment of our deaths here on earth; and it is perfectly likely that even when we enter the life of the World to Come, we will not just be lazing around looking at beautiful scenery and so forth, but still growing, still developing, and maybe even keeping an eye on those we love here, and watching their progress. Allah knows best.

I am getting to the point. Many of you know that for over thirty years I was a teacher in a secondary school, a Head of Religious Studies. I am happy to say I was one of the pioneers that brought in the changes in the courses now on offer. When I first started teaching, the RE lesson was limited to Biblical Studies, and perhaps some history of the Church of England and its offshoot churches. Not that there was anything wrong in that, but it was very limited in scope. Myself and others began the long campaign to make Religious Education just as viable and important a part of education as any other aspect of education; and in our opinion a person could not really call themselves properly educated in religious terms unless they knew at least the basics of the major world faiths – what the various people believed and why they believed those things. By the time I retired, the school syllabus could include studies in Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and perhaps even other faiths such as Shinto and Confucianism – along with more general religious subjects such as Religious Philosophy and Moral and Ethical Studies.

The system was usually that students chose their subjects for GCSE at the end of Year 9, and commenced the actual courses at the start of Year 10. There were several compulsory subjects that had to be studied, such as English and Maths, and other subjects that were the students’ own choices. Parents were involved in consultation, and students were encouraged to choose subjects that would be useful in their future careers. Inevitably, GCSE Religious Studies did not have a huge uptake, as most people could not see that it was going to help them much in their future careers – although as a subject that would qualify students for entrance to college or getting a good job it was just as valid as history or geography – the other humanities.

Apart from the GCSE lessons, which were voluntary options, schools were also obliged to provide at least one compulsory general lesson per week in Religious Studies, for which there was no exam at the end. It was often taught badly, and many staff and students generally regarded it as a ‘waste of time’ or a ‘filler’ lesson. When schools had few staff qualified to teach it, all sorts of odd bods were drafted in as teachers – even atheists in some cases.

For the few students who did choose to do Religious Studies for their GCSE, the normal procedure was to have a syllabus that divided into two parts, one usually being a Christian topic, and the other either another Christian topic, or it could have been another faith – such as Islam. Many Muslim pupils would have enjoyed doing this course, but were far more eager to do the Islamic bit than the Christian bit. Some Muslim parents were actively against their youngsters studying Christianity – something I regarded as a great pity, since dialogue between the two descendants of the Abrahamic faith is still usually pretty unenlightened.

Then, the Muslim Educational Trust began to press for a GCSE that could be based on Islamic studies alone. After a period of development, a few years ago this suddenly became available – the London University Board, which is now called EdExcel, worked out a way it could be done. A student could enter for Religious Studies in the normal way, and would still have to sit two exams as before. However, each exam had six options, out of which the student would choose one, and only study that one and not the other options. Thus, if a student picked the Islamic option for the first exam, and also the Islamic option for the second exam, he or she would end up with a full GCSE in Islamic studies – exactly what most Muslim students would like to do.

The only problem then was – how could they get this up and running in a school which did not have time-table time or teachers to get it done? Teachers generally teach what they know, and most school RE teachers would not wish to limit themselves to just Islam. How could it be done? This is where I got to work.

Many of you know already my GCSE text book published by Heinemann Press. It is called simply ‘Examining Religions: Islam’. It has been used for many years now by students in schools who do the old ‘half’ GCSE in Islam. I added to this another text-book, a Dictionary of Islam, originally published by Stanley Thornes, and now republished by IPCI. Then I set to work to put down on to paper a set of course worksheets that went with the text-books, plus all the things I would have said when giving advice as a teacher and Head of Department. I added to this some tafsir on the selection of set passages required, a set of ‘high-flier’ files giving lots of information and thoughts about some of the more tricky topics – arguments for the existence of God, creation/evolution, the problem of evil, social issues such as abortion, euthanasia, drugs, sex etc -  and topped it all off with the full syllabus analysed and examples of specimen exam papers so that you could see and practice working to this format This Do-it-Yourself Course-Book is available from IPCI – you may order it by contacting through email: info@ipci-iv.co.uk.  

I have now had hundreds of students enter for the GCSE, and apart from silly people who turn up for their exams on the wrong day (not a good idea!), virtually everyone has passed, and most of them have done very well indeed – gaining A or A* grades.

As workers, all students are different. Some do absolutely everything I suggest, and others do the barest minimum, preferring reading and letting it sink in to writing practice answers. It is a very individual matter.

The real point is that now any person who would like to do this course may do so. It is ideal for school students who wish to pick up a useful extra subject for GCSE (obviously, it has the same credit rating as the other subjects, and can be much favoured by employers who assume those that pick Religious Studies are honest and hard workers!). It is also ideal for use at madrassah, where students may add this recognized qualification to their privately issued mosque certificates. In the summer 2008 session, for example, the al-Noor school in Aberdeen entered 16 candidates and achieved 100% A-C pass rate, with four of them getting A/A*.

 It is just the thing for any person who simply wishes to study on their own. I have had several prisoners in jail who have done it – very well too! I have had new converts, and ‘old experts’; my youngest entrants were Year 9 (not really to be recommended – you have to be able to write about abortion and euthanasia and drug addiction etc – but they still passed), and my oldest entrant so far was in her fifties. There is no upper age limit – Grans and Grandads can have a go if they want to. Lots of Mums and Aunties have done it. Many adults study for GCSEs – and good luck to them!

Some of my students have actually done the course at school – perhaps by asking the RE teacher if they could use their general RE lesson time to do the work at the back of the class. If the teacher doesn’t mind, that’s fine. Most Headteachers are very glad indeed to put up extra entrants for GCSEs, especially if they think their school ratings are going to get the benefit. And students who pick extra subjects are usually highly motivated.

If you have had the intelligence and English skills to plough through this article, I would almost guarantee that - God willing - you would be certain to pass the GCSE. Don’t forget, the ‘pass mark’ for the most basic grade is only about 25%. You could get 75% of it wrong, and still pass. However, the grades really worth having are Grade C and over. To get Grade C, you need to score around 50%, and to get a Grade A you need to score over 70%. I get brainy students nervously telling me they want to pull out of the exam because they don’t feel they know enough – and when I nag them into having a go, they score A*! In the summer 2008 session, I have been rewarded by one young man who scored 100%, the first time I have ever known this to happen. Many of my students managed to score over 90% and got their A*s.

So – what about you? The subjects you need to know about are:-

-         A very basic outline of the Prophet’s life,

-         the five pillars of Islam (shahadah, salah, sawm, zakah and hajj),

-         the rituals and festivals,

-         such things as the Islamic attitude to marriage and divorce, work and wealth, abortion, euthanasia and other life/death issues, and various moral issues.

Many of you fifteen-year-olds and over already have enough knowledge of Islam and general awareness skills to pass if you were to enter this exam tomorrow. Some of my highly intelligent but lazy students have not even chosen to do the written work, but have had the confidence to read the materials through, perhaps several times, and then risk having a go – and (annoyingly, for the rest of us who are ‘honest plodders’), usually do brilliantly!

Why not think about adding it to your list of achievements next year? If you are still at school, I can tell you how to get yourself entered; and if you have left school, you can still arrange entry as an external student. Most non-Muslim schools are only too happy to fix this up – especially schools that already have a large number of Muslim students. Some Muslim schools are putting it on their normal syllabus. Leading Islamic schools, such as the Manchester Islamic High School for Girls use this programme as a matter of course, with superb results. I have the dream that one day every student who has attended madrassah could add this exam qualification to their other mosque certificates. It is not cheating for Muslim students to do state exams in Islam – think about it; English people do GCSE English. Christian people do GCSE in Christian studies. (By the way – did you know you could also do GCSE in languages such as Urdu, Turkish, Arabic etc?)

You may not realise that despite the many criticisms of our education in the UK, nevertheless the UK is the only non-Muslim country in the world that has made the teaching of Islam, or at least an introduction to it, compulsory for every single student. It is the only country in the world, so far as I know, where you can sit a GCSE in Islam, a national qualification. So, please do give this some thought over the summer holidays, and see if you can add GCSE in Islamic studies to your targets for next year. God bless you, wasalaam, Ruqaiyyah.

I can be contacted through email: x@ruqaiyyah.karoo.co.uk

Any further information (including information about A and AS level in Islam) can be had from the Association of Muslim Researchers, AMR, PO box 8715, London SE 23 3ZB; or tel: 0208 699 1887.

 

 

What is the Syllabus?

 

A syllabus gives the full outline of all the subjects and topics from which the questions in your examinations will be taken. Sr Ruqaiyyah’s course is specially intended to fit the Edexcel Syllabus given for Course No.2481, units D and K.

 

If a student is actually still at school, he/she may opt to do exam-coursework in advance for 20% of the marks available and only sit for 80% of marks in the exams. To do this, they have to do a long piece of writing and hand it in for marking to a teacher in February, and when they get to the exam, only have to do 4 questions instead of 5.  Some people think it useful to get a bit done in advance – but I have found that it is hardly worth the hassle, and makes the exam seem ludicrously short! It can only be done, anyway, if you have a teacher at a school willing to do the marking and paperwork involved.

 

For most students, I strongly recommend the way that requires doing 100% in the exam, all 5 questions, and forget the business of working with a school teacher.

 

For 100%, the codes are at present 5567 for Unit D and 5581 for Unit K.

For the 80% option, the codes are at present 5568A for Unit D and 5582A for Unit K.

 

If a student only wishes to do half a GCSE (a Short Course – ie. only one exam paper – which is a waste of time in my opinion!), the Syllabus number at present is 2481 (Unit D 5567 for 100% and Unit K 5581 for 100% ). Since both exams cover very similar ground, there is little advantage in doing them separately.

 

PLEASE DO CHECK THE CODES FROM EDEXCEL CUSTOMER SERVICES, AS THEY FREQUENTLY CHANGE. (Present Edexcel Customer Care Tel. No. 0870 240 9800).

 

Could I use it for any other syllabus?

Students studying for any other Exam Boards in Islam will find this work covers their syllabus too. If you are studying at school, make sure you find out which Exam Board the school is using, and which syllabus you are being given. There are small differences in each syllabus.

 

The Edexcel syllabus provides a coherent full course balanced in terms of breadth and depth and offers all candidates, of any religious persuasion or none, the opportunity to demonstrate their attainment irrespective of their gender, ethnic or social background.

 

Some people ask about learning up answers in advance. This is not possible for GCSE exams. The actual exam questions you will have to answer are kept a careful secret until you actually get your paper in the exam room, to prevent cheating.

 

Examiners may ask you anything they like, so long as it has been included on the syllabus.  If you spend time studying any aspect of Islam (and there are many more, of course) that are not on your syllabus, you will have gained knowledge (and all credit to you); but it will not help you to pass that exam, because no questions will be asked about those topics.  If examiners ask about any topic NOT on your syllabus, they can be challenged for unfair  conduct.

 

If you want any other information on the rationale, aims and explanations of how the course is marked, these may be obtained from the publications department of Edexcel Foundation, Stewart House, 32, Russell Square, London, WCIB 5DN.

(Present Edexcel Customer Care Tel. No. 0870 240 9800).

 

If you successfully work through all the units presented in the study section of my book, you will have covered every aspect mentioned on their Syllabus.

Things to be sorted out.

(i). The Time-Span.

 

Be ruthlessly realistic.  Consult a calendar and work out how long you’ve got, and think through all the other things you have to do in the same space of time.

 

Year 11 at school may not be the best time; you may already have seven or more subjects to worry about. Many bright students choose year 10.

 

Remember that the clever, motivated students who intend to gain academic success think nothing of doing at least two hours homework every day.  Some do more.

 

It is not a good idea to let your other subjects suffer.

 

(ii). Things Happen.

 

You will not be able to work every day, or even every week. Plans go wrong. People get ill, relatives and friends die.  People move house.  Parents get divorced. Visitors arrive. Don’t panic.  Just keep on chugging along, and if you get a ‘good flow’, go with it. Do as much as is comfortable for you.  Remember, once a section is done, it’s done and you don’t have to do it again.

 

(iii) The Vital Dates.

 

Your official entry for the GCSE should be made in January. Check with the Head of Exams at your school or centre. (If you have left school, you need to ask around at local schools if they will be the center for you. If one school refuses, try another. Most schools charge for an external entry, around £16. Colleges of FE are much dearer – around £47).

 

Late entries are allowed, but you have to pay extra. (eg: normal school entry could be £16 and a very late entry £70).  (If you are doing the early course-work option at a school, your work has to be marked by your tutor and sent away to the examiner by the start of May. You should have finished it by April, and handed it in).

 

The exams will be in May/June.

You will get the results in August.

 

You can re-sit if you fail.

There is no age limit.

 

(iv). The Official Necessities.

You have to book in yourself, to do the exams at an examination centre. With a bit of luck, this could be your own local secondary school (one that enters Year 11 candidates for GCSE exams). You will either be a pupil actually attending that school, or if you have left school, it may be your old school, or you may have some connection with the school through children.  The first thing to do is to contact the Headteacher or Head of Exams, and ask. Check it out promptly. Do this as early as possible, in case you need time to find a different centre. Schools are not obliged to take on external candidates, and if they do, they are doing you a favour. Be very polite, explain what you are doing clearly, and be grateful if they accept you. They do not have to.

If you are not signed in at the first local centre of your choice, do not give up, but ask at another school. There are usually several to choose from locally. If you really cannot find a centre, contact AMR for advice – amr@amnet.demon.co.uk; or tel: 0208 699 1887.

If you are a pupil at that school, they will probably pay for your entry themselves, if you are lucky; but they might charge you a fee as an ‘external’ student, or ‘private candidate’.

If your school does not do Edexcel Board exams, they may have the addresses of local schools or colleges that do.  The person to ask is the teacher in charge of exams in your school.  If they don’t know, they should ‘know a person who does’.

You have to make sure you are entered for the exams.  This is your responsibility.  If your entry has not gone in, you can’t just turn up and sit the exam.  You will be given a candidate number. Check carefully that your teacher has not made a mistake and entered you for the wrong exam. Late entries can be made up until May, but they can be very expensive.

When you get your exam time-table, make sure the exam does not clash with another one. If it does, special arrangements have to be made, such as lunch-time supervision. Check your school time-table very carefully, and if in doubt about anything, ask.

 

(v) Warnings about nerves and lack of confidence.

Every year some very good students get worried, and pull out of the exams officially, or don’t enter themselves, or do enter but then don’t turn up, because they feel they do not know enough and will not be able to pass. When talked into it, such students generally find to their surprise that they score A or A*. It is the intelligent sensitive ones who get these nerves and lose confidence. Don’t give in to these fears – see them as a sign of ‘misplaced arrogance’. You are worried because you might not know everything – but you are NOT going to get 100%. If you have followed the course with no difficulty, and your tutor has told you you are good, then don’t you dare pull out! Go for it!

 

Turn up.  The exams are held at special times and in special places, because there are all sorts of regulations to prevent cheating.  Nobody is allowed to see the questions in advance. It is your duty to turn up at the right place at the right time.  If you miss it, that’s too bad - you’ll have to wait until the next summer to re-sit.

 

Don’t be put off by feeling sick, headachy, period pains, asthma, stomach bugs, nerves. Most of these things are simply due to nerves and will vanish once you get started. Being nervous is not a failing but a sure sign that you are intelligent! What is a shame is if you give in to them, and give up. Don’t. Be strong and brave and put up with minor discomforts – the exams are only for 2 hours. Take your usual medicines, and get on with it. If you really become ill during the exam, they will let you out, look after you, and maybe make special arrangements for you to continue later.

 

Don’t be put off by emotional traumas – if you are suffering from a  broken heart, a lost love, parental divorce, bereavement, any form of loss or cause of misery or anxiety, try to block it off for these few hours. Imagine you are packing the thing that is troubling you away in a special box, and placing it in God’s hands for the time being. He will look after it – and you can have it all back again after the exam, if you wish!

 

 (vi). Making Your Own Work Time-Table

My DIY course is divided into 76 units, following the 76 units in the GCSE text-book on Islam published by Heinemann.  The units are not all of the same length.

 

If you worked at the rate of one unit each week, it would obviously take you 76 weeks to complete. There are only 52 weeks in a year.

 

If you decide to work only in school term time, you usually have around 14 weeks in the Autumn term, and around 10-12 in the Spring term. By the summer term, you are virtually into the exams - they start around halfway through May.

Work Out Your Own Time-Table Carefully.

If you do two units a week, it will take you 38 weeks. You can, of course, start on this course at any time that suits you, and work much faster than that.  Many might like to start it just after they finish their school summer exams, and get the bulk of it completed during the summer vacation. It’s a great feeling to do as much as you can while you are ‘on a roll’. You may have nobody to ‘nag’ you but yourself.

How much you do, and when, and the speed at which you work - is up to you.

 

Some common Snags

(i)  You Don’t Speak or Write good English

This will make a big difference. Only you can do something about this. If you are going to live and work in an English-speaking society and want to be well educated, you MUST become as fluent as possible in English. Remember, many people with parents who can’t speak English at all well end up even better than English people at their own language!

(ii)  You are over-confident.

You think you know it all already. Be a bit more humble. This is an academic test, and not just vague ‘general knowledge’. The cleverest people know that they know very little, and keep on studying and finding things out all their lives. And even if you DO know everything, you do not necessarily have good essay-writing ability, or self-expression.

(iii)  You are too religious. 

It’s worth repeating – this is an academic test and not a judgement on your personal life, standards, morals, prayer practice, or anything else.  It’s very annoying, but sometimes the most naughty and non-believing people can score very highly on tests of religious knowledge and Understanding!

Don’t forget, until very recently nearly all the students in the UK who did a GCSE in Islam were not even Muslims.  We’re trying to change that - but it is not an issue that will make any difference to you.

Sometimes very saintly, religious people fall into the trap of only repeating ‘formulas’ or answers they have learned ‘parrot-fashion’ - things they think will please Allah, please the Imam, or please their families.  Remember that neither the Imam, nor your families will be marking your answers.

Your answers are confidential - your own teacher, Imam or family may not see them, except in highly special circumstances.

Nearly all questions on GCSE papers require a student to outline more than one point of view and then argue a case.  Watch out – is it any two points of view, or two Islamic points of view, that are asked for. The easiest way is to pick an extreme point of view, and then a moderate one; or you could give two different sectarian points of view that you knew of – such as Salafi, Sufi, Wahhabi, Deobandi etc.

If your answer to a question ‘Why?’ is a blunt ‘Because Allah forbade it’, you may well be right, but you will not score more than one point, and will throw away the other points available.  You have to THINK. And for 8 points, you have to say at least 8 correct things!

Some Muslims have a ‘chip on their shoulder’ against the ‘Evil West’, and despise their dear teachers and examiners who are trying to help them.  Be more generous, and grateful for their help.

Be warned – this is not a test of your own goodness or life, but of your KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING and ABILITY TO REASON AND EVALUATE.

(iv)  You always waffle and write too much.

 

Remember the GOLDEN RULE - answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question.  The paper tells you what the marks are for. There are no marks available for anything not asked for.

 

(v)               You never write enough.

 

Try harder.  Write more.

 

(vi)             People cannot read your writing.

It is very important that they can. I recommend the size of writing as between 6-9 words on each line (ie. not too small and not too big). Some people prefer to work in type-script – this is OK, but remember that you will have to do handwriting in the exams. If you have not practised, you could get awful writers’ cramp.

 

(vii)  You have no time to study.

 

If you want to do this GCSE, you have to make time; and, as the Prophet recommended, let your practice be regular.  If you already have good general knowledge of Islam and are clever, it is possible to just walk in and sit the exam without doing any study - but the more study you do, the higher your marks will probably be.  It doesn’t usually pay to be over-confident.

 

If you are pleasing yourself and not being overseen by a teacher, you may work out lots of shortcuts. It could be done by just reading and thinking, and not writing at all – but this tends to be a method for lazy geniuses. Most of us need practice in writing answers, and in getting our writing up to speed.

 

(viii)  You have no place to study in.

 

You may need to train your parents, or get your family organised. If your parents were not academics in their time, they will probably have no idea of what you will be going through.  They may be supportive, if you are lucky, or they may not understand at all.

 

The biggest problems are parents interrupting you (usually for jobs), and other children interrupting you.  Be fair to your parents - try to get your jobs done too, and don’t let them down.  It is not really fair for a mother to pick up a whole load of extra work simply because you wish to achieve something.  You should not be achieving it at her expense!

 

If you really cannot work at home, try staying on after school, or using the lunch-break, or try the public library, or find a quiet friend or relative to visit.

 

(ix). You keep losing things.

 

Get organised.  Your work is worth more than gold. Hopefully you will have got for yourself all the paper and equipment suggested to make the best presentation of your work.  Value it.  At least, keep it all in a special file, or a cardboard box properly labelled.

Hide it from marauding toddlers, pets seeking a cosy resting-place, or mothers who clear up too much.  (Under the bed or on top of a cupboard are good places).  Do not let greasy fingers get near it.  Don’t risk putting a cup of tea or other liquid near it — someone is bound to tip it over.

 

Practical advice, and ‘on-going’ ideas.

 

This section gives suggestions and encouragement for practical ideas to build up your knowledge and achievement as you go along. None of this is compulsory, so you do not have to do it this way.

 

(i).  When you do the ‘fact’ questions, if you take the trouble to divide your paper down the middle and write out the questions on one side and your answers on the other side of the paper, it gives you a ready-made series of tests to help you revise.  You could get someone to ask you the questions, or you could cover the answers and test yourself.  Don’t write all the questions out first, though, as some of the answers need more than one line. Don’t  forget - if you can get a ‘volunteer’ to help you, it will help that person to learn too, and may spur them on to have a go at the exam themselves. If you do not write out the questions (and you obviously do not have to – it takes time), make sure that you can deduce what the question was from your answer. Don’t just give one word answers, they will mean nothing when you come to revise.

 

So, if all you have put for your answer is, for example:   Ramadan  -  what was the question? This answer does not help you revise, whereas the answer: Ramadan was the month in which the Qur’an was first revealed  - does. You can see from the answer what the question was. Get it?

 

(ii).  Always put headings to your work sections; write them very clearly, and underline them, or make sure they stand out in some way or another.  This helps a great deal when revising.

 

(iii). Keep a press-file. Cut out and collect any press-cuttings or magazine articles that crop up concerning Islam, mosques, Islamic politics, moral issues, general articles that give food for thought on such issues as abortion, surrogacy, euthanasia, the death penalty, drug issues, Muslim issues such as the provision for halal food or cemeteries, ecological disasters and the reasons for them - floods, famines, wars, etc. These will all help to give you ideas for your essays, and broaden your mind.  (You will also begin to take note of biased reporting, and the differences between the various newspapers!).

 

(iv). Some of the work involves copying out key verses or sayings.  You could do this just as part of your normal work on your normal paper, or you could make something of it.  You could make a lovely set of index cards or postcards with these texts on.  Some could even be framed, and go up on a wall.  An Eid gift for Auntie?

 

(v). For fun and information - build up a ‘fashion boutique’ - a collection of photos or drawings showing different styles of Muslim costume in various parts of the world.  You could try to get a male and female example for, say, ten Muslim societies.

 

(vi). Artifact collection - collect various Muslim artifacts for displaying in your folder – ‘Id cards, stick-on cards with Qur’an or hadith phrases (easily obtainable from Islamic bookshops), postcards of famous mosques, photographs - family feasts, khitan, weddings, funerals, your Imam, your madrassah ‘at work’, places you have visited, hajj photos, etc.

 

The ‘High Flier Files’: 

 

These are reading material containing extra information to help give you ideas.  These files are especially useful for any high-flier students going for top grades.

 

The best way to use these is to look them up and read the material when you get to the appropriate place in your work units. The text will always tell you if there is a special file.

 

Do you really have to do everything in the DIY course?  There’s so much…..

 

Let us be realistic – to be an A student you will need to get over 80%. Some of us have a big struggle to get 25%, the basic pass mark.

 

Not everyone is an ‘A’,

Some of us are ‘D’s etc.

 

Whatever we are – it is neither to our credit nor our fault; it was God who gave us our brains and set the limits of our ability. All we are required to do is the very best with what we have got. This course is designed both for the most brilliant student ‘going for gold,’ and also for the rest of us who find it hard enough to run for a bus. If you are a ‘high-flier’—go for it!  The more work you do, the better, and the high-flier files will give you extra things to think about.

 

BUT: If you feel you can only cope with the BASIC MINIMUM, don’t despair – cut your task down to size to suit you.

- always do the short questions

- always do the Dictionary Work if you have the Dictionary

but only have a go at one of the Things to do, or For Discussion, or For Your Folder questions.  Not one of each, just one.

 

 

Tips for when you finally get to the exams

 

(i) General Tips.

(The first three have been said before, but they are so important they are worth repeating).

 

Turn up.  The exams are held at special times and in special places, because there are all sorts of regulations to prevent cheating.  Nobody is allowed to see the questions in advance. It is your duty to turn up at the right place at the right time.  If you miss it, that’s too bad - you’ll have to wait until the next summer to re-sit.

 

Don’t be put off by feeling sick, headachy, period pains, asthma, stomach bugs, nerves. Most of these things are simply due to nerves and will vanish once you get started. Being nervous is not a failing but a sure sign that you are intelligent! What is a shame is if you give in to them, and give up. Don’t. Be strong and brave and put up with minor discomforts – the exams are only for 2 hours. Take your usual medicines, and get on with it. If you really become ill during the exam, they will let you out, look after you, and maybe make special arrangements for you to continue later.

 

Don’t be put off by emotional traumas – if you are suffering from a broken heart, a lost love, parental divorce, bereavement, any form of loss or cause of misery or anxiety, try to block it off for these few hours. Imagine you are packing the thing that is troubling you away in a special box, and placing it in God’s hands for the time being. He will look after it – and you can have it all back again after the exam, if you wish!

 

Read the whole paper through before you start.  Where you have a choice of questions, pick the ones you think you can score the most points for.  This is a POINT-SCORING ‘GAME’.

 

Decide on the order you will do your answers.  Please notice that in some exam papers the most points are scored on the answers for the difficult questions. Some people like to do this section first, while they are still fresh and not tired, but it’s up to you.  Others like to do the paper in the order set, because they can get the feel of it, and score lots of small points in the early sections.  Whichever way you choose to do it - remember that when you eventually arrive at the final sections with big marks, it may feel like just another question, but it is a very big section.  Don’t skimp it.

 

Check how many points are on offer for each bit before you answer.  Always look to see how many points are awarded for each bit before you commence your answer. If the answer only carries one or two points, a one-sentence answer is usually quite sufficient. If the answer carries six to eight points, then you must make sure you say at least six to eight things, in order to score those points. Judge the ‘size’ of your answer from the number of points allotted.

 

Never waste time writing about things which are not asked for. There are no points, available for these extra things. Don’t waste your valuable time. Always check that your answer fits the points available.

 

The Golden Rule : Answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question.

 

Don’t leave out the obvious. Many of the marks are for very obvious facts, and you may feel that this is too simple. It isn’t. Just pretend that the examiner is either one of your sharp non-Muslim teenage friends (always critical) who wants to know everything, especially ‘Why?’; or a really senile and sad decrepit old examiner who can’t seem to understand anything. That way, you will not make yourself sound like a pompous idiot, or forget to put down the obvious things.  If you knew an answer, but didn’t put it down, you have simply dustbinned those marks.

 

Things you don’t know - The exam you actually sit will ask different questions from those on the specimen papers, but they will all be based on the syllabus given here.  It is highly unlikely that you will know everything, but don’t panic. Do what you can.

 

Never leave blanks. There are no marks for a blank space. At least have a sensible guess – you could be right.

 

Predicting topics – Students are usually able to access past papers, and see what sort of questions are favourites.  If a really important topic was not on the previous year’s paper, it is very likely to be on the next paper.  However, there is no rule which states that the examiner cannot set the same, or very similar questions in consecutive years.  You can’t rely on prediction.  All you can rely on is that no question should be set on something which was not included in the syllabus.

 

Your handwriting - Can we read it? If the examiner cannot read your writing, you will fail.  This is the first rule of the exam.  Make sure you write very clearly.  Use either a black or dark blue biro or ink pen.  Do not take into the exam room bottles of ink that could spill.  Do not use brilliant blue, green, purple or red ink, as that gives exam markers eye-strain and irritates them.

 

Your handwriting - is it the right size?  The best size is at around six to eight words on each line.  If you write very large, only three or four words per line, you may be kidding yourself you’ve done a big answer, when you haven’t at all.  It never fools the examiner, who is just looking for points.  Write smaller.  If your writing is very small and cramped, over twelve words per line, it not only becomes difficult to read, but you are in danger of it looking as if you have not said as much as those with more normal writing.  I know the examiners are just looking for points, but they are only human - they get eyestrain and get irritated, and could miss something. Write bigger.

 

You can’t spell.  If you can’t spell a word - don’t use it. Put your answer into words you can spell.  Many people try to show off by using long words, but it gains nothing extra, and sometimes they get them wrong and look silly.  Just be clear.

 

Style.  A very good tip is to look back over your answers after you have written them.  Hopefully, there will be time at the end for this.  Imagine you are reading them aloud to someone, perhaps your worst enemy.  If your answer sounds awkward, babyish, stupid, embarrassing, or creepy-crawly, then it probably is.  (It is an excellent idea to practice reading your work aloud to others while you are still studying. It starts a good habit of being aware of style).

 

Wittering and waffle.  You do get credit for your ability to express yourself clearly, especially in those questions where you are asked for your opinion, to evaluate something.  But remember, there are no marks for wittering and waffle.

 

 

How the the GCSE marks are scored.

 

Don’t panic about your answers.  Always do your best.  People who only write a few lines on the subjects with lots of points still may not fail - but they cannot expect to score high grades. This is one of the ways in which the examiner works out what level you are.  Someone who writes only two or three lines on each high-point-scoring section, will probably only end up with level F/G, even if the answer is basically right. Sometimes the answer book has the space for the answer ruled out for you. This gives you a good clue on how much is expected.

 

The analysis.

When you have done everything required, the markers will analyse your score. Although it varies from year to year, it will go something like this:

If you scored around 25 - 30%, you will get grade G or F, a basic pass.

If you scored around 50 - 55%, you will get grade C. (This is the level where your certificate has real value).

If you scored over 80%, you will get grade A, a distinction!

Whatever the scores, the top ten percent will get A*.

In other words, you can get nearly three-quarters of it wrong and still pass.  So don’t let worry or nerves or vaguely feeling ill, or a ‘bad hair day’ get the better of you.  Don’t get depressed.  If you are already a practising Muslim, and you’ve looked at the specimen papers, you may find you could get at least half of it right already.  Don’t forget this paper will be attempted by a large number of students who are not Muslim at all, who will have none of your background.

Indications of what sort of things the markers were looking for in the specimen papers are included in this booklet for your guidance.

If you fail the first time, don’t despair.  You have still had very valuable experience in finding out what to do and what is required.  Don’t get depressed - BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!

 

The exam day arrives

 

Get a good sleep the night before, after reading through your notes. DO NOT sit up late in a state of panic.

·         Have all your necessary equipment ready the night before.

·         Get out of bed earlier than usual - avoid rush and panic.

·         Expect to feel nervous.

·         Allow yourself more time than usual to make the journey to the exam room.

·         Get to the exam room at least fifteen minutes before the exam is due to start.

·         Make provision for emergencies - take an extra pen and pencil. Take your ruler.

·         Take a watch - time is vital.  The exam room may not have an easily visible clock.

·         Avoid nerves by keeping busy - read your notes again.

·         Don’t be afraid of feeling vaguely ill - this is normal.  The chances of your being seriously ill that day are extremely small.  Minor niggling things will fade away once you start writing your answers.  Feelings that you want to vomit, urinate or have diarrhoea will soon go away.  Even if you really do have some of those symptoms, but you were not significantly ill yesterday, ignore them.  If they get so bad you can’t cope after the exam has started, you will be excused.  But the chances really are that the feelings are just down to ‘nerves’ and will go away.  Don’t let headaches, sore throats, period pains, or hay fever put you off. Take what you usually take, and get on with it. You will only have to suffer a couple of hours, and you can leave if you get really bad, but you’ll have to wait a full year to have another go.

 

Doing the exam.

 

Make sure you check the instructions.  They are usually just the same as they were the previous year, but you never know! Check.

 

Make a sound start.  Spot something you feel confident about, and get into it.  It will calm down your nerves.

 

Never finish and leave an exam early - that is a sure waste of marks you might have got.  Use every second, even if it is only checking. NEVER LEAVE THE EXAM EARLY.

 

If you get stuck on a major problem, leave it and go on to something else.  The chances are that when you come back to the problem, you will see what to do straight away.  Even if not, you haven’t wasted time fretting or panicking.

 

If you have time left over, after checking, see if you can add a bit more to something you thought you had finished.

 

Always check when you think you have finished, that you really have finished.  Are you sure you have answered all the things you were supposed to? Have you done enough questions? Did you forget to turn over a page? Did you turn over two pages at once? Did you have a go at all the ‘bits’ of a question? Don’t leave blank spaces. At least have a guess, it could be right – but there are no marks for a blank.  Check, and check again.

 

Check that you really did write about the correct things; for example, did you write all about abortion when you were really asked about birth control? Check, and check again.  There are no marks allocated for the wrong answers.

 

Post-Mortems.

 

Be warned - these are often disappointing and upsetting; you will think you have made mistakes which you may not have made; if you have made a serious mistake, there is nothing you can do about it now anyway. Post-mortems always reveal some mistakes, or things someone else put in which you didn’t.

 

Nobody ever gets 100%, so you are bound to discover mistakes.  Forget it.  You have seen from the grading analysis how you can get 75% wrong, and still pass!

 

If you are not sure that you have passed, then you probably have.  Only a very small percentage of students fail, and your chances of passing are much greater than of failing, especially if you’ve done all this work. 

 

If you made a reasonable attempt, and finished, YOU’VE PASSED.

 

Huge numbers of students think they’ve failed, when they’ve actually passed well.  Good students are usually the sensitive worrying kinds - their own severest critics. Many students try to change their minds about entering for the exams at the last moment, believing they do not know enough and are not ready. They are too modest – they probably  know a huge amount. Most of my ‘I fear failure’ students get A grades, if not distinctions!

 

But what if you do fail? Never mind.  You have had valuable experience of the exam scene, and you can have another go again next year. You have lost nothing.  The knowledge you retain is yours for ever.

If you have passed - well done! Be proud, and be grateful for any help you received.  It is always good manners to give thanks and appreciation where it is due.

 

So, my dear brothers and sisters

God bless you, and good luck!

 

Sister Ruqaiyyah

 

 

 

Some comments on education, for both males and females equally, made by the Prophet:

“The search for knowledge is a duty for every Muslim male and female.”

“Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

“Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China.”

“One learned person is harder on the devil than a thousand ignorant worshippers.”

“Knowledge is the stray camel of the believer. Let believers seize it wherever they find it.”

 

 

TO SEE THE SYLLABUS IN FULL, AND SEE SPECIMENS OF THE EXAM PAPERS, PLEASE REFER TO THE SEPARATE ITEMS ON MY HOME-PAGE MENU.