Hey, Politics students! Whether you’re just starting your A Level journey or gearing up for exams, this guide will help you feel confident and prepared. Let’s break down what you need to know about your Edexcel Politics exams, what each paper involves and how to revise effectively. 💪
📑 How Many Papers Are There?
A Level Overview
The Edexcel A Level Politics course is assessed through three written papers.
Each paper is 2 hours long, worth 33.3% of your overall grade, and focuses on different aspects of political knowledge and understanding.
Paper 1 - UK Politics
Paper 2 - UK Government
Paper 3 - Politics (either USA or Global Politics, depending on your school's / college's option)
⏰Duration: 2 hours
🏆Marks: 84 marks (33.3% of total grade)
📌Content:
Political Participation:
- Democracy and participation
- Political parties
- Electoral systems
- Voting behaviour and the media
Core Political Ideas:
- Conservatism
- Socialism
- Liberalism
❓Question Types:
Section A - Political Participation: You’ll answer one 30 - mark question from a choice of two - each question includes a source and you must pick one to complete. Then, you’ll choose one more 30-mark question from another pair (no source this time). Both of these questions assess your knowledge (AO1), analysis (AO2) and evaluation (AO3) skills.
Q1 - This question will ask you to evaluate something and in your response to:
- compare and contrast different opinions in the sources
- examine and debate these views in a balanced way
- analyse and evaluate only the information presented in the sources
Q2 - This question also asks you to evaluate something considering different points of view.
Section B - Core Political Ideas: You’ll also answer one 24 - mark essay question from a choice of two. This section tests the same three skills: AO1, AO2 and AO3 - so make sure your answer shows clear understanding, strong analysis and balanced evaluation.
Q3 - This question starts with 'To what extent...' and asks you to use appropriate thinkers and to use a balanced argument.
💡 Tip:
Know your key thinkers and examples! Use recent political events (like elections, referendums or leadership contests) to make your answers stand out.
⏰Duration: 2 hours
🏆Marks: 84 marks (33.3% of total grade)
📌Content:
UK Government:
- The constitution
- Parliament
- Prime Minister and executive
- Relationships between the branches
Non - core political ideas. One idea from the following:
- Anarchism
- Ecologism
- Feminism
- Multiculturalism
- Nationalism
❓Question Types:
Section A: UK Government - You’ll answer one 30 - mark question from a choice of two - each question includes a source, and you must choose one to complete. Then, you’ll select one more 30 - mark question from another pair (these don’t include sources). All questions in this section assess your knowledge (AO1), analysis (AO2), and evaluation (AO3) - so make sure your answers are detailed, well-structured and balanced.
Q1 - This question will ask you to evaluate something and in your response to:
- compare and contrast different opinions in the sources
- examine and debate these views in a balanced way
- analyse and evaluate only the information presented in the sources
Q2 - This is an evaluation question which requires you to draw on knowledge from component 1.
Section B: Non - core Political Ideas - You’ll complete one 24-mark essay question from a choice of two. This section also assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3, testing your understanding of political ideas, thinkers and how they connect to real-world politics.
This question starts with 'To what extent...' and asks you to use appropriate thinkers and to use a balanced argument.
💡 Tip:
Focus on evaluation! Compare the powers of Parliament and the Executive, and make sure you can argue both sides of a debate clearly.
📖 Paper 2: Comparative Politics
⏰Duration: 2 hours
🏆Marks: 84 marks (33.3% of total grade)
📌Content:
Those who are studying the USA:
- The US Constitution and federalism
- US Congress
- US presidency
- US Supreme Court and civil rights
- Democracy and participation
- Comparative theories
For those studying Global Politics:
- Sovereignty and globalisation
- Global governance: political and economic
- Global governance: human rights and environmental
- Power and developments
- Regionalism and the European Union
- Comparative theories
❓Question Types:
Section A - You’ll answer one 12 - mark question from a choice of two. These questions test your knowledge (AO1) and analysis (AO2) - so focus on showing a solid understanding of key concepts and how they apply in context.
Q1 - Either examine the difference or examine the similarities between two things.
Section B - This section has one compulsory 12 - mark question based on comparative theories. It also assesses AO1 and AO2, so you’ll need to explain ideas clearly and make meaningful comparisons between political systems or theories.
Q2 - This question will ask you to anaylse something with reference to at least one comparative theory.
Section C - Finally, you’ll choose two 30 - mark essay questions from a choice of three. These longer essays assess AO1 (knowledge), AO2 (analysis) and AO3 (evaluation) - so be ready to build strong, well-evidenced arguments and draw insightful comparisons.
For these questions, you will be asked to evaluate something considering different points of view.
💡 Tip:
Make clear comparisons (if you’re doing USA) or link global issues (if you’re doing Global). For example, comparing the US Supreme Court with the UK Supreme Court can really show analytical depth.
Here are some tried-and-tested revision strategies that actually work 👇
1. Make a Clear Plan📅
Break topics down into chunks - for example, spend one week on “Elections and Voting Behaviour” and another on “The Constitution.” Stick to a routine!
2. Use Past Papers ✍️
The mark schemes are your best friend! Practice answering questions under timed conditions and see how examiners expect you to structure answers. (You will find the links to past papers and mark schemes on this page!)
3. Know Your Case Studies & Examples💬
Politics is all about evidence. Be ready to drop in examples like:
The 2019 General Election 🗳️
Supreme Court cases (e.g., Miller 2017) ⚖️
Recent US elections or international issues 🌎
4. Master Essay Technique 🧠
Structure matters:
Intro: Define key terms + outline argument
Main body: Balanced points, evidence + analysis
Conclusion: Make a clear judgement
5. Keep Up with Current Affairs🤓
Read or watch political news (BBC, The Guardian, Sky News, Politico, etc.) - it keeps your examples fresh and relevant!
6. Stay Calm and Positive🧘
Politics is a big subject, but you’ve got this. Take breaks, test yourself often and keep reminding yourself how much progress you’ve made.
💬 Final Thoughts
The Edexcel A Level Politics course isn’t just about memorising facts - it’s about thinking critically, evaluating arguments and understanding how power really works. ⚖️
With consistent practice and smart revision, you’ll be ready to ace all three papers!
Good luck - your future in politics (or at least your A Level grade!) is in your hands. ✨
