Edexcel
AS and A level
Politics
2017
Understanding power, people
and ideas
Our new qualification
Edexcel AS and A level Politics 2017 Familiar specification within a clear and
coherent structure
Understanding power, people and ideas Our new specification will be familiar and manageable, with new
We’ve listened to feedback from all parts of the Politics subject components introduced within a straightforward structure.
community, including teachers, subject associations, professional A wide range of engaging and contemporary
bodies and higher education. We’ve taken the recent curriculum
issues
changes as an opportunity to enhance our current qualification,
to reflect the ever-changing world we live in, and inspire lively and Our qualification includes a broad range of relevant and
informed debate. contemporary ideas, institutions, processes and issues to support
students’ learning about Politics.
Our new qualification continues to offer a comprehensive and
thorough study of Politics, retaining the most popular content from Clear assessments for students of all abilities
our current specification, with the exciting addition of a choice of
contemporary and globally-relevant topics. Assessments will develop students’ skills in critical thinking and
analysis, using a variety of question types, sources and materials.
Free topic-specific resources
What’s changing? We will provide teacher and student guides for all the content,
The new specification for AS and A level Politics 2017 affects especially new content on political thinkers, their ideas and
the content within the qualification – these changes will affect approaches to comparative politics.
all awarding bodies. There will also be published resources*, written specifically
for Edexcel AS and A level Politics 2017. Go to page 6 of this
Content changes: booklet for all the information on our support resources.
• Increased content, including voter behaviour, constitutional
history and the role of the media.
• Reduced content on the role of, and key issues, affecting
the European Union.
• New content including key ideas and thinkers of the
political ideas of Conservatism, Liberalism and Socialism.
• A choice of content routes at A level.
*It is not necessary to purchase any resources published by Edexcel or any other publisher to
teach this qualification.
Content and assessment overview
A level Politics 2017 AS Politics 2017
Overview Content Assessment Overview Content Assessment
Component 1 • Political Participation A range of short and Component 1 Political Participation A range of short and
• Core ideas (Liberalism, long answer questions. • Democracy and long answer questions.
UK UK Participation
Conservatism and
Politics Politics
Socialism). • Political parties
• Electoral systems
Component 2 • UK Government A range of short and
• Voting behaviour and the
• Optional ideas (choose one long answer questions.
UK media.
from anarchism, ecologism,
Government feminism, multiculturalism
Component 2 UK Government A range of short and
and nationalism).
• The Constitution long answer questions.
UK
Component 3 • Either US Government and A range of short and Government • Parliament
Politics or long answer questions. • The PM and Government
Comparative • Global Politics. • Relations between the
Politics
branches.
This model is based on current thinking and is subject to change ahead of our
submission to Ofqual in August; our finalised draft model will be available on
our website mid-August.
How we’re supporting you Timings What’s What you
happening can do
You’ve told us how valuable our support is for teaching Edexcel AS
and A level Politics so we have even more free support available Draft
Book your
to help you get started teaching the qualification, including course Summer 2016 specifications
launch event
online
planners, schemes of work and mapping documents.
To help you teach the new content, and manage the depth and
breadth, we will also provide: Accredited Find out about
Autumn 2016 specifications published
• a new more detailed Getting Started guide including topic- resources*
specific guides with:
• information on each of the political ideas and their thinkers
Published Attend a free
• support and literature to help teaching and learning on the Spring 2017 resources Getting Ready to
comparative theories for the A level options available Teach event
• additional specimen papers, exemplars of student answers
and examiner guidance on how best to approach the exams to Published Attend a free
help prepare students Summer 2017 resources Getting Ready to
available Teach event
• a free bridging unit to provide students with ‘An Introduction to
Politics’ on their move from GCSE to AS/A level
First teaching
new AS and
• our free online service, ResultsPlus, to provide detailed analysis Autumn 2017
A level
on student’s performance in exams. specification
Pearson will also be publishing paid-for resources* specifically First AS assessments
written for the Edexcel AS and A level Politics specification. (new specification)
Summer 2018 Final AS resit
and A2 exams
(current specification)
Sign up to get updates and free support materials plus
First A level
information on our published resources: assessments
Summer 2019
(new
www.edexcel.com/polreg specification)
*Pearson’s paid for resources, as well as other endorsed resources, are not a prerequisite for the
delivery of our Edexcel specification.
Next steps
Register your interest
Sign up to get updates and free support materials,
plus information on our published resources:
www.edexcel.com/polreg
Book your place at a launch event
Go to www.edexcel.com/pollaunch to find an
event near you or book an online event.
Find out more
Go to our website to read the draft specification
(from August 2016) and find out more about our
new qualification: www.edexcel.com/polalevel
Get in touch
If you have any questions you can contact our Politics
subject team:
Call on: 020 7010 2165
Email: TeachingGovernmentandPolitics@pearson.com
Original origami artwork: Mark Bolitho
Origami photography: Pearson Education Ltd / Naki Kouyioumtzis
5
V672
Pearson Ltd is committed to reducing
its impact on the environment by using
responsibly sourced and recycled paper.
50
