
GCSE Sociology
Course Codes
OSC1341 / OSC1342

Achieve your GCSE Sociology qualification from home at your own pace, without needing to attend a traditional school or college.
- Achieve an internationally recognised qualification in GCSE Sociology from AQA.
- Explore how social factors such as family, education, ethnicity, social class and gender can play a part in shaping individuals.
- Study at your own pace and develop a solid foundation of knowledge that will prepare you for future studies in related fields.
- Choose whether to add your exams to your enrolment and we will take care of booking these for you when you're ready!
Course overview
Study this online GCSE Sociology course and learn more about family forms, the relationship between education and capitalism, the social constructs of crime, and the theory of stratification.
As well as providing a solid foundation of knowledge for students wishing to study sociology or related subjects at A Level and beyond, this course is also ideal for those aspiring to a career in areas such as healthcare, social work, social research, and education.
This AQA GCSE Sociology course is the same as the GCSE syllabus currently studied in traditional schools throughout the UK, allowing you to achieve an internationally recognised GCSE qualification from home at your own pace.
Please note, you must complete the official exams in order to achieve your qualification in GCSE Sociology.
If you choose to add your exams to your enrolment, we will book these for you, saving you the hassle of booking them yourself and giving you more time to dedicate to your psychology studies.
Course Duration
Up to 12 months.
Course Outcome
On successful completion of your exams, you will receive your GCSE Sociology qualification.
Entry Requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this course.
Assessment
Two paper based exams.
Course content
- Functions of families
- Family forms
- Conjugal role relationships
- Changing relationships within families
- Criticisms of families
- Divorce
- Roles and functions on education
- The relationship between education and capitalism
- Educational achievement
- Processes within schools
- The social construction of crime and deviance
- Social control
- Criminal and deviant behaviour
- Data on crime
- Functionalist theory of stratification
- Socio-economic class
- Life chances
- Poverty as a social issue
- Power and authority
- Power relationships
- Research design
- Quantitative and qualitative methods
- Different types of data
- Primary and secondary sources
- Interpretation on data
- Practical issues
- Ethical issues
Extra info
Assessment
To achieve your GCSE Sociology qualification, your knowledge gained during your studies of all four units will be assessed across two paper-based exams.
If you add your exams to your enrolment we will book them when you’re ready. If you choose to book your exams through us, you will need to sit your exams at centres in one of the following locations:
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Doncaster
- Bolton
- Wimbledon
- Taunton
- St Neots
Before adding the option to include your exams to your enrolment, please ensure you are able to travel to these locations.
While you are formally assessed by completing your exams, you will also need to submit tutor-marked assignments to allow your tutor to monitor your progress.
There are two paper-based examinations. A more detailed breakdown of the assessment details is provided below.
Course Duration
You will have up to one year to complete your GCSE Sociology studies from the date you receive your materials.
With this course, you will have the flexibility to study at your own pace, and your only deadlines are the GCSE exams, which typically take place during the summer exam period (May/June).
Study Method
This course enables you to study your GCSE Sociology course from home. Your course materials will be sent by post or you can study online, so receiving your materials is easy and hassle-free. Full tutor support will be available via email, so help is only a click away!
Course Outcome
Upon successful completion of the exams, you will receive your GCSE Sociology qualification.
The GCSE is awarded by AQA and it is recognised by universities, schools, and employers globally.
Exam details
Paper 1: The sociology of families and education
What’s assessed:
The sociology of families
The sociology of education
Relevant areas of social theory and methodology
Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of these topics.
How it’s assessed:
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
100 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions:
Section A has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.
Section B has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.
Paper 2: The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification
What’s assessed:
The sociology of crime and deviance
The sociology of social stratification
Relevant areas of social theory and methodology
Students will be expected to draw on knowledge and understanding of the entire course of study to show a deeper understanding of these topics.
How it’s assessed:
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
100 marks
50% of GCSE
Questions:
Section A has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.
Section B has two multiple choice questions followed by a range of short and extended responses.
Q&As
Yes! This course is the same as the GCSEs you would study at a traditional school. The only difference is that this course is designed to be studied from home and you receive full tutor support via email.
You do not need any previous knowledge to enrol on this course.
- Dedicated personal tutor support.
- Dedicated student support.
- Assignment marking and feedback.
- FREE XO Student Discounts membership.
- FREE CV critique service.
- FREE employability guide to help you impress future employers.
- Study pack and student guide.*
* Only available with the study pack option.
No extra reading is required for the completion of this course.
If you don’t add on the exams, you will need to book and pay for these yourself.
It's not a problem. We offer a course replacement service, so if you get into trouble and your course pack is lost or damaged, our Student Support Team can provide you with a new set of materials for a one-time additional fee.
That's not a problem. We want to make sure you're 100% confident about enrolling on the course and starting your study. So, just give our team of education specialists a call on 03300 563 100 and they'll do their best to help.