AQA A-Level Sociology Exam Topic Tracker

This revision guide tracks every topic that's appeared in AQA A-Level Sociology exams from 2017 to 2023. You'll discover which areas come up most frequently and plan your study sessions accordingly.

The tracker covers all major units including Education, Theory & Methods, Culture & Identity, Families & Households, Health, Work, Poverty & Welfare, Beliefs in Society, and Global Development. Each topic shows the specific paper, question number, and marks allocated.

Top Tip: Topics that appear frequently across multiple years are your highest revision priorities - they're likely to show up again!

Education Unit Breakdown

Education topics are absolute exam favourites, appearing consistently across all recent papers. The big three sociological perspectives - functionalism, Marxism, and feminism - have each featured in multiple 30-mark essays, making them essential revision priorities.

Differential achievement is another heavy hitter, with social class, gender, and ethnicity gaps appearing regularly. The 2023 paper was particularly focused on achievement differences, featuring all three in the same 30-mark question. Don't overlook pupil identities and subcultures - they've appeared every year since 2017.

Education policies split into three key areas: equality, marketisation, and globalisation. Marketisation policies have been especially popular, appearing five times including a major 30-mark question in 2022.

Exam Strategy: Practice comparing all three perspectives (functionalist, Marxist, feminist) on education - examiners love testing your ability to evaluate different viewpoints!

Theory & Methods Essentials

Research methods dominate this unit, with questionnaires and interviews being particular exam favourites. Both have appeared in 20-mark questions multiple times, so make sure you can evaluate their strengths and limitations thoroughly.

The positivism vs interpretivism debate is crucial - it's appeared consistently and helps you understand why sociologists choose different research approaches. Similarly, quantitative vs qualitative methods have featured regularly, including multiple appearances in 2023.

Sociological perspectives get serious attention here too. Feminism, interactionism, and Marxism have all featured in major 20-mark essays. The structure vs action debate and modernity vs postmodernity are also key revision topics.

Method Madness: Learn to link research methods to theoretical perspectives - positivists prefer quantitative methods whilst interpretivists favour qualitative approaches!

Culture & Identity Insights

Culture and identity topics focus heavily on how we develop our sense of self through socialisation. Agencies of socialisation appear regularly, so understand how family, education, media, and peers shape who we become.

Identity categories are exam gold - age, social class, gender, and sexuality have all featured multiple times. The 2023 papers particularly emphasised these topics, with consumption, leisure and lifestyle appearing twice.

Social action views of the self consistently outperform structuralist approaches in exam frequency. This reflects sociology's growing interest in how individuals actively construct their identities rather than simply being shaped by social forces.

Identity Check: Remember that we have multiple identities that can conflict - your age identity might clash with your class identity in different situations!

Families & Households Focus

Family diversity and household structures dominate this topic area, appearing in nearly every exam since 2017. Examiners love testing your knowledge of changing family forms and why traditional nuclear families are becoming less common.

Gender roles within families receive major attention, particularly the division of domestic labour and decision-making patterns. These topics have featured in multiple papers, including a substantial 20-mark question in 2021 about power relationships.

Social policies affecting families appear regularly but in smaller mark allocations. Marriage and cohabitation trends also feature consistently, reflecting contemporary concerns about relationship patterns.

Family Facts: Don't assume the nuclear family is 'normal' - examiners want you to analyse the diversity of modern family arrangements critically!

Health & Work, Poverty & Welfare

Health inequalities are absolutely central to this unit. Social class, gender, and ethnicity differences in health outcomes appear consistently, with all three featuring together in 2023's 10-mark question.

The social construction of health and illness has been particularly popular, appearing in five separate exam questions. Understanding how different cultures define health and illness differently is crucial for high marks.

Poverty explanations from different theoretical perspectives dominated 2022 and 2023 papers. Functionalist, Marxist, feminist, and New Right approaches all featured in the same 20-mark question, making comparative evaluation essential.

Welfare state policies and income distribution patterns also appear regularly, often linked to demographic factors like age, gender, and ethnicity.

Health Reality: Remember that health isn't just about biology - social factors like class and ethnicity significantly impact your chances of staying healthy!

Beliefs in Society Patterns

Religiosity patterns by social demographics dominate this topic. Gender, ethnicity, and age differences in religious belief and practice have all appeared multiple times, with gender being especially popular in exam questions.

Secularisation - whether religion is declining in modern society - has been featured extensively, including major 20-mark essays. This remains one of sociology's most debated topics, perfect for evaluation skills.

Religious organisations like churches, sects, and cults appear regularly but typically in smaller mark questions. Understanding their different characteristics and appeal to various social groups is essential.

Globalisation and belief has emerged as an increasingly important area, appearing five times since 2018 as examiners explore how global connections affect religious practices.

Belief Bonus: Don't just learn about Christianity - examiners appreciate knowledge of diverse religious traditions and how they interact in multicultural societies!

Global Development Trends

Development theories form the backbone of this unit. Modernisation theory and dependency theory have both featured in major 20-mark questions, requiring detailed knowledge of their explanations for global inequality.

Globalisation's impact receives consistent attention across cultural, economic, and political dimensions. Economic globalisation has been particularly popular, appearing four times since 2019 in various question formats.

Development aspects cover a wide range, with aid and trade, environment, and gender being exam favourites. The environment and development relationship has featured twice, reflecting growing concerns about sustainable development.

Organisations like TNCs and NGOs also appear regularly, testing your understanding of how different actors shape global development processes.

Global Perspective: Link development topics to current events - examiners love seeing how sociological theories explain real-world global issues!