Last Updated on September 16, 2025 by Karl Thompson
This post offers some advice on how you might plan and write essays in the A level sociology exams.
Essays will either be 20 or 30 marks depending on the paper but the general advice for answering them remains the same:
- Use the PEEC method for the main paragraphs: POINT – EXPLAIN – EXPAND – CRITICISE
- Use the overall structure below – PEEC (3 to 5 times) framed by an introduction, then overall evaluations and conclusion towards the end.
- Use the item provided – this must form the basis of your main points!
How to write an A-level sociology essay
- Allow yourself enough time – 1.5 minutes per mark = 45 minutes for a 30 mark essay.
- Read the Question and the item, what is it asking you to do?
- Do a rough plan (5-10 mins) – initially this should be ‘arguments and evidence’ for and ‘against’ the views in the question, and a few thoughts on overall evaluations/ a conclusion. If you are being asked to look at two things, you’ll have to do this twice/ your conclusion should bring the two aspects of the essay together.
- Write the essay (35 mins)– aim to make 3-5 points in total (depending on the essay, either 3 deep points, or 5 (or more) shallower points). Try to make one point at least stem from the item, ideally the first point.
- Try to stick to the following structure in the picture above!
- Overall evaluations – don’t repeat yourself, and don’t overdo this, but it’s useful t tag this in before a conclusion.
- Conclusion (allow 2 mins minimum) – an easy way to do this is to refer to the item – do you agree with the view or not, or say which of the points you’ve made is the strongest/ weakest and on balance is the view in the question sensible or not?
Skills in the A Level Sociology Exam
The AQA wants you to demonstrate 3 sets of skills in the exam – below are a few suggestions about how you can do this in sociology essays.
AO1: Knowledge and Understanding
You can demonstrate these by:
- Using sociological concepts
- Using sociological perspectives
- Using research studies
- Showing knowledge of contemporary trends and news events
- Knowledge can also be synoptic, or be taken from other topics.
- NB – knowledge has to be relevant to the question to get marks!
AO2: Application
You can demonstrate application by…
- Using the item – refer to the item!!!
- Clearly showing how the material you have selected is relevant to the question, by using the words in the question
- Making sure knowledge selected is relevant to the question.
AO3: Analysis and Evaluation
NB ‘Assess’ is basically the same as Evaluation
You can demonstrate analysis by….
- Considering an argument from a range of perspectives – showing how one perspective might interpret the same evidence in a different way, for example.
- Developing points – by showing why perspectives argue what they do, for example.
- Comparing and contrasting ideas to show their differences and similarities
- You can show how points relate to other points in the essay.
You can demonstrate evaluation by…
- Discussing the strengths and limitations of a theory/ perspective or research method.
- You should evaluate each point, but you can also do overall evaluations from other perspectives before your conclusion.
- NB – Most people focus on weaknesses, but you should also focus on strengths.
- Weighing up which points are the most useful in a conclusion.
Use the item
Every 30 mark question will ask you to refer to an ‘item’. This will be a very short piece of writing, consisting of about 8 lines of text. The item will typically refer to one aspect of the knowledge side of the question and one evaluation point. For example, if the question is asking you to ‘assess the Functionalist view of education’, the item is likely to refer to one point Functionalists make about education – such as role allocation, and one criticism.
All you need to do to use the item effectively is to make sure at least one of your points stems from the knowledge in the item, and develop it. It’s a good idea to make this your first point. To use the evaluation point from the item (there is usually some evaluation in there), then simply flag it up when you use it during the essay.
Signposting
For more exams advice please see my exams and essay advice page
To return to the homepage – revisesociology.com
Sociology Revision Resources
If you like this sort of thing, then you might like my A level sociology revision mega bundle – which contains the following:
- over 200 pages of revision notes
- 60 mind maps in pdf and png formats
- 50 short answer exam practice questions and exemplar answers
- Covers the entire A-level sociology syllabus, AQA focus.