9488 Past Paper AS & A Level Islamic Studies Examiner Report 2023

The 9488 Past Paper AS & A Level Islamic Studies Examiner Report 2023 is an official Cambridge assessment resource prepared by the Principal Examiner for the June 2023 examination series. It is designed to help students, teachers, tutors, and schools understand how candidates performed and what examiners expected in high-quality responses.

The report covers the written examination components and provides detailed feedback on candidate responses. Cambridge notes that candidates produced a wide range of responses, from very strong to very weak, and emphasises the importance of reading each question carefully before beginning an answer.

Key Examiner Feedback

The 2023 report highlights several important areas for improvement:

• Candidates should read and understand the question carefully before answering.
• Students should select questions they understand well rather than simply choosing questions that appear easier.
• Candidates generally performed better on Question 1, where knowledge rather than evaluation was assessed.
• Question 2 was more popular than Question 3 among candidates.
• Both knowledge and evaluation were generally handled well in the optional questions.

Improving Examination Answers

The examiner report is particularly useful for understanding the difference between simply demonstrating knowledge and producing a developed, evaluative answer.

Students can use the feedback to improve:

• Knowledge and recall
• Explanation of Islamic concepts
• Use of relevant evidence
• Analysis and evaluation
• Understanding of question requirements
• Organisation of written responses
• Selection of appropriate questions
• Examination technique

The report is especially valuable when studied after completing the corresponding question papers, because students can compare their own answers with the issues identified by the examiners.

2023 Examination Resources

The June 2023 9488 examination series includes four written papers, with corresponding mark schemes and an examiner report. Cambridge’s official past-paper page provides access to a selection of past papers, examiner reports, and specimen examinations, while registered Cambridge schools can access additional teaching and assessment resources through the School Support Hub.

The 2023 May/June collection includes:

• Question Paper 1
• Question Paper 2
• Question Paper 3
• Question Paper 4
• Mark Schemes
• Examiner Report
• Grade Threshold information

There was also an October/November 2023 examination series with its own examiner report, mark schemes, question papers, and grade threshold.

For comprehensive preparation, students should use the 9488 AS & A Level Islamic Studies Examiner Report 2023 alongside the relevant Question Papers, Mark Schemes, Grade Thresholds, Syllabus Documents, Syllabus Updates, Specimen Papers, Scheme of Work, Learner Guide, and Teacher Guide.