9488 Past Paper AS & A Level Islamic Studies Examiner Report 2024

The 9488 Past Paper AS & A Level Islamic Studies Examiner Report 2024 is a valuable Cambridge assessment resource prepared by the Principal Examiner for teachers and candidates. It reviews candidate performance across the 2024 examination papers and highlights the qualities of stronger responses as well as common errors that resulted in lost marks.

The report is particularly useful alongside the 2024 Question Papers and Mark Schemes, allowing students to understand not only what the correct answers were, but also how Cambridge examiners expected candidates to develop their responses. The 2024 examination materials include Papers 1–4, covering Islamic beliefs and practices, Islamic law, the heritage of Islam, and Islam in the modern world.

Key Examiner Feedback

The 2024 report highlights several important points for candidates:

• Students generally showed good effort, knowledge, and understanding.
• Some candidates needed greater precision and focus rather than writing broadly about the topic.
• Stronger answers selected relevant details that directly addressed the question.
• High-quality AO2 responses included clear definitions, logical arguments, and a clear conclusion.

Paper 2 – Islamic Law

For Paper 2, examiners noted that candidates generally engaged well with the questions, but stronger answers were distinguished by their ability to apply detailed Islamic knowledge directly to the question rather than simply reproducing memorised material. Candidates benefited from using relevant evidence and developing clear arguments.

Paper 3 – Heritage of Islam

The report provides feedback on questions relating to the historical development and heritage of Islam. Successful candidates demonstrated accurate knowledge and were able to select relevant historical evidence rather than providing general descriptions. Mark schemes for the 2024 papers show that higher-level responses require both knowledge and understanding (AO1) and analysis and evaluation (AO2).

Paper 4 – Islam in the Modern World

For Paper 4, candidates were assessed on their ability to demonstrate knowledge of Islamic teachings, texts, beliefs, and practices and to analyse, evaluate, and discuss evidence and different points of view.

The examiner feedback is particularly useful for understanding how to move beyond descriptive answers and develop balanced, evidence-supported evaluation.

How Students Can Use the Report

Students can use the 9488 Examiner Report 2024 to:

• Identify common examination mistakes.
• Understand what examiners expect from high-level answers.
• Improve AO1 knowledge and AO2 analysis/evaluation.
• Learn how to stay focused on the exact wording of questions.
• Improve the structure of arguments and conclusions.
• Compare their own answers against examiner expectations.
• Plan more effective revision for future examinations.

Teachers and tutors can also use the report to identify common weaknesses among learners and develop targeted classroom exercises.

For best results, students should study the Examiner Report 2024 alongside the corresponding Question Papers, Mark Schemes, and Grade Thresholds. The 2024 May/June and October/November resources include the four question papers and corresponding mark schemes for the qualification.