AQA SOCIOLOGY ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
2026
▶ Equal Pay Act (1970). Answer: reduced the pay gap between men and
women.
▶ National Curriculum(1988). Answer: gave girls and boys the opportunity
to study the same subjects.
▶ GIST/WISE. Answer: help get girls to have an increased interest in
technology and science subjects.
▶ Mac and Ghail (1994). Answer: found the 'macho lads' in school found
working hard at school was effeminate and were anti-school so they
underachieved.
▶ Teachers and discipline. Answer: Teachers help reinforce gender
identities as male teachers have told boys off for 'behaving like girls' and
male teachers often 'rescue' female colleagues from disruptive students.
▶ Verbal abuse. Answer: Lees (1986) argues that boys use name-calling
to put girls down if the dress or behave in a certain way.
▶ Working class girls and uni. Answer: Evans (2009) found w/c girls
wanted to go to university to increase their earning power in order to help
their families.
▶ Private schools. Answer: Fee paying and selective
▶ Advantages of private schools. Answer: New Right are in favour of
them; they aren't restricted by a national curriculum, get better results and
they give parents a greater choice of school.
, ▶ Disadvantage of private schools. Answer: Marxists are critical. Split
society in two, comprehensive schools will never be truly comprehensive if
they exist, reproduce class structure.
▶ Tripartite system (Education Act 1944). Answer: grammar, secondary
modern, technical schools, 11+ test taken to determine what school a child
is sent to
▶ Advantages of tripartite system. Answer: w/c benefit as it allows for
social mobility, grammar schools get good results
▶ Disadvantages of tripartite system. Answer: 11 is too early to determine
a child's future, 11+ was written in elaborated code so favoured m/c, 1 in 4
kids sent to the wrong school, legitimise social inequality.
▶ Comprehensive schools (1965). Answer: Free, non-selective, mixed
ability and background children attend.
▶ Disadvantages of a comprehensive school. Answer: obtain worse exam
results, 'myth of meritocracy' not ended up with a healthy social class mix,
mini tripartite system within a single school.
▶ Advantages of a comprehensive school. Answer: breaks down social
barriers, more equality of educational opportunity, more efficient, free
▶ Policies that promote the education market. Answer: Open enrolment,
publication of league tables, formula funding, business sponsorship of
schools, specialist schools (widen choice), intro. of tuition fees.
▶ Parentocracy. Answer: David (1993) argues marketised education leads
to a ________ (rule by parents). This shifts power away from the producers
(teachers and schools) to the consumers (parents) and encourage choice,
diversity and an increase in standards.
▶ Evidence of declining standards in schools. Answer: grade inflation,
increase in failing schools, easier exams, PISA test results - UK 2013 came
23rd for reading and 26th for maths.
QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
2026
▶ Equal Pay Act (1970). Answer: reduced the pay gap between men and
women.
▶ National Curriculum(1988). Answer: gave girls and boys the opportunity
to study the same subjects.
▶ GIST/WISE. Answer: help get girls to have an increased interest in
technology and science subjects.
▶ Mac and Ghail (1994). Answer: found the 'macho lads' in school found
working hard at school was effeminate and were anti-school so they
underachieved.
▶ Teachers and discipline. Answer: Teachers help reinforce gender
identities as male teachers have told boys off for 'behaving like girls' and
male teachers often 'rescue' female colleagues from disruptive students.
▶ Verbal abuse. Answer: Lees (1986) argues that boys use name-calling
to put girls down if the dress or behave in a certain way.
▶ Working class girls and uni. Answer: Evans (2009) found w/c girls
wanted to go to university to increase their earning power in order to help
their families.
▶ Private schools. Answer: Fee paying and selective
▶ Advantages of private schools. Answer: New Right are in favour of
them; they aren't restricted by a national curriculum, get better results and
they give parents a greater choice of school.
, ▶ Disadvantage of private schools. Answer: Marxists are critical. Split
society in two, comprehensive schools will never be truly comprehensive if
they exist, reproduce class structure.
▶ Tripartite system (Education Act 1944). Answer: grammar, secondary
modern, technical schools, 11+ test taken to determine what school a child
is sent to
▶ Advantages of tripartite system. Answer: w/c benefit as it allows for
social mobility, grammar schools get good results
▶ Disadvantages of tripartite system. Answer: 11 is too early to determine
a child's future, 11+ was written in elaborated code so favoured m/c, 1 in 4
kids sent to the wrong school, legitimise social inequality.
▶ Comprehensive schools (1965). Answer: Free, non-selective, mixed
ability and background children attend.
▶ Disadvantages of a comprehensive school. Answer: obtain worse exam
results, 'myth of meritocracy' not ended up with a healthy social class mix,
mini tripartite system within a single school.
▶ Advantages of a comprehensive school. Answer: breaks down social
barriers, more equality of educational opportunity, more efficient, free
▶ Policies that promote the education market. Answer: Open enrolment,
publication of league tables, formula funding, business sponsorship of
schools, specialist schools (widen choice), intro. of tuition fees.
▶ Parentocracy. Answer: David (1993) argues marketised education leads
to a ________ (rule by parents). This shifts power away from the producers
(teachers and schools) to the consumers (parents) and encourage choice,
diversity and an increase in standards.
▶ Evidence of declining standards in schools. Answer: grade inflation,
increase in failing schools, easier exams, PISA test results - UK 2013 came
23rd for reading and 26th for maths.
