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A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2: Family, Households and Theory
Family and households: sort the concepts, then evaluate
Paper 2 is lost to concepts rather than word count: treating household and family as one idea, or reading family diversity as the end of family functions, collapses the argument. The theory question needs four moves, claim, strengths, limits and a judgement; strengths alone are half an answer.
How is A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods): 60 marks: Section A three compulsory questions worth 34 marks (Q1 shor (60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level); Paper 2 (The family): 60 marks: same shape as Paper 1 but Q2b evaluates a sociological theor (60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level); Paper 3 (Education): 50 marks: four compulsory questions of increasing value (Q1 short answ (50 · 21% A Level); Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion): 70 marks: six essays (two each in Sections A Globalisation, B Media an (70 · 29% A Level)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods) | 60 marks: Section A three compulsory questions worth 34 marks (Q1 short answer, Q2a two explanations, Q2b evaluation of a research method, Q3a explain a quotation, Q3b argue against it); Section B one 26-mark essay from two | 60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 2 (The family) | 60 marks: same shape as Paper 1 but Q2b evaluates a sociological theory; Section B one 26-mark essay from two | 60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 3 (Education) | 50 marks: four compulsory questions of increasing value (Q1 short answer, Q2 two explanations, Q3 two arguments against a quotation, Q4 a 26-mark essay) | 50 · 21% A Level | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion) | 70 marks: six essays (two each in Sections A Globalisation, B Media and C Religion); answer two at 35 marks each from different sections | 70 · 29% A Level | 1 h 45 min |
Paper 2 technique: the shape matches Paper 1 (60 marks, 90 minutes, 1.5 minutes per mark). The difference is Q2b, which evaluates a theory: state its claims, its strengths, its limitations and then judge, using different family types or research evidence. When using data, state the source and definition first (the figures here are invented for drilling).
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods) | bank the short-answer marks first | A short answer dressed as an essay, three lines of preamble before the first point. |
| Paper 2 (The family) | theory evaluation needs strengths and limits | Theory evaluation with strengths listed and limits waved through as limited. |
| Paper 3 (Education) | the essay is 52% of the paper | Two camps in two paragraphs with no shared criterion and a conclusion that repeats. |
| Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion) | prepare at least two sections | Household and family used as synonyms, diversity read as the end of functions. |
What is each A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods): bank the short-answer marks first; Paper 2 (The family): theory evaluation needs strengths and limits; Paper 3 (Education): the essay is 52% of the paper; Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion): prepare at least two sections
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks 1-3: a concept table for household, family, kin, nuclear and extended, one line of definition plus one local example each, set side by side so the difference has to be stated.\nWeeks 4-6: timed short answers, ten minutes a set, two specific points and no preamble.\nWeeks 7-9: theory cards in four moves, claim, strengths, limits and judgement, with a named criticism rather than the word limited.\nWeeks 10-12: two essays a week from a three-line skeleton, then a full timed paper.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods) | 1 h 30 min | 1.5 min per mark: about 39 min for the essay |
| Paper 2 (The family) | 1 h 30 min | about 51 min on Section A, 39 on the essay |
| Paper 3 (Education) | 1 h 15 min | about 36 min for Q1-Q3, 39 for the essay |
| Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion) | 1 h 45 min | about 50 min per essay |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2 paper?
Paper 1 (Socialisation, identity and research methods): 1.5 min per mark: about 39 min for the essay; Paper 2 (The family): about 51 min on Section A, 39 on the essay; Paper 3 (Education): about 36 min for Q1-Q3, 39 for the essay; Paper 4 (Globalisation, media and religion): about 50 min per essay
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory evaluation without limits | Listing only the merits of functionalism | Evaluation needs limitations and a judgement | ignoring conflict inside families |
| Mean calculated wrongly | Averaging group sizes directly | Means must be weighted by units | 2.42 people |
| Household confused with family | Using household data to claim family structure | Define the concept before inferring | household is not family |
| Quotation answered as an essay | Treating Q3 as a long answer | Q3a explains, Q3b gives two arguments against | answer in two parts |
| Diversity read as loss of function | Claiming the family has collapsed | Changed form is not lost function | 44.0% still contain children |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the question and the points made; the distinction, mechanism or judgement missing; whether the loss was conceptual, evidential or structural. Conceptual slips get the table row rewritten the same day with a counter-example.
How many years should you drill?
Family questions under 9699 recycle the same perspectives, so old items are good structure practice, while the statistics and policy examples behind them have to be brought up to date.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Family questions under 9699 recycle the same perspectives, so old items are good structure practice, while the statistics and policy examples behind them have to be brought up to date.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the A-Level Sociology 9699 Paper 2 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
How much detail does the household and family distinction need?
One sentence: a household is about shared residence and resources, a family about kinship and obligation. What matters is holding to it in every example.
What does a strengths-only theory answer cost?
Evaluation marks are awarded separately, so missing limits and judgement forfeits them however good the strengths are.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge A-Level Sociology 9699 syllabus (2027-2028) | Confirm Paper 2’s question format, marks and theory-evaluation requirement |
| Cambridge 9699 subject page with specimen papers | Download the specimen papers and marking grids to see what Q2b rewards |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-alevel-sociology-9699-paper-3-mock-2027/ | A-Level Sociology Paper 3 Education drilling mock |
Related: practice area · · A-Level Sociology 9699 drilling guidePaper 1 Methods and identity drilling mock · Paper 3 Education drilling mock · Paper 4 Globalisation, media and religion drilling mock
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