July 2026 Religious Studies subject update | Pearson qualifications

July 2026 Religious Studies subject update

Thu Jul 02 09:18:00 UTC 2026

Welcome to your Pearson Edexcel Religious Studies July 2026 subject update!

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Hello Colleagues, 

This update provides guidance and key dates for the August results period, news and advice for Pearson Edexcel Religious Studies teachers, along with the opportunity to give your views on the 2026 exams. 

I hope the term is wrapping up smoothly for you and that you're looking forward to a well-deserved break. As always, please do get in touch with me if you have any queries or if I can help with anything regarding our qualifications.  

Best wishes, 

Jenna Wyatt
Religious Studies Subject Advisor


Key dates

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  • 14 July - A Level May/June 2026 Mark Schemes on website 
  • 21 July - GCSE May/June 2026 Mark Schemes on website
  • 13 August -  A Level results day 
  • 20 August - GCSE results day 
  • 18 August - A Level Examiner Reports on website
  • 25 August - GCSE Examiner Reports on website

Getting Ready for Results Day

GCSE May/June 2026 question papers are now available to view on our website.

To view the May/June 2026 papers below you will need your Edexcel Online log in.

GCSE Specification A

GCSE Specification B

International GCSE RS 

You can access Summer 2026 grade boundaries on our website from results day. In addition to the official grade boundaries that are produced at subject level, we will also be providing notional grade boundaries at paper level. These can help you mark and assess future mocks.

ResultsPlus is our free online results analysis tool, that gives you a detailed breakdown of your students’ performance in Pearson Edexcel exams.

It provides you with the most detailed analysis available of your students’ performance. ResultsPlus will help you to identify topics and skills where your students could benefit from further learning – helping them gain a deeper understanding of their subject.

Teachers can sign into ResultsPlus using their Edexcel Online username and password if their account profile has ResultsPlus access granted by the Exams Officer. 

Examiner Reports can be obtained from ResultsPlus on results day by following the steps below:

  • Log into Results Plus using your Edexcel Online details
  • Once you are logged in under your centre, select 'ResultsPlus Analysis'.
  • Then select 'Whole cohort results' followed by 'Cohort paper analysis'.
  • Select the relevant qualification and series, eg 'GCSE' and 'June 2026', followed by the relevant subject and 'View paper analysis'.
  • Select 'Exam docs' and you will find the Examiner Report for that component.

You can also use our free Access to Scripts service to view your candidates’ marked exam scripts online or download as a PDF. It is available from results day until the 11 December 2026

Providing a rich source of information, you can use this service to help make decisions about requesting a review of marking, but it can also help inform future teaching and learning and gives insights and visibility that performance data alone cannot provide. 

If scripts have been marked ‘traditionally’ (ie not online), you will need to request them, free of charge, by 11 December 2026, via the Post Results section of Edexcel Online as in previous exam series. 

Note, you will need 'Exam viewer' in your Edexcel Online profile if you want to download candidate scripts from results day. Please ask your Exams Officer if you need this adding to your profile.

Discover more about Access to Scripts, along with FAQs and a step-by-step User Guide.

See how teachers have been using Access to Scripts

"An excellent service, we have used it to inform our teaching"

Take a look at the Access to Scripts case studies to see how a number of schools and colleges have been using this service to evaluate how their students performed in the exams, identify skills gaps, help tailor future teaching plans and to develop staff CPD.

Please note, candidate consent is required before requesting script copies, as per section 4.2 of the JCQ's Post-results services guide. Candidate consent can only be obtained after results have been published.

As you prepare for results day, take a look at our post-results support guide to help you find the information you need to understand and analyse your students’ results, and what you can do if you have any queries about grading or marking. 

Understanding your students' results 

The deadline for requesting a Review of marking and moderation (ROMM) is 24 September 2026 for GCSE and A level (Service 1, 2 and 3). 

How to apply for post-results services

Please speak to your Exams Officer if you wish to proceed with a review of marking. Exams officers should contact their Centre Account Specialist on 0344 463 2535 if they require guidance or watch our post results video. All applications for reviews of marking must be submitted through Edexcel Online.

Post-results support for students

Waiting for exam results can be nerve-wracking for many students. Our guide for students, parents and carers on Understanding results and grades contains helpful information about what to expect on results day and where to find further support

.The guide includes information on:

  • dates for results days
  • receiving and understanding results 
  • grades and grade boundaries
  • what steps to take if they are not happy with their results
  • university applications
  • certificates
  • where to find further support

Please pass this information on to your students.

Understanding results and grades

Appeals

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of a review of marking, you may wish to appeal against the decision. We will allow the head of centre (or designated member of the centre’s senior management team or examinations manager) 30 calendar days from the receipt of the outcome of the review of marking, during which an appeal may be lodged by filling in the form below. All appeals must be submitted by the entering centre. We cannot accept appeals directly from candidates, their parents or other third parties acting on their behalf. The only exception to this is if private candidates are appealing directly without the support of the entering centre. There is further guidance on appeals on our website. 


Upcoming Training Events

GCSE Religious Studies A and B Exam Insights Summer 2026 events are now ready to book onto! 

These training events are for teachers of Pearson Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies  and provides feedback and insights on the summer 2026 exam series. The sessions will identify key observations related to candidate performance highlighted in the examiner report and provides strategies to help with your planning for the year ahead.

GCSE Religious Studies A: Exam Insights Summer 2026 - 12 October at 16:30 – 18:00 BST

GCSE Religious Studies B: Exam Insights Summer 2026 - 15 October at 16:30 – 18:00 BST

Book on for GCSE Religious Studies A

Book on for GCSE Religious Studies B 

Please note, the A level Exam Insights session will be delivered as a pre-recording, available in the autumn term. Further details will be shared closer to the release date.


Teaching and Learning Resources 

Every month, we release an edition of 'Topic of the Month' with the aim of supporting cultural capital and stimulating discussion within the classroom.

This resource ties a current news event to our qualification content and enables students to see the bigger picture of what they are learning and how it relates to the world around them.  Each edition includes a link to an article alongside some key discussion questions to encourage thought around the subject. 

May's topic relates to an article and recording produced for True Tube entitled “Vaisakhi.“ It explores Sikh celebrations of Vaisakhi and the formation of the Khalsa.

Topic of the Month May 

June's topic refers to an article published in Church Times entitled “Rising numbers read the Bible on apps, says developer”, exploring how Bible apps are shaping engagement with Christian scripture.

Topic of the Month June 


General qualification updates

We wish to provide students with the best possible exam experience, and your insights are crucial in helping us achieve this goal. If you're a teacher whose students have taken any of our exams in the May/June 2026 series, we are eager to hear your thoughts.

Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of our qualifications and assessments. Your input will be shared with our senior examiners and across our subject teams to help us continuously improve future assessments and enhance the exam experience for students.

Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback, thank you.

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Exam Survey May/June 2026

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Exam Survey May/June 2026

Pearson Edexcel A level Exam Survey May/June 2026

Ofqual has launched a podcast for teachers and school leaders.

'Can I Just Qualify That?' will be built around conversations that matter and advice you can use. The first few episodes will cover everything from qualification reform and how GCSE and A level grading works, to helpful tips for exam season, results days, and cyber security.

Episode one dropped on Thursday 4 June on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. 

Subscribe to Ofqual's YouTube channel now so you don't miss it. 


Enrichment Opportunities

Spirited Arts 2026 – deadline approaching 31 July 2026

NATRE’s annual cross-curricular art competition is underway but there is still time to make entries.
Join the many schools who are getting creative and empowering their pupils to articulate their thoughts and opinions about religion and worldviews through the arts. Winning/highly commended artwork will be displayed online in the Spirited Arts Gallery and there will be 40 prizes up for grabs!

Good news: This year they have made it even easier; there is no need to post your entries in - Spirited Arts has gone digital, this also means entrants can keep their original artwork!

Submit your entries

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I hope you found this update useful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact details below. You can also sign up to get these Subject Advisor updates straight to your inbox every month.

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