Edexcel A-Level Politics | Paper 2 | 2027 Predicted Paper | Question 4(b) Mark Scheme
Question 4 Mark Scheme: Ecologism
Question 4 is a 24-mark Political Ideas essay, worth 8 marks each for AO1, AO2 and AO3. The command phrase “To what extent” means students must compare genuine areas of agreement and disagreement within ecologism, use the prescribed thinkers to support the ideological strands, and reach a sustained judgement about which side of the debate is stronger.
The specification requires students to study deep green, shallow green and social ecology, together with Leopold, Carson, Schumacher, Bookchin and Merchant. Environmental consciousness and sustainability are both explicit core principles.
Levels of response
Level | Marks | Characteristics |
Level 1 | 1–4 | Superficial knowledge, little meaningful comparison, and largely descriptive or unsupported conclusions. |
Level 2 | 5–9 | Some accurate knowledge and some comparison, but analysis and evaluation are uneven or only partly developed. |
Level 3 | 10–14 | Mostly accurate knowledge, generally focused comparative analysis and some substantiated judgements. |
Level 4 | 15–19 | Accurate, carefully selected knowledge, coherent comparison and mostly substantiated evaluation leading to focused conclusions. |
Level 5 | 20–24 | Thorough and effectively selected knowledge, perceptive and sustained comparative analysis, and consistently substantiated judgements leading to a fully focused conclusion. |
Pearson's published mark schemes confirm the 20 to 24 Level 5 band and the requirement for sustained AO2 comparison and substantiated AO3 judgement.
Question 4(b)
Question
To what extent do ecologists disagree about how sustainability should be achieved?
Students should begin from the important common ground that all ecologists support sustainability, then concentrate on the much larger disagreements over how it should be delivered. The specification defines sustainability as maintaining the health of the ecological system over time and explicitly requires students to understand its need, type and method of delivery.
This predicted question is particularly authentic in style because Pearson has previously asked candidates directly about disagreement over sustainability. Its 2022 examiner report said the best responses began with areas of agreement and then explored differences between shallow, deep and social ecology, including tensions within those strands.
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