Monday, 22 December 2014
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Examiners Tips
EXAMINER TIPS for O Level Islamiyat 2058
These tips are to help you when revising and highlight some of the common mistakes made
by students in their exam papers.
General advice
Preparing to get a good grade begins as soon as you start your course. You can prepare by:
• finding out what you need to know.
• keeping your notes organised so you always know where to find information you have
studied
• knowing how your exam papers are structured and practising past questions.
Your notes and preparing for the exam
Download a copy of the Revision Checklist from Cambridge Students and read through it. Bereally clear what topics you need to know then check that your notes are complete and makesense. If you need further advice, speak to your teacher who will have a full copy of theSyllabus.
Try to produce an accurate set of notes when you do the work in the first place, but if you
need to improve your notes you could:
• ask a friend if you can copy up work which you have missed from them – but make sure
you understand it,
• find more information on topics you have studied, using your textbook, the library or the
Internet. For it to be useful make sure that you fully understand it – if not ask your
teacher,
• buy a good revision guide if you can find one in a bookshop.
Answering the questions in the examination
• Read the instructions on the cover of the exam paper carefully so you know what you
need to do and how many questions you need to answer.
• Make sure you use your time carefully. Each paper now is of equal length. You should
practise the amount of time it takes to answer each question, taking in account the
number of marks available. In question 1 there are only 8marks available, so you
shouldn’t need to spend as much time on this question as the other, which are worth 14
marks. However, this does meant that you will have to know the question 1 topic very
well to allow you to write an accurate and concise answer.
• Read the questions carefully. This is very important as many students know a topic but
lose marks because they have not read the question carefully and so have answered it
incorrectly. When you answer questions on the paper think very carefully about what is
being asked. Try to learn how to respond to command words like Identify, Outline,
Describe, and Explain. It is important that you answer the question and do not fall into
the trap of just writing down everything you know.
• Answer the questions in order of how confident you are – leave the one you are not
confident about until last.
• Do not repeat the same answer in different sections. Examiners do not set questions
which require identical answers, if you find you are repeating an answer check that you
have read the question properly.
• Try to answer all the questions required for the paper, in other words, you should have
answered four questions in total – two compulsory questions and two optional questions.
Do not try to answer all five questions as it will mean you will take away valuable time that you could spend on the other answers. Examiners do not credit you with more marks if
you have answered all five questions and so it is only a waste of your time.
• Examiners are not testing your spelling, however you should try to make sure that you are
using the correct word as the examiner cannot chose for you. So in a question about the
Caliphs, if you say Abu Bakr instead of ‘Umar, the examiner cannot assume that you
meant to say ‘Umar.
• Also, apart from the key words which you will learn in the Arabic as part of the syllabus,
e.g. zakat, musnad, qiyas, keep all your language in English. Examiners do not always
understand your mother tongue so will not know what you are trying to say if you use a
term which is culturally significant for you.
• Make sure you know the meaning of all the words you are using.
• Try not to generalise too much. Although some questions may be asking you to ‘outline’
or ‘trace’ something, you should be as specific about the facts as possible. So in a
question where you have to outline the main events in Ramadan, saying “The Qur’an
should be recited frequently” is not enough to assume you know about the tarawih
prayers which are done nightly.
• Try to understand the difference between part (a) questions which test your knowledge,
and part (b) questions which are there to test how well you understand the knowledge
you have learnt.
Understanding the difference between the different parts of questions
Part (a)
Questions require you to write full but accurate details about the topic in the question. This
does not mean that you should try to write all the information you have learnt on your course,but keep to the area which has been set in the question. So a question like “Describe the main events of the Prophet’s migration,” means that you should give the key facts related towhat happened when he left Makka, what happened on his journey, and briefly what happened when he arrived in Madina. You should not give a detailed account of his life in Makka, the revelations and the persecutions, and likewise you should not give a detailed
account of his first few years in Madina. Stick to the relevant facts.
Part (b)
Questions try to judge if you understand what you have learnt on your course. These are
called evaluative questions because they try to get you to explain something, give reasons for something, or give your opinion on something. They are not worth as many marks as part (a) so the answers should generally be shorter but to the point. However, shorter does not mean vague or general. The answers should still be relevant, cover a few different points and not be repetitive.
If a question asks e.g. “Explain why this fast is important in Islam,” answers such as “Fasting
is of great importance to the Muslims” will not gain marks as there has been no attempt to
suggest why it is important, e.g. because is gives self-control and discipline.
Use the glossary in the Revision Checklist to help you decide which command words are
asking you to write about the facts and which ones are asking you to give reasons.
These tips are to help you when revising and highlight some of the common mistakes made
by students in their exam papers.
General advice
Preparing to get a good grade begins as soon as you start your course. You can prepare by:
• finding out what you need to know.
• keeping your notes organised so you always know where to find information you have
studied
• knowing how your exam papers are structured and practising past questions.
Your notes and preparing for the exam
Download a copy of the Revision Checklist from Cambridge Students and read through it. Bereally clear what topics you need to know then check that your notes are complete and makesense. If you need further advice, speak to your teacher who will have a full copy of theSyllabus.
Try to produce an accurate set of notes when you do the work in the first place, but if you
need to improve your notes you could:
• ask a friend if you can copy up work which you have missed from them – but make sure
you understand it,
• find more information on topics you have studied, using your textbook, the library or the
Internet. For it to be useful make sure that you fully understand it – if not ask your
teacher,
• buy a good revision guide if you can find one in a bookshop.
Answering the questions in the examination
• Read the instructions on the cover of the exam paper carefully so you know what you
need to do and how many questions you need to answer.
• Make sure you use your time carefully. Each paper now is of equal length. You should
practise the amount of time it takes to answer each question, taking in account the
number of marks available. In question 1 there are only 8marks available, so you
shouldn’t need to spend as much time on this question as the other, which are worth 14
marks. However, this does meant that you will have to know the question 1 topic very
well to allow you to write an accurate and concise answer.
• Read the questions carefully. This is very important as many students know a topic but
lose marks because they have not read the question carefully and so have answered it
incorrectly. When you answer questions on the paper think very carefully about what is
being asked. Try to learn how to respond to command words like Identify, Outline,
Describe, and Explain. It is important that you answer the question and do not fall into
the trap of just writing down everything you know.
• Answer the questions in order of how confident you are – leave the one you are not
confident about until last.
• Do not repeat the same answer in different sections. Examiners do not set questions
which require identical answers, if you find you are repeating an answer check that you
have read the question properly.
• Try to answer all the questions required for the paper, in other words, you should have
answered four questions in total – two compulsory questions and two optional questions.
Do not try to answer all five questions as it will mean you will take away valuable time that you could spend on the other answers. Examiners do not credit you with more marks if
you have answered all five questions and so it is only a waste of your time.
• Examiners are not testing your spelling, however you should try to make sure that you are
using the correct word as the examiner cannot chose for you. So in a question about the
Caliphs, if you say Abu Bakr instead of ‘Umar, the examiner cannot assume that you
meant to say ‘Umar.
• Also, apart from the key words which you will learn in the Arabic as part of the syllabus,
e.g. zakat, musnad, qiyas, keep all your language in English. Examiners do not always
understand your mother tongue so will not know what you are trying to say if you use a
term which is culturally significant for you.
• Make sure you know the meaning of all the words you are using.
• Try not to generalise too much. Although some questions may be asking you to ‘outline’
or ‘trace’ something, you should be as specific about the facts as possible. So in a
question where you have to outline the main events in Ramadan, saying “The Qur’an
should be recited frequently” is not enough to assume you know about the tarawih
prayers which are done nightly.
• Try to understand the difference between part (a) questions which test your knowledge,
and part (b) questions which are there to test how well you understand the knowledge
you have learnt.
Understanding the difference between the different parts of questions
Part (a)
Questions require you to write full but accurate details about the topic in the question. This
does not mean that you should try to write all the information you have learnt on your course,but keep to the area which has been set in the question. So a question like “Describe the main events of the Prophet’s migration,” means that you should give the key facts related towhat happened when he left Makka, what happened on his journey, and briefly what happened when he arrived in Madina. You should not give a detailed account of his life in Makka, the revelations and the persecutions, and likewise you should not give a detailed
account of his first few years in Madina. Stick to the relevant facts.
Part (b)
Questions try to judge if you understand what you have learnt on your course. These are
called evaluative questions because they try to get you to explain something, give reasons for something, or give your opinion on something. They are not worth as many marks as part (a) so the answers should generally be shorter but to the point. However, shorter does not mean vague or general. The answers should still be relevant, cover a few different points and not be repetitive.
If a question asks e.g. “Explain why this fast is important in Islam,” answers such as “Fasting
is of great importance to the Muslims” will not gain marks as there has been no attempt to
suggest why it is important, e.g. because is gives self-control and discipline.
Use the glossary in the Revision Checklist to help you decide which command words are
asking you to write about the facts and which ones are asking you to give reasons.
Friday, 12 December 2014
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Share Your Notes/Content
If You want More Content Added then You can Upload Your Own by Commenting Below.
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Syllabus Content
Cambridge O Level Islamiyat (2058) Syllabus for examination in 2015.
{Download the Syllabus}
Syllabus content
Candidates should study the whole of the syllabus.
5.1 Paper 1
1. Major themes of the Qur’an
Three groups of passages are set for close study. These relate to the themes of:
God in himself
God’s relationship with the created world
God’s Messengers.
Candidates should explore:
• the major theme or themes of the Qur’an that appear in each passage, and
• the way each passage presents its theme(s) in its own particular way.
Candidates should study the passages in a recognised English translation, but with reference to the
original Arabic text. In the examination, passages will be set in both Arabic and English. Candidates shoulddemonstrate knowledge of the original as well as the translation.
Appendix 1 lists the passages for examination in 2015. These are reviewed each year and may change.
2. The history and importance of the Qur’an
Candidates should study:
• the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet between the years 610 and 632
• the account of the compilation of the Qur’an under the Rightly Guided Caliphs
• the major themes of the Qur’an as contained both in the passages set for special study and in other
similar passages
• the use of the Qur’an in legal thinking, and its relationship with the Hadiths, consensus (ijma‘ ) and
analogy (qiyas)
• its significance as the basis of all thought and action in Islam.
3. The life and importance of the Prophet Muhammad
Candidates should study:
• the main events of the Prophet’s life from his birth to his call to prophethood
• the main events of his activities in Makka and his experiences with his opponents
• the main events of his activities in Madina, his leadership of the community there and his conflicts withthe Makkans and others
• his actions and character
• the importance of his actions as examples for Muslim individuals in their personal conduct and relations with others including women and non-Muslims
• the importance of his actions as examples for Muslim communities in their relations with other states
• his significance as Seal of the Prophets and last Messenger of God.
Candidates should be able to give accounts of the main events of the Prophet’s life, and his significance in Muslim beliefs. They should also be able to explain the importance of his actions and experiences in the history and beliefs of Islam, particularly in the way they provide examples for present day Muslim individuals and communities.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
4. The first Islamic community
Candidates should study:
• the Prophet’s wives
• his descendants, including his children, grandchildren and the direct line recognised among Shi‘a
Muslims as Imams
• his leading Companions, including the Ten Blessed Companions, his Scribes, the major characters who surrounded him in his ministry, the Emigrants and Helpers, and the four Rightly Guided Caliphs during his lifetime. (Note that the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs’ rules after the time of the Prophet is included in the Syllabus under Paper 2.)
Candidates should know the names of the main characters who lived with and near the Prophet, and
the significant facts of their lives. They should also be able to explain the importance of their actions and experiences in the history and beliefs of Islam.In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic
5.2 Paper 2
1. Major teachings in the Hadiths of the Prophet
Two groups of passages are set for close study. These relate to:
• individual conduct
• life in the community.
Candidates should study the teachings contained in each passage about what Muslims should believe and how they should act.
Candidates should study the passages with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English
translation. In the examination, passages will be set in both Arabic and English.
Appendix 2 contains the passages for examination in 2015. These are reviewed each year and may
change.
2. The history and importance of the Hadiths
Candidates should study:
• the history of the compilation of the Hadiths
• the earliest collections
• the main musnad and musannaf collections
• the main compilers and their activities
• The methods based on examination of the chain of transmitters (isnad) and the text (matn) of a Hadith to test the reliability of the Hadith
• The main features of the six collections of Sunni Hadiths and the four collections of Shi‘a Hadiths
• The major themes of the Hadiths as these are contained both in the passages set for special study and in other similar passages
• their use in legal thinking, and their relationship with the Qur’an, consensus (ijma‘) and analogy (qiyas)
• their significance in thought and action in Islam.
3. The period of rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and their importance as leaders
Candidates should study:
• the main events of the rules of the four Caliphs
• their policies in maintaining and expanding the state
• their approaches to leading the community
• their main achievements
• the main difficulties they encountered
• their significance as examples of leadership
• the importance of their rules as models for government today
• their importance as examples for Muslim communities in their relations with other states.
(Note that the lives and activities of the Caliphs during the Prophet’s lifetime are included in the Syllabus in Paper 1.)
Candidates should know the main events of the rules of the four Caliphs, and should explore the
significance of these events for the early and later history of Islam. They should also understand the
importance of their rules as examples for later times.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
4. The Articles of Faith and the Pillars of Islam
Candidates should study:
• the Six Articles of Faith:
• God, including what Muslims believe about him
• angels, their nature and duties
• books, their contents and purpose
• prophets, their character and function
• God’s predestination and decree, its meaning and significance
• Resurrection and the last day, the main events and its significance.
• Jihad in its range of meanings, physical, mental and spiritual.
• the Five Pillars of Islam:
• the declaration of faith, shahada, including the significance of what it contains
• prayer, salat, including preparations, its performance and importance, congregational prayers on
Fridays and festivals, times of prayer, the place of prayer, private prayer, delayed prayer
• alms-giving, zakat, how it is performed and its significance in the community
• fasting, sawm, including the way it is observed, its significance and those exempted
• pilgrimage, hajj, including the main observances involved and their significance.
Candidates should know about each of these beliefs and observances, and should also understand theirsignificance in the faith and action of individual Muslims and of Muslim communities.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
{Download the Syllabus}
Syllabus content
Candidates should study the whole of the syllabus.
5.1 Paper 1
1. Major themes of the Qur’an
Three groups of passages are set for close study. These relate to the themes of:
God in himself
God’s relationship with the created world
God’s Messengers.
Candidates should explore:
• the major theme or themes of the Qur’an that appear in each passage, and
• the way each passage presents its theme(s) in its own particular way.
Candidates should study the passages in a recognised English translation, but with reference to the
original Arabic text. In the examination, passages will be set in both Arabic and English. Candidates shoulddemonstrate knowledge of the original as well as the translation.
Appendix 1 lists the passages for examination in 2015. These are reviewed each year and may change.
2. The history and importance of the Qur’an
Candidates should study:
• the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet between the years 610 and 632
• the account of the compilation of the Qur’an under the Rightly Guided Caliphs
• the major themes of the Qur’an as contained both in the passages set for special study and in other
similar passages
• the use of the Qur’an in legal thinking, and its relationship with the Hadiths, consensus (ijma‘ ) and
analogy (qiyas)
• its significance as the basis of all thought and action in Islam.
3. The life and importance of the Prophet Muhammad
Candidates should study:
• the main events of the Prophet’s life from his birth to his call to prophethood
• the main events of his activities in Makka and his experiences with his opponents
• the main events of his activities in Madina, his leadership of the community there and his conflicts withthe Makkans and others
• his actions and character
• the importance of his actions as examples for Muslim individuals in their personal conduct and relations with others including women and non-Muslims
• the importance of his actions as examples for Muslim communities in their relations with other states
• his significance as Seal of the Prophets and last Messenger of God.
Candidates should be able to give accounts of the main events of the Prophet’s life, and his significance in Muslim beliefs. They should also be able to explain the importance of his actions and experiences in the history and beliefs of Islam, particularly in the way they provide examples for present day Muslim individuals and communities.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
4. The first Islamic community
Candidates should study:
• the Prophet’s wives
• his descendants, including his children, grandchildren and the direct line recognised among Shi‘a
Muslims as Imams
• his leading Companions, including the Ten Blessed Companions, his Scribes, the major characters who surrounded him in his ministry, the Emigrants and Helpers, and the four Rightly Guided Caliphs during his lifetime. (Note that the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs’ rules after the time of the Prophet is included in the Syllabus under Paper 2.)
Candidates should know the names of the main characters who lived with and near the Prophet, and
the significant facts of their lives. They should also be able to explain the importance of their actions and experiences in the history and beliefs of Islam.In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic
5.2 Paper 2
1. Major teachings in the Hadiths of the Prophet
Two groups of passages are set for close study. These relate to:
• individual conduct
• life in the community.
Candidates should study the teachings contained in each passage about what Muslims should believe and how they should act.
Candidates should study the passages with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English
translation. In the examination, passages will be set in both Arabic and English.
Appendix 2 contains the passages for examination in 2015. These are reviewed each year and may
change.
2. The history and importance of the Hadiths
Candidates should study:
• the history of the compilation of the Hadiths
• the earliest collections
• the main musnad and musannaf collections
• the main compilers and their activities
• The methods based on examination of the chain of transmitters (isnad) and the text (matn) of a Hadith to test the reliability of the Hadith
• The main features of the six collections of Sunni Hadiths and the four collections of Shi‘a Hadiths
• The major themes of the Hadiths as these are contained both in the passages set for special study and in other similar passages
• their use in legal thinking, and their relationship with the Qur’an, consensus (ijma‘) and analogy (qiyas)
• their significance in thought and action in Islam.
3. The period of rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and their importance as leaders
Candidates should study:
• the main events of the rules of the four Caliphs
• their policies in maintaining and expanding the state
• their approaches to leading the community
• their main achievements
• the main difficulties they encountered
• their significance as examples of leadership
• the importance of their rules as models for government today
• their importance as examples for Muslim communities in their relations with other states.
(Note that the lives and activities of the Caliphs during the Prophet’s lifetime are included in the Syllabus in Paper 1.)
Candidates should know the main events of the rules of the four Caliphs, and should explore the
significance of these events for the early and later history of Islam. They should also understand the
importance of their rules as examples for later times.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
4. The Articles of Faith and the Pillars of Islam
Candidates should study:
• the Six Articles of Faith:
• God, including what Muslims believe about him
• angels, their nature and duties
• books, their contents and purpose
• prophets, their character and function
• God’s predestination and decree, its meaning and significance
• Resurrection and the last day, the main events and its significance.
• Jihad in its range of meanings, physical, mental and spiritual.
• the Five Pillars of Islam:
• the declaration of faith, shahada, including the significance of what it contains
• prayer, salat, including preparations, its performance and importance, congregational prayers on
Fridays and festivals, times of prayer, the place of prayer, private prayer, delayed prayer
• alms-giving, zakat, how it is performed and its significance in the community
• fasting, sawm, including the way it is observed, its significance and those exempted
• pilgrimage, hajj, including the main observances involved and their significance.
Candidates should know about each of these beliefs and observances, and should also understand theirsignificance in the faith and action of individual Muslims and of Muslim communities.
In the examination, there will be either one or two questions on this topic.
Friday, 16 May 2014
Complete Islamiat Notes
Free Islamiat Resources (complete) for consulting
Maulvi jehangir:" Complete Notes"
Islamiat Topical: "Complete"
Notes on Quranic Passages:"Click Here"
Mastering O'level's Islamiat by Bilal Aslam
Maulvi jehangir:" Complete Notes"
Islamiat Topical: "Complete"
Notes on Quranic Passages:"Click Here"
Mastering O'level's Islamiat by Bilal Aslam
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