Cambridge IGCSE Sociology Tutors Online

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology is syllabus 0495. This page works from the syllabus for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027, version 3. Exams are available in the June and November series.

All candidates take two components, and all candidates are eligible for grades A* to G. There is no Core and Extended tier, so every student sits the same papers.

Paper 1 is Research Methods, Identity and Inequality. It lasts 2 hours, carries 80 marks and is worth 50% of the qualification. Paper 2 is Family, Education and Crime. It lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, carries 80 marks and is worth 50%. Both are externally assessed, and there is no coursework.

The two papers are split by topic, and that split matters for planning. Paper 1 covers the first three topics: Research methods, Identity: self and society, and Social stratification and inequality. Paper 2 covers the last three: Family, Education, and Crime, deviance and social control.

Here is the part that students most often discover too late. In Paper 1 there are three questions and candidates answer two. Question 1 on research methods is compulsory, and candidates then choose to answer either Question 2 on identity or Question 3 on stratification and inequality. Only one of those two content topics has to be answered, but teachers should teach all three, because all three are described as fundamental to the study of sociology and as providing a foundation for the Paper 2 topics.

Paper 2 works differently. There are three questions, one on each topic, and candidates choose to answer two of the three. The syllabus states plainly that teachers should teach two of these topics and that candidates must answer questions on two of the topics. So Paper 2 allows one topic to be left out entirely, while Paper 1 does not.

Every question in both papers is worth 40 marks, and the structures are published in detail. In Paper 1, Question 1 on research methods has five parts, a to e. Part (a) also has three sub-parts i, ii and iii. Those are based on source material printed in the question paper, which will contain qualitative or quantitative information or a mixture of both, and candidates must identify information, explain an aspect of the research, and explain problems or issues with the evidence from the source. Parts (b) and (c) are short-answer questions on concepts, ideas and examples related to research methods. Part (d) is a short essay-style question requiring candidates to evaluate a methodological view, approach or concept. Part (e) asks candidates to explain the primary methods, sampling and secondary evidence they would use to investigate a specified topic and give reasons for their choices, and the syllabus notes that no subject knowledge of the topic under investigation is required, because candidates are assessed on their knowledge of sociological methodology.

The content questions in both papers follow an identical six part structure, a to f. Parts (a) and (b) are short answers testing knowledge of terms, ideas and examples and requiring candidates to select and apply sociological knowledge to a specific area of the topic. Parts (c) and (d) require knowledge and understanding of sociological concepts, theories, evidence and views within a specified area, and candidates are encouraged to refer to sociological evidence and examples. Part (e) requires candidates to discuss a sociological issue or view in depth and in a structured way, supporting ideas with relevant evidence. Part (f) is a short essay-style question requiring reasoned arguments on both sides of a debate, supported with relevant sociological evidence.

So the shape of the exam is consistent: short answers, then knowledge with evidence, then discussion, then argument on both sides. A student who can define terms but cannot build a two-sided argument will lose the marks that carry the most weight in every question.

The content is organised into six topics, each broken into named questions. Topic 1 Research methods asks how sociologists approach the study of society, what types of data and evidence they use, and how they investigate society. Topic 2 Identity: self and society asks how we learn our identity, how society controls us, and what influences our social identity.

Topic 3 Social stratification and inequality asks what social stratification is, what attempts have been made to reduce social inequalities, and how globalisation has affected inequalities between societies. Topic 4 Family asks what the different types of families are, what the role of the family is for the individual and society, and how family life is changing.

Topic 5 Education asks what education and schooling are, what the roles and functions of education are, and what factors help to explain differences in educational achievement and experience. Topic 6 Crime, deviance and social control asks what crime, deviance and social control are, what the patterns of and explanations for crime and deviance are, and how crime is dealt with in different societies.

Research methods is not a separate appendix to this course; it is the foundation. The syllabus says the first topic provides a foundation for the others by considering the methods and procedures employed in sociological research, that promoting understanding of research methods and their strengths and limitations is a key feature of the syllabus, and that this underpins each of the other topics. It also asks teachers to emphasise how different levels of social life, macro and micro, are interconnected.

One note on Topic 4 is worth knowing. The syllabus says some subject content for Family may be taught if appropriate to the local context, and that teachers should decide whether to teach it taking into account learners' ages, cultural backgrounds, learning contexts, school policies and local legal requirements. That content will not be assessed, but may be used by candidates to support their responses where relevant.

The assessment objectives are three. AO1 is knowledge and understanding of sociological concepts, theories, evidence, views and research methods. AO2 is interpretation and application, covering applying relevant concepts, theories, evidence, views and research methods to support points or develop arguments, and explaining how they apply to a particular issue or question. AO3 is analysis and evaluation of sociological theories, evidence, views and research methods.

The overall weightings are AO1 at 39 per cent, AO2 at 39 per cent and AO3 at 22 per cent of the qualification. The per paper weightings are close but not identical: Paper 1 is 35 per cent AO1, 40 per cent AO2 and 25 per cent AO3, while Paper 2 is 43 per cent AO1, 37 per cent AO2 and 20 per cent AO3. Paper 1 leans slightly more on application and evaluation, which fits a paper that begins with a compulsory research methods question built on source material.

The qualification is graded A*, A, B, C, D, E, F or G, with A* the highest and G the lowest. A candidate whose performance does not meet the standard required for grade G is ungraded, which is reported on the statement of results but not on the certificate.