Rights, democracy, law and justice, and taking citizenship action.
Boards vary by tutor. Each tutor profile lists the boards they teach.
Citizenship Studies is about how the country is run and how people can change things. Students study democracy and participation, government and politics, rights and responsibilities, the UK's place in the wider world, and then plan and carry out their own citizenship action on an issue they care about.
Every link below goes to the awarding body's own specification page, so you can check the content the student is being examined on.
A two year course assessed by written exams, including an active citizenship investigation the student carries out themselves.
GCSE Citizenship Studies
Spec 8100Core content
Optional content
None. All content is compulsory.
No optional content. Students choose their own issue for the required active citizenship investigation.
AQA official specificationopens in a new tabGCSE (9-1) Citizenship Studies
Spec 1CS0Core content
Optional content
None. All content is compulsory.
All five themes are compulsory. Theme E is a citizenship action project on a topic the student chooses.
Pearson Edexcel official specificationopens in a new tabGCSE (9-1) Citizenship Studies
Spec J270Core content
Optional content
None. All content is compulsory.
All four sections are compulsory, assessed across three exam components.
OCR official specificationopens in a new tabThere is no International GCSE in Citizenship Studies. The closest official international qualification is Pearson Edexcel's Global Citizenship, which is a separate qualification with its own content.
International GCSE (9-1) Global Citizenship
Spec 4GL1Core content
Optional content
None. All content is compulsory.
Assessed by one written paper plus a practical community action project on a topic the student chooses.
Pearson Edexcel official specificationopens in a new tabExam providers (also called awarding bodies or exam boards) set the specification a student is examined on.
Lessons are online, one to one or in a small group, scheduled around the student. Every tutor is a subject specialist who teaches the specification the student is sitting.