AQA A-LEVEL SOCIOLOGY
CERTIFICATION TEST 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED
A+
◉ Cultural deprivation. Answer: Inadequate socialisation in the
home.
◉ Material deprivation's effects on education. Answer: 90% of failing
schools are in deprived areas. Dpt of Education (2012) barely 1/3 of
students eligible for free school meals achieve 5 or more GCSE's at
A*-C. These students are more likely to be excluded and truant.
◉ Effects of housing on educational achievement. Answer: Direct -
overcrowding makes it difficult for a child to study, disturbed sleep
from sharing beds or rooms. Indirect - effects on health and welfare
e.g. children in crowded house run a greater risk of having an
accident. Cold or damp house leads to infections or illness.
◉ Effects of diet and health on educational achievement. Answer:
Howard (2001) kids from poorer homes have a lower intake of
energy, vitamins and minerals. Wilkinson (1999) kids from poorer
backgrounds are more likely to have emotional/ behavioural
problems. Blanden and Machin (2007) found children from poorer
backgrounds more likely to engage in fights or temper tantrums.
,◉ University and social class. Answer: Callender and Jackson (2005)
w/c students more likely to see debt negatively.
◉ Bernstein (1973). Answer: w/c students underachieve because
they are socialised into a restricted language code whereas schools
favour an elaborated language code which middle class students are
socialised into.
◉ Marketization. Answer: process of introducing market forces of
consumer choice and competition in education.
◉ Bernstein and Young (1967). Answer: better educated parents
have higher incomes and spend them on promoting education to
their children, via educational trips or toys.
◉ Douglas (1964). Answer: w/c parents place less value on
education - less ambitious for their children and give them less
encouragement.
◉ Bourdieu (1984). Answer: cultural capital refers to the knowledge,
tastes, language, attitudes and values of the middle class.
◉ Gillborn and Youdell (2001). Answer: teachers label students
based on stereotypical assumptions of their class worth, they also
argue that labelling leads to a self fulfilling prophecy
, ◉ Self-fulfilling prophecy. Answer: Living up to your label.
◉ Archer (2010). Answer: found pupils were creating 'Nike identities'
by investing heavily in style to gain class worth.
◉ Educational triage. Answer: no hopers, those with potential, those
who will pass anyway (Gillborn and Youdell).
◉ Stephen Ball (1981). Answer: looked at abolishing streaming in
schools & found when it was abolished anti-school subcultures were
less likel to be created but teacher labelling continued.
◉ Black family structure. Answer: mostly headed by a single female
parent. Murray (1984) argues financial difficulty and a lack of male
role model leads to the children in these families being inadequately
socialised and go onto fail at school.
◉ Asian family structure. Answer: Lupton (2004) argues that adult
authority in Asian fams is similar to the way schools operate. Pryce
adds that Asian kids are more resistant to racism so develop self-
worth.
◉ Wood et al (2010). Answer: Found evidence of discrimination in
employment, he sent three closely matched application forms to
CERTIFICATION TEST 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED
A+
◉ Cultural deprivation. Answer: Inadequate socialisation in the
home.
◉ Material deprivation's effects on education. Answer: 90% of failing
schools are in deprived areas. Dpt of Education (2012) barely 1/3 of
students eligible for free school meals achieve 5 or more GCSE's at
A*-C. These students are more likely to be excluded and truant.
◉ Effects of housing on educational achievement. Answer: Direct -
overcrowding makes it difficult for a child to study, disturbed sleep
from sharing beds or rooms. Indirect - effects on health and welfare
e.g. children in crowded house run a greater risk of having an
accident. Cold or damp house leads to infections or illness.
◉ Effects of diet and health on educational achievement. Answer:
Howard (2001) kids from poorer homes have a lower intake of
energy, vitamins and minerals. Wilkinson (1999) kids from poorer
backgrounds are more likely to have emotional/ behavioural
problems. Blanden and Machin (2007) found children from poorer
backgrounds more likely to engage in fights or temper tantrums.
,◉ University and social class. Answer: Callender and Jackson (2005)
w/c students more likely to see debt negatively.
◉ Bernstein (1973). Answer: w/c students underachieve because
they are socialised into a restricted language code whereas schools
favour an elaborated language code which middle class students are
socialised into.
◉ Marketization. Answer: process of introducing market forces of
consumer choice and competition in education.
◉ Bernstein and Young (1967). Answer: better educated parents
have higher incomes and spend them on promoting education to
their children, via educational trips or toys.
◉ Douglas (1964). Answer: w/c parents place less value on
education - less ambitious for their children and give them less
encouragement.
◉ Bourdieu (1984). Answer: cultural capital refers to the knowledge,
tastes, language, attitudes and values of the middle class.
◉ Gillborn and Youdell (2001). Answer: teachers label students
based on stereotypical assumptions of their class worth, they also
argue that labelling leads to a self fulfilling prophecy
, ◉ Self-fulfilling prophecy. Answer: Living up to your label.
◉ Archer (2010). Answer: found pupils were creating 'Nike identities'
by investing heavily in style to gain class worth.
◉ Educational triage. Answer: no hopers, those with potential, those
who will pass anyway (Gillborn and Youdell).
◉ Stephen Ball (1981). Answer: looked at abolishing streaming in
schools & found when it was abolished anti-school subcultures were
less likel to be created but teacher labelling continued.
◉ Black family structure. Answer: mostly headed by a single female
parent. Murray (1984) argues financial difficulty and a lack of male
role model leads to the children in these families being inadequately
socialised and go onto fail at school.
◉ Asian family structure. Answer: Lupton (2004) argues that adult
authority in Asian fams is similar to the way schools operate. Pryce
adds that Asian kids are more resistant to racism so develop self-
worth.
◉ Wood et al (2010). Answer: Found evidence of discrimination in
employment, he sent three closely matched application forms to
