Actual 2026 AQA A-level PHILOSOPHY 7172/1 Paper 1 Merged Question Paper + Mark Scheme

Actual 2026 AQA A-level PHILOSOPHY 7172/1 Paper 1 Merged Question Paper + Mark Scheme

Section A – Epistemology
0 1 What is meant by (a) a necessary condition and (b) a sufficient condition?
[3 marks]
AO1 = 3
Marks Levels of response mark scheme
3 A full and correct answer, given precisely, with little or no redundancy.
2 The substantive content of the answer is correct, but there may be some
redundancy or minor imprecision.
1 Relevant, but fragmented, points.
0 Nothing written worthy of credit.
Indicative content
Necessary condition:
A necessary condition for X is a condition which must be true/the case for X to be true/the case (eg in
order for John to be a bachelor it must be true/the case that John is unmarried).
If the necessary condition for X is not fulfilled, X will not be true/the case.
Sufficient condition:
A sufficient condition (or a set of jointly sufficient conditions) for X is a condition (or set of jointly
sufficient conditions) which, if it is true/the case, means that X is true/the case (eg if it is true/the case
that John is a bachelor it is true/the case that he is a man).

If the sufficient condition(s) for X are fulfilled, X is true/the case.
The sufficient conditions guarantee X.
Examples for 3 marks
Answers that gain 3 marks will be clear and precise on both conditions although they can express how
the conditions work in a variety of ways (eg epistemologically, metaphysically, logically, etc). Below
are 2 examples, but any legitimate way of explaining the conditions should be credited as long as
students demonstrate that they understand the key points (see Notes).
• Example 1: ‘A necessary condition is one that must be satisfied in order for something to be
the case. A sufficient condition is one that, if satisfied, is enough for something to be the case’.
• Example 2: ‘A is a necessary condition for B if (and only if) B cannot be true unless A is true. A
is a sufficient condition for B if A being true means that B will be true’.
Examples for 2 marks
Answers that gain 2 marks will typically demonstrate a clear understanding of one of the conditions
and a partial or less precise understanding of the other condition (example 1) or there might be a lack