GCSE-readyKS3 Citizenship: common mistakes
The wrong answers students pick most often in our Citizenship questions, and why they are wrong. Read these before a test, then open the lesson for anything that surprises you.
Rules, laws and the police
- Why we need rules and laws
- Not “A prison sentence”. Prison is a punishment in criminal cases, not civil ones.
- Young people and the law
- Not “16”. 16 is the voting age for Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, not UK general elections.
- The role of the police
- Not “101”. 101 is for non-emergencies, such as reporting a crime that has already happened.
Democracy and local government
- Local government: councils and councillors
- Not “A constituency”. A constituency is the area an MP represents.
Communities and volunteering
- Voluntary groups, charities and volunteering
- Not “The public sector”. The public sector is run by the government and councils.
Money and budgeting
- What money is for
- Not “The Royal Mint”. The Royal Mint makes coins, not notes.
- Budgeting: needs, wants and making money last
- Not “A surplus of £6”. A surplus would mean income is bigger than spending.
How UK democracy works
- Parliament: the Commons, the Lords and the Crown
- Not “They are elected by voters”. Only the Commons is elected.
- How a bill becomes a law
- Not “First reading”. The first reading is a formality, with no debate.
- The role of the monarch
- Not “Head of the government”. The Prime Minister is head of the government.
Elections, parties and devolution
- Elections and voting
- Not “The candidate with more than half of the votes, or nobody”. They do not need more than half, just more than anyone else.
- Devolution: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions
- Not “Holyrood”. Holyrood is the home of the Scottish Parliament.
Liberties, equality and the media
- Our precious liberties
- Not “The European Union”. The Convention comes from the Council of Europe, which is separate from the EU.
- The media, free press and checking information
- Not “False information shared by mistake”. That is misinformation.
The justice system
- Courts and tribunals
- Not “The Crown Court”. Serious cases go to the Crown Court, but they start in a magistrates' court.
- Inside a trial: roles, juries and proof
- Not “On the balance of probabilities”. That is the lower standard used in civil cases.
- Not “The judge”. The judge decides points of law and the sentence, not the verdict.
Institutions and active citizenship
- Taking informed action: run a citizenship project
- Not “A report from the council website”. That is secondary research: someone else collected it.
Personal finance
- Income, payslips and tax
- Not “Pay after tax”. Pay after tax and other deductions is net pay.
- Bank accounts, payments and staying safe from scams
- Not “A direct debit”. A direct debit lets a company take payments, and the amount can change.
- Risk and insurance
- Not “The part of a claim you pay yourself”. That is the excess.
- Not “Transferring the risk”. Transferring risk means buying insurance.