Exam Intelligence · 4 Official Documents Analysed

How to Score Higher in AQA A Level Law (7162)

Evidence-based Law 7162 exam guide built from official AQA examiner reports and mark schemes. Specialised and comprehensive study tips — specific, cited insights so you can achieve top grades.

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Evidence-BasedBuilt from 4 official examiner reports & mark schemes (2022–2023)

What Are Assessment Objectives (AOs)?

Before we dive in, you need to understand how AQA actually marks your answers.

AO stands for Assessment Objective. Think of AOs as the different “skills” AQA tests you on in every single question. When an examiner marks your paper, they don't just give you a mark out of 12 based on how “good” your answer feels — they allocate specific marks to each AO separately.

For example, a 12-mark question might be split as: AO1 (2 marks) + AO2 (2 marks) + AO3 (2 marks) + AO4 (6 marks). If you write a perfect textbook answer but don't evaluate, you can only score 6 out of 12 — because the other 6 marks are specifically reserved for evaluation.

This is why understanding AOs matters: they tell you exactly what the examiner is looking for and how many marks each skill is worth. Here are the 3 AOs for this subject:

AO1

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the English legal system and legal rules and principles

40% (A-Level overall; AQA per-paper P1 13.33%, P2 13.33%, P3 13.33%)

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of legal rules, principles, concepts, statutes and case authorities (e.g. Coroners and Justice Act 2009, Adomako, M'Naghten, Hedley Byrne v Heller, Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire).

AO2

Apply legal rules and principles to given scenarios in order to present a legal argument using appropriate legal terminology

27% (A-Level overall; AQA per-paper P1 9%, P2 9%, P3 9%)

Apply legal rules and principles to the facts of factual scenarios in problem questions to produce supported conclusions on liability or available defences.

AO3

Analyse and evaluate legal rules, principles, concepts and issues

33% (A-Level overall; AQA per-paper P1 11%, P2 11%, P3 11%)

Analyse and evaluate legal rules, concepts and theories (e.g. fault, justice, law and morality) and construct reasoned arguments supported by examples and case authority.

The key takeaway: Most students lose marks not because they lack knowledge (AO1), but because they skip the higher-order skills — building chains of reasoning (AO2) and making supported judgements (AO3). Everything below shows you exactly how to hit each AO based on what AQA examiners have written in their reports.

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Top Mistakes in A Level Law 7162

The most common reasons students lose marks in A Level Law 7162, cited directly from official AQA examiner reports across multiple sessions.

Failing to follow the question's specific instruction

Flagged across both papers in 7162 reports (June 2022 and June 2023) · Affects: Paper 1, Paper 2

What examiners say

“Students should be careful to focus directly on the specific requirements of the question as conveyed by the instruction.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

“For example, question 07 directed students to deal with actus reus in relation to a battery, however, many focussed on the mens rea.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

How to fix this

Underline the verb (advise, suggest why, explain) AND the specific issue (murder only / actus reus only / why duress will fail). If the question says 'deal with murder', do NOT discuss defences. If it says 'actus reus of battery', do NOT analyse mens rea. Off-topic material — even if legally accurate — earns ZERO credit.

Failing to identify the full range of issues in scenario questions

Flagged in Paper 1 reports (2022 and 2023) for Q10 and Q11 · Affects: Paper 1

What examiners say

“A large number of students failed to identify and explain the full range of issues presented in the scenario.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

“A small proportion of students dealt with the full range of issues outlined above and commonly, answers adopted a rather weak structure, often missing one or more of the key elements in the analysis.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

How to fix this

Q10 and Q11 each contain 4 issues of EQUAL weight. Before writing, list every defendant, every offence, every defence and any English Legal System (ELS) element required. Tick them off as you address each. Missing one of four issues = ~25% of the marks gone.

Omitting the English Legal System (non-substantive) part of Q11

Flagged in Paper 1 reports (2022 and 2023) · Affects: Paper 1

What examiners say

“In addition, Question 11 required application of some aspect of the English Legal System, a very large number of students failed to address this part of the question.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

“In addition, Question 11 required application of some aspect of the English Legal System, a large number of students addressed only the substantive law aspect in this question.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

How to fix this

Q11 ALWAYS requires an ELS component (aims of sentencing, advantages of judicial precedent, etc.) worth roughly a quarter of the marks. Save dedicated time at the end. In 2022 it was 'aims of sentencing'; in 2023 it was 'advantages of the doctrine of judicial precedent'. Skipping it is a guaranteed mark loss even if your substantive law is strong.

Listing elements without defining, explaining or applying them

Flagged in Paper 2 report (2022) across multiple liabilities · Affects: Paper 2

What examiners say

“One common thread to many of the comments below is a lack of development of the elements of a particular liability, whether private nuisance, the rule in Rylands v Fletcher”
— 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

“Some students had a tendency simply to identify the different elements without defining or explaining those elements and without applying them to the facts of the scenario.”
— 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

How to fix this

For every element you name, follow the IDEA pattern: IDENTIFY the element → DEFINE what it means → EXPLAIN with a case → APPLY to the specific facts. Just listing 'malice, locality, duration, social utility' without defining each and linking to the scenario will not access the higher mark bands.

Using the outdated Ghosh test for dishonesty instead of Ivey/Barton & Booth

Flagged in Paper 1 reports (2022 and 2023) · Affects: Paper 1

What examiners say

“the objective test from Ivey v Genting Casino Ltd, confirmed in R v Barton and Booth should now be used in place of the Ghosh test.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

“It is important to note that the objective test from Ivey v Genting Casino Ltd, confirmed in Barton and Booth, should now be used in place of the Ghosh test.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

How to fix this

For dishonesty in theft and robbery, use the OBJECTIVE test from Ivey v Genting Casinos, confirmed in R v Barton and Booth: 'Would ordinary, reasonable people regard the defendant's conduct as dishonest?' DO NOT cite the two-stage Ghosh test — it has been replaced. Always check s.2(1)(a)–(c) Theft Act 1968 first for statutory exceptions.

Ignoring mark allocation and over-writing the smaller part

Flagged on Q9 in Paper 1 (2022) · Affects: Paper 1

What examiners say

“Students should be mindful of the mark allocation within question 9. Many students spent too long addressing the second, substantive part of the question which was worth a maximum of 5 marks.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

“Many answers focused their time on the second aspect of the question. This meant that students often wrote nothing/little about the first aspect that was worth 10 marks.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

How to fix this

Q9 splits 10/5 between concept (e.g. fault, justice) and application to a substantive area. Write roughly twice as much for the 10-mark part. Allocate ~12 minutes to the 10-marker and ~6 minutes to the 5-marker. Time spent past the cap on a 5-mark question scores nothing.

Confusing transferred malice with mistaken identity / aimed-at-target situations

Flagged on Q11 in Paper 1 (2023) · Affects: Paper 1

What examiners say

“Within this aspect many students spent time discussing transferred malice which was not relevant or creditworthy. This showed a misunderstanding of the concept which could usefully be addressed by centres.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

“For clarity, transferred malice would be relevant in a situation where A shoots at B intending to kill B but misses and the bullet hit and kills C.”
— 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

How to fix this

Transferred malice = D aims at B, MISSES, hits C. The mens rea formed against B transfers to C. It does NOT apply where D aims at the actual person hit but is mistaken about their identity — there, intention is already directed at the person harmed. Reserve transferred malice for genuine 'missed shot' fact patterns (e.g. Latimer).

Discussing Caparo three-stage test where Robinson / Hedley Byrne governs

Flagged in Paper 2 reports (2022 and 2023) · Affects: Paper 2

What examiners say

“In these circumstances, a court need not (and should not) apply the three-part test set out in Caparo v Dickman.”
— 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

“A separate issue with some of the negligent misstatement responses was the inclusion of unnecessary material such as the three-part test in Caparo.”
— 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

How to fix this

Established duty (road user to road user, doctor to patient) → cite Robinson and skip Caparo. Negligent misstatement → use Hedley Byrne 'special relationship' framework, not Caparo. Caparo three-stage test is reserved for novel duty situations only. Misapplying it wastes minutes and signals weak knowledge of post-Robinson law.

Apply what you've learned

Practice identifying these mistakes in real papers. Try a recent paper and mark yourself — you'll spot these patterns immediately.

Try June 2024 All 7162 Papers

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What A Level Law 7162 Examiners Reward

Patterns that consistently earn high marks in A Level Law 7162, based on AQA examiner report commentary on top-scoring answers.

Logical IDEA structure: identify, define, explain (with case), apply

Most students followed a logical approach by establishing that Carla committed the actus reus for murder through a voluntary act (firing the gun) and outlined the rules of causation before considering mens rea.

Source: 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2022

Using current authority (Ivey/Barton & Booth, Robinson, Bawa-Garba)

It was pleasing to see that some students also used more recent authority to explain this element, citing R v Rose (Honey Maria) [2017]

Source: 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

Citing statute subsections precisely (s54 CJA 2009, s2(1) Theft Act, s142 CJA 2003)

More perceptive students cited s54(3) when concluding that the short- temper is unlikely to be considered as it bears on Gabe’s ‘general capacity for tolerance or self-restraint’.

Source: 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

Reaching a definitive, reasoned conclusion on each issue

Strong answers offered detailed analysis of the facts and connected the loss of control to the anger trigger requirement

Source: 7162/1 Paper 1, June 2023

Balancing competing factors and arguments before concluding

Better answers often explored the idea that malice made it much more likely that a particular activity was a nuisance.

Source: 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

Giving balanced theory + examples on synoptic Q9 essays

The best responses had a balance of definitions, theory and illustrations or examples.

Source: 7162/2 Paper 2, June 2022

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A Level Law 7162 Answer Frameworks

Structured approaches for each A Level Law 7162 question type, derived from AQA mark scheme requirements.

Section A — Multiple choice and short-answer (1–5 marks)

1–2 minutes per MCQ; 6–8 minutes for the 5-mark short-answer

Structure

MCQ: select the BEST answer (not just A correct one) → Short-answer: identify TWO features → briefly explain each with one sentence of definition

•On MCQ, eliminate distractors linked to similar but DIFFERENT offences (e.g. s47 vs s18/s20 OAPA mens rea)
•For 'identify two features' questions, clearly separate the two with a line break — examiners report difficulty finding two separate features in continuous prose
•Do NOT evaluate or list advantages/disadvantages on a 'features' question
•If a feature is unfamiliar, state ANY accurate one (e.g. for judicial precedent: stare decisis, ratio decidendi, hierarchy of courts, law reporting)

Q7/Q8 — Targeted problem question (5 / 15–25 marks)

8–10 minutes for the 5-marker; 20–25 minutes for the 15–25 marker

Structure

Read the EXACT instruction (e.g. 'why duress is likely to fail', 'advise of liability for murder') → State the relevant rule with case authority → Apply to the named facts → Reach the directed conclusion

•Stay on the instruction — if asked about murder only, do NOT raise defences
•If asked why a defence will FAIL, explain the failing element first then apply
•Use Latimer for transferred malice; only apply it where D missed the intended target
•For murder, address malice aforethought (express + implied) AND the Woollin direction on oblique intention where relevant

Q9 — Synoptic essay on fault/justice/morality (10 + 5 marks)

12–15 minutes on the 10-mark part; 6–8 minutes on the 5-mark part

Structure

Part 1 (10 marks): define the concept → present theories → give explained examples from criminal AND/OR tort law. Part 2 (5 marks): apply the concept to the named substantive area

•Spend roughly twice as long on the 10-mark part as on the 5-mark part
•Quote a definition (blameworthiness, fairness, equality of treatment) and at least one named theorist (Hart/Devlin, Aristotle, Aquinas, Mill)
•Examples MUST be explained, not just named (don't just say 'R v R' — explain what it shows)
•Connect the second part directly to the named area (causation, non-fatal offences, vicarious liability, Occupiers' Liability Act 1984)

Q10/Q11 — 30-mark synoptic problem (4 issues, equal weight)

35–40 minutes per question; ~9 minutes per issue

Structure

Plan: list all 4 issues → For each: identify offence/defence/ELS topic → state the law with cases/statute → apply to the facts → conclude. Q11 always includes an ELS aspect.

•All four aspects carry equal marks — DO NOT skip the ELS part of Q11
•Use current authority: Ivey/Barton & Booth (not Ghosh), Robinson (not Caparo for established duty), Adomako/Misra/Bawa-Garba for gross negligence manslaughter
•Cite statute subsections precisely (s54(3) CJA 2009, s5(1) Theft Act 1968, s142 CJA 2003)
•Reach a conclusion on EACH issue — do not leave matters open or pass them to the jury

Practice by topic

Use topical past papers to practice specific question types. Each topic collects questions from multiple years — perfect for drilling the frameworks above.

Topical Past Papers

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A Level Law 7162 Command Words Decoded

Each command word in A Level Law 7162 is a scoring instruction. Understanding what AQA examiners expect is critical to earning full marks.

Explain5–10 marks

Set out the meaning of a legal rule or principle and show how it operates, with reasons and supporting authority. Goes beyond identifying.

Common mistake

Identifying elements without defining or explaining them, or substituting examples for explanation.

Briefly explain5 marks

A concise, accurate statement of two named features with one or two sentences of definition each.

Common mistake

Listing one feature only, mixing in evaluation, or attempting to apply law to a scenario when none was given.

ApplyEmbedded in 25-mark Q10/Q11

Take the legal rule you have explained and use the specific facts of the scenario to show whether each element is satisfied.

Common mistake

Re-stating the scenario without connecting facts to legal elements, or asserting an element is satisfied without explanation.

Discuss10 marks (Q9 part 1)

Present arguments for and possible counter-arguments, weigh them and reach a reasoned position.

Common mistake

Listing theories without analysis, or discussing only one side without engaging with alternatives.

Analyse and evaluate5 marks (Q9 part 2) and 7 marks (Q11 ELS)

Examine the strengths and weaknesses of a rule or doctrine, supported by examples, and form a reasoned judgement.

Common mistake

Describing the rule rather than evaluating it, or presenting only advantages or only disadvantages.

Advise25 marks (Q8, Q10, Q11)

Apply the law to the facts and reach a clear conclusion on liability for each named party. Consider defences where relevant.

Common mistake

Failing to reach a conclusion, leaving the decision to 'a jury', or addressing only one of several parties named in the scenario.

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Topics Students Struggle With Most In A Level Law 7162

These A Level Law 7162 topics consistently produce the lowest scores. Prioritise these in your revision.

Mens rea — direct and oblique intention, malice aforethought

weak explanation of mens rea. Failure to explain the meaning of malice aforethought (expressed and implied) and/ or a failure to explain how to establish direct and oblique (indirect) intention

Affects: Paper 1

Duress — voluntary association with violent groups

The majority of students identified that membership of the gang could affect the availability of the defence however few could confidently explain the law covering this area.

Affects: Paper 1

Loss of control — degree of tolerance and excluded matters

The degree of tolerance test was mentioned but few answers displayed accurate knowledge of the

Affects: Paper 1

Intoxication — Majewski rule and specific vs basic intent

Many students inaccurately concluded that the defence would fail due to the Majewski rule showing a lack of understanding of the rule or that it applies to basic intent offences.

Affects: Paper 1

Theft — appropriation, consent and s2(1) statutory exceptions

However, few students addressed the issue of consent to the initial appropriation of the plants, as well as consent to appropriation of the £20, though not the additional £10.

Affects: Paper 1

Occupiers' liability — premises and lawful visitor definitions

a significant number of students lost marks through weak explanations. For instance, it was not enough to say that Harun was the occupier simply because he owned the hotel

Affects: Paper 2

Rylands v Fletcher — separate elements and strict liability nature

One common weakness was a failure to separate out the different elements of the rule. A significant number of students for instance ran together the elements of a “dangerous thing” and an “unnatural use of the land”.

Affects: Paper 2

Negligent misstatement — special relationship vs Caparo

More concerning was the number of students who made no reference to the relevant rules and seemed unaware of them.

Affects: Paper 2

Target your weak areas

The topics above are where most marks are lost. Use past papers and mark schemes to practice these specific areas until they become second nature.

Past Papers & Mark Schemes Topical Papers

Frequently Asked Questions

How is AQA A-Level Law 7162 structured?

Three papers, each 2 hours. Paper 1 (7162/1) covers The Nature of Law, English Legal System and Criminal Law (100 marks). Paper 2 (7162/2) covers The Nature of Law, English Legal System and Tort (100 marks). Paper 3 (7162/3) is a specialised option — 3A Contract Law OR 3B Human Rights Law (100 marks).

What is the difference between problem questions and essay questions on Paper 1 and Paper 2?

Most items present a factual scenario and want a structured advice for the named parties drawing on authority. The synoptic item in the middle of each booklet asks for a conceptual essay (fault, justice, law and morality) coupled with a brief targeted illustration drawn from a named substantive area.

Do I need to memorise specific case names and statute sections?

Yes — credit hinges on accurate authority. Build a small revision deck of two or three leading authorities per topic plus the statutory provision they sit beside. Replace any deck entries pointing to overruled tests with the current authority before the exam to avoid losing top-band marks.

How should I divide my time across Q10 and Q11?

Treat the closing items as a balanced quartet. Spend roughly the same chunk on each of the four lettered aspects so the English Legal System component is not crowded out — it is the single most common omission and carries the same weight as the substantive offences or torts on either side of it.

Put It All Into Practice

You now know exactly what AQA examiners reward and penalise. The next step is deliberate practice with real papers. We have 6 exam sessions available for A Level Law 7162 — question papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports.

View All Past Papers Latest Session: June 2024 Topical Past Papers