The Faculty Board of Social and Political Sciences give notice that, with effect from the examinations to be held in 2009, the form of the examination for the following papers for Part IIB of the Social and Political Sciences Tripos will be as follows:
The paper retains the same structure as last year, but includes some changes in content. Specifically, questions on attachment, Piaget and Vygotsky, and sibling relationships will be replaced by questions on success and failure in making the transition to school, adolescence and self-harming, and parenting and abuse.
The examination paper will consist of at least fifteen questions (instead of twelve). Instead of questions on gender and conflict, and on asymmetric war, there will questions on three case studies: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Chiapas, Mexico. The paper will remain undivided and candidates will still be required to answer three questions.
There will be additional questions on the topic of European democratization in Section (a) of the paper. This section will have at least seven (instead of six) questions. Candidates are still required to answer three questions with at least one from each section.
The examination paper will consist of between eight and ten (instead of eighteen) questions, and will not be divided into sections as it was in the previous year. Candidates must still answer three questions in total, avoiding unnecessary overlap between their answers. A mock exam paper is available on the current paper guide.
The examination for this new subject will consist of a three-hour written paper. Candidates will be required to answer three questions from a choice of between eight and twelve questions. The paper will be undivided.