Cambridge AS & A Level Sociology 9699/32 is the May/June 2026 Paper 3 (Education), variant 2. It is an A Level component worth 50 marks, it lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, and you answer all four questions. The biggest is Question 4, a 26-mark essay evaluating the Marxist view that education systems legitimise social inequality. This guide goes through every question and shows what the official mark scheme gave marks for. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of all four 9699 papers from this series, see A Level Sociology 9699 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

9699/32 at a glance

There is no choice: answer all questions.

Question	Topic	Marks	How it is marked
1	Two ways schools prepare some pupils for working-class jobs	4	Points (2 × 2)
2	Two reasons schools may fail to teach society’s norms to all pupils	8	Points (2 × 4)
3	Two arguments that ethnicity does affect attainment	12	Levels (2 × 6)
4	Essay: the Marxist view that education legitimises social inequality	26	AO levels
	Total	50

Question-by-question walkthrough

Question 1: preparing pupils for working-class jobs (4 marks)

Two ways, each worth 1 mark for identifying it and 1 for describing how it prepares pupils for working-class work. Ways credited:

• A vocational curriculum that reflects manual work.
• Setting and streaming, with lower sets prepared for working-class jobs.
• Teachers’ perceptions of working-class pupils lowering their aspirations.
• Teaching pupils to submit to authority and accept hierarchy.
• School rules on discipline and punctuality.
• A timetable that splits knowledge into unconnected subjects, mirroring the division of labour.
• Routine, repetitive tasks such as copying from textbooks.
• Encouraging extrinsic rewards, preparing pupils to work for a wage.

The description mark needs the link to working-class jobs, not just a description of school life.

Question 2: why schools may fail to teach society’s norms (8 marks)

Two reasons, each worth 4 marks: the reason, an explanation, relevant sociological material (a study, concept, theory or evidence), and an explanation of how the material supports the reason. Reasons credited:

• Resistance from anti-school subcultures based on class, gender or ethnicity.
• Clashes with working-class culture.
• Strong primary socialisation and norms in ethnic communities.
• The pull of other agencies, such as the family, media and religion.
• A sense of exclusion from lacking cultural capital.
• Labelling or streaming turning pupils against education.
• Cultural diversity, so some societies have no single set of shared norms and values.

The mark scheme’s worked example: anti-school subcultures (reason); some pupils gain status with peers by breaking norms (explanation); Mac an Ghaill’s “Macho Lads” (material); working-class boys who saw little chance of academic success and focused on messing about and acting tough (how the material supports it).

Question 3: ethnicity and attainment (12 marks)

You give two arguments against the view that ethnicity has no effect on attainment. Each argument is levelled separately out of 6. Arguments credited:

• Overt racism and abuse in school affecting some groups more than others.
• Institutional racism, for example in how school holidays are arranged.
• An ethnocentric curriculum.
• Too few role models from ethnic minorities.
• Positive or negative labelling, for example of Black Caribbean boys in the UK, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Setting, streaming or school selection shaped by ethnic stereotypes.
• Cultural background as an advantage or disadvantage, for example “Tiger Mums”.
• Links between a group’s economic situation and its advantages or deprivation.
• Language barriers, such as English as an additional language or dialect.
• Ethnic subcultures in school.
• Statistics showing different attainment between groups.

Arguments against only. The mark scheme was explicit that explaining or supporting the view earns nothing.

Levels for each argument: Level 3 (5–6) is one clear, developed argument supported by material focused on the question. Level 2 (3–4) is clear but underdeveloped, with material whose relevance isn’t made clear. Level 1 (1–2) is an undeveloped or unclear point. Two Level 3 arguments are needed for full marks.

Question 4: the Marxist view of education (26 marks)

You evaluate the Marxist view that education systems make social inequality seem legitimate.

• For: working-class pupils learning to blame themselves for failure and accept low-status jobs; the correspondence principle, with the hidden curriculum preparing pupils for alienated labour; private schools, parental choice, selection and streaming favouring higher classes; IQ tests and qualifications measuring what privileged classes are trained in; and ethnic and gender stereotypes that justify disadvantage.
• Against: the functionalist view that education gives everyone a chance to compete for high-status positions; social democratic arguments for education as a force for change; policies to reduce inequality, such as comprehensive schools; education giving people the skills to challenge inequality (sociology, for example); school and work subcultures that don’t accept inequality as legitimate; anti-racist movements; and feminist views on gender equality.
• Studies named: Bowles and Gintis, Bourdieu, Ranson, Henderson, Reay, David and Ball, and Gillborn and Youdell for the view; Giroux, Willis, Ward, Rikowski, Saunders and Macintosh against.
• Concepts named: ideological state apparatus, the myth of meritocracy, habitus, cultural capital, parentocracy, marketisation and patriarchy on one side; mobility, equality of opportunity, IQ, social cohesion, class consciousness and subculture on the other.

How it is marked. The essay gets three separate marks, and the split is different from Papers 1 and 2:

• AO1 Knowledge and understanding (10): five bands, from assertive or common-sense points (1–2) to a wide range of detailed points with very good use of concepts and theory or evidence (9–10).
• AO2 Interpretation and application (6): three bands, from limited or inaccurate use of material (1–2) to a range of material accurately interpreted, well developed and consistently applied to the question (5–6).
• AO3 Analysis and evaluation (10): incidental or assertive evaluation (1–2); an attempt at more than one side or one opposing point (3–4); one explicitly evaluative point or a simple description of the other side (5–6); explicit evaluation that isn’t sustained, or a good account of the opposing evidence (7–8); and clear, sustained analysis with detailed, explicit evaluation (9–10).

Where the marks are on 9699/32

Type of question	Questions	Marks
Point-marked short answers	1, 2	12
Levelled arguments against a view	3	12
Essay: AO1 knowledge and understanding	4	10
Essay: AO2 interpretation and application	4	6
Essay: AO3 analysis and evaluation	4	10
Total		50

• The essay is 52% of the paper. Leave it enough time.
• Arguing against a view is worth 22 marks: all of Question 3 and the AO3 mark on the essay.
• Inequality runs through every question: class in Questions 1 and 4, class, gender and ethnicity in Question 2, and ethnicity in Question 3.

How to self-mark 9699/32 with the mark scheme

1. Learn the layout. A slash or “or” separates alternative ways of making the same point; semicolons, bullets or a (1) separate different points. Content in brackets is for the examiner and isn’t required.
2. Mark Question 1 as four ticks, checking each description links to working-class jobs.
3. Mark Question 2 in four steps per reason: reason, explanation, material, how the material supports it.
4. Level each Question 3 argument separately out of 6, then add them. Strike out anything that supports the view.
5. Give your essay three marks using the 10, 6 and 10 split, then add them.
6. Log each lost mark as missing knowledge, missing material or missing evaluation.

Sit 9699/32 as a timed mock

The paper allows 75 minutes for 50 marks, exactly one and a half minutes per mark. A workable plan:

Block	Marks	Time
Read the paper and plan the essay	–	4 minutes
Question 1	4	5 minutes
Question 2	8	11 minutes
Question 3	12	16 minutes
Question 4 essay	26	37 minutes
Check	–	2 minutes
Total	50	75 minutes

Jot your essay plan at the start: two or three points for and against with a study each, and a judgement. You can then write the short answers knowing the essay is ready to go.

Other May/June 2026 9699 papers

• 9699 Paper 12 (Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research)
• 9699 Paper 22 (The Family)
• 9699 Paper 42 (Globalisation, Media and Religion)

Practise and download

• Download 9699/32 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 9699 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free A Level Sociology quiz

Need help with a 9699 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an A Level Sociology tutor →

Frequently asked questions

What topics were on 9699 Paper 32 May/June 2026? +

Four compulsory questions on education: how schools prepare some pupils for working-class jobs, why schools may fail to teach society's norms to every pupil, arguments that ethnicity does affect attainment, and an essay on the Marxist view that education legitimises social inequality.

How many marks is 9699/32 and how long is it? +

It is out of 50 marks and lasts 1 hour 15 minutes. All four questions are compulsory, and the 26-mark essay is over half the paper.

Do I get marks for supporting the view in Question 3? +

No. The question asked for two arguments against the view that ethnicity has no impact on attainment. The mark scheme said there are no marks for explaining the view or supporting it.

How is the Paper 3 essay marked differently from Papers 1 and 2? +

The split changes to 10 marks for knowledge and understanding (AO1), 6 for interpretation and application (AO2) and 10 for analysis and evaluation (AO3). On Papers 1 and 2 it is 8, 8 and 10.

Which studies did the mark scheme suggest for the Marxist essay? +

For the view: Bowles and Gintis, Bourdieu, Ranson, Henderson, Reay, David and Ball, and Gillborn and Youdell. Against it: Giroux, Willis, Ward, Rikowski, Saunders and Macintosh. The list is indicative, so other relevant material is credited too.

Where can I download 9699/32 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge AS & A Level Sociology 9699 past papers page.

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