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AQA A-Level History (7042): how the breadth, depth and NEA options fit together

A complete guide to AQA A-Level History (specification 7042). Explains the option structure of a breadth study (Component 1), a depth study (Component 2) and the historical investigation (NEA), the three assessment objectives, the source and interpretations skills each paper demands, and how to revise the most popular options.

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AQA A-Level History (specification 7042) is an option-based course: there is no single fixed syllabus that every candidate studies. Instead you take one breadth study, one depth study, and complete a coursework Historical Investigation. Your school chooses the two taught options from AQA's published lists, so the period you study can differ completely from another AQA History student. This page explains how the three components fit together and how this site is organised around the most popular options.

The three components

Component 1: Breadth study (40%)
A 2 hour 30 minute exam covering a long period (roughly 100 to 200 years). It begins with a compulsory interpretations question (extracts from historians) testing AO3, followed by essays testing AO1. The breadth focus means you assess change and continuity across the whole period rather than a single moment.
Component 2: Depth study (40%)
A 2 hour 30 minute exam covering a shorter, more intense period. It begins with a compulsory primary-source question testing AO2, followed by essays testing AO1. The depth focus means detailed knowledge of a narrower span.
Component 3: Historical Investigation, the NEA (20%)
A personal, school-assessed study of about 3,500 to 4,500 words on a question of your own, covering roughly 100 years and an issue distinct from your two exam options. It evaluates primary sources and historians' interpretations and reaches a supported judgement.

The three assessment objectives

  • AO1. Analyse and evaluate key features of the period and reach a substantiated, balanced judgement. This is the dominant objective in every essay and the NEA.
  • AO2. Analyse and evaluate primary sources in their historical context. Tested by the opening question of Component 2.
  • AO3. Analyse and evaluate the differing interpretations of historians. Tested by the opening question of Component 1.

Knowing the target AO is half the battle: a Component 1 extracts question wants you to weigh historians' arguments, while a Component 2 sources question wants provenance, tone and content read against your own knowledge.

This site covers four of the most widely taught options plus the exam-and-essay skills shared across all of them:

  • The Tudors: England 1485 to 1603 (option 1C) is a breadth study from Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth I, covering government, religion, foreign policy, society and economy.
  • Germany 1871 to 1991: Democracy and Dictatorship (option 2P) is a depth study running from unification under Bismarck through Weimar, the Nazi dictatorship, the Federal Republic and the GDR to reunification.
  • Russia 1917 to 1991: Tsarism to Communism (drawing on option 2N) covers the 1917 revolutions, Lenin and the Civil War, Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev, and Gorbachev and collapse.
  • Britain 1851 to 1964 covers Gladstone and Disraeli, the Liberal reforms, the impact of the world wars, the post-war consensus and social change.

How to study an option-based A-level

Work from AQA's named key questions for your two options, because the essays are written directly from them. Build a precise evidence bank for each theme, then practise the three skills in isolation: source evaluation for Component 2, interpretation comparison for Component 1, and analytical essay planning for both. Start the NEA question early and keep it distinct from your exam content. Always rehearse with AQA past papers for your exact option codes.

History guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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History practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The A-LEVEL-AQA system, explained

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Common questions about History

How is AQA A-Level History (7042) structured?
AQA A-Level History is option-based. You study one breadth study (Component 1), one depth study (Component 2) and complete a coursework Historical Investigation (Component 3, the NEA). Each of the two exam papers is worth 40% of the A-level and the NEA is worth 20%. Schools choose which breadth and depth options to teach from AQA's published lists, so two students with an A-level in History from AQA may have studied completely different periods.
What is the difference between the breadth study and the depth study?
The breadth study (Component 1) covers about 100 to 200 years and asks you to assess change and continuity over a long period, with questions on extracts from historical interpretations and on essay arguments. The depth study (Component 2) covers a shorter, more intense period and asks you to evaluate contemporary primary sources as well as write essays. Component 1 begins with an interpretations question; Component 2 begins with a primary-source question.
What are the assessment objectives in AQA A-Level History?
There are three. AO1 is the ability to analyse and evaluate, reaching a substantiated judgement, and is the largest objective overall. AO2 is the analysis and evaluation of primary source material in its historical context, tested in Component 2. AO3 is the analysis and evaluation of historians' interpretations, tested in Component 1. The NEA assesses all three. Knowing which AO a question targets tells you whether to focus on sources, interpretations or your own argument.
What is the Historical Investigation (NEA) in AQA A-Level History?
The NEA is a personal study of around 3,500 to 4,500 words on a question of your choice, covering a period of about 100 years and an issue that is distinct from the content of your two exam options. It must evaluate both primary sources and the differing interpretations of historians, and reach a supported judgement. It is marked by your school against AO1, AO2 and AO3 and moderated by AQA, and is worth 20% of the A-level.
Which AQA A-Level History options are most popular?
Among the most widely taught are the Tudors (1C England 1485 to 1603), Germany 1871 to 1991 (2P Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany), Russia 1917 to 1991 (2N Revolution and Dictatorship), and Britain transformed or its nineteenth and twentieth century equivalents such as 1J The British Empire and 2S The Making of Modern Britain 1951 to 2007. This site covers the Tudors, Germany, Russia and Britain alongside the exam-skills you need for every option.
How should I revise an option-based History A-level?
Revise the content of your two specific options against AQA's named key questions, because the essays are written from them. Build a bank of precise evidence (dates, figures, names) for each theme, then drill the three exam skills separately: evaluating primary sources for provenance and content (Component 2), comparing historians' interpretations (Component 1), and planning analytical, argument-led essays. Practise under timed conditions using AQA past papers for your exact options.