England · Pearson EdexcelSyllabus
History syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the England Historysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Breadth Study with Interpretations (Paper 1)
Module overview →- How was Britain transformed politically, socially and economically between 1918 and 1997, and how far did the lives of ordinary people change?Paper 1 Option 2E Britain transformed 1918 to 1997: changes in society, the economy, politics and the role of the state across the period, with interpretations on the impact of the Second World War.14 min answer →
- How did communist rule develop and change in Russia and China between 1917 and 1989, and what were the limits of that change?Paper 1 Option 1D/equivalent: the establishment, consolidation and evolution of communist states in Russia and China, assessing change and continuity in government, economy and society over the long period.14 min answer →
- Why did the Cold War begin, and how do historians' interpretations of responsibility for it differ?The interpretations element of Paper 1: how to read, contextualise and weigh extracts from historians, using the historiography of the origins of the Cold War (orthodox, revisionist and post-revisionist schools).13 min answer →
Depth Study (Paper 2)
Module overview →- How did Mao Zedong establish and maintain communist control of China between 1949 and 1976, and at what human cost?Paper 2 Option 2H.1 Mao's China 1949 to 1976: the establishment of communist rule, the command economy and the Great Leap Forward, social change, and the Cultural Revolution.14 min answer →
- How did the SED establish, maintain and ultimately lose control of the German Democratic Republic between 1949 and 1990?Paper 2 Option 2A.1 The German Democratic Republic 1949 to 1990: the establishment and consolidation of the SED state, life in the GDR, the role of the Stasi, and the collapse of the regime.14 min answer →
- How do you answer the Paper 2 Section A source question on using two sources together to investigate an enquiry?The Paper 2 Section A source question (AO2): the 'How far could the historian make use of Sources 1 and 2 together to investigate...' stem, and how to weigh content, provenance and own knowledge across both sources to judge their combined value for the enquiry.14 min answer →
- How did the struggle for African American civil rights develop in the USA from emancipation in 1865 to 1992, and how much had changed?Paper 2 Option 2G.1 The USA civil rights 1865 to 1992: the changing position of African Americans, the campaigns and federal responses, and the methods and impact of the civil rights movement.14 min answer →
Historical Skills and Coursework
Module overview →- How do you analyse and weigh historians' interpretations for AO3 across the Edexcel papers and coursework?The AO3 skill of analysing historians' interpretations: identifying an argument, understanding why historians differ, and weighing extracts using your own knowledge in Paper 1, Paper 3 and the coursework.13 min answer →
- How do you evaluate a primary source for its value to a historical enquiry across the Edexcel papers and coursework?The AO2 skill of evaluating primary source material: provenance, tone, content, value and limitations in context, as tested in Paper 2, Paper 3 and the coursework.13 min answer →
- How do you plan and write a top-level AO1 essay for the Edexcel A-Level History exam papers?The AO1 essay skill common to every route: decoding the command stem, planning thematically, building an argument with supported judgement, and writing to the Level 5 descriptor in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3.14 min answer →
- What do AO1, AO2 and AO3 reward in Edexcel A-Level History, and which paper and question tests each one?The three assessment objectives AO1, AO2 and AO3: what each rewards, how they are weighted across the 9HI0 qualification, and which paper and question type targets each, the examinable spine common to every route.13 min answer →
- What does the Edexcel A-Level History coursework require, and how do you build a strong independent enquiry?The Paper 4 coursework (NEA): a 3000 to 4000 word independent enquiry on a chosen question, analysing differing historical interpretations and reaching a substantiated judgement.13 min answer →
Themes in Breadth with Aspects in Depth (Paper 3)
Module overview →- How did protest movements challenge those in power in Britain between c1780 and 1928, and how far did they achieve change?Paper 3 Option 36.1 Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform c1780 to 1928: the themes of changing political power and popular protest, with depth studies on key episodes such as Chartism and the suffrage campaigns.14 min answer →
- How did Germany change as it was united, divided and reunited between 1871 and 1990, and how do you answer the Paper 3 questions on it?Paper 3 Option 37.2 Germany 1871 to 1990 united, divided and reunited: the breadth themes of political change, opposition and economic development across the Kaiserreich, Weimar, Nazi and divided periods, with the four depth aspects that the source and depth-essay questions are built on.15 min answer →
- How do you analyse a primary source and weigh historians' interpretations in the same Paper 3 exam?Paper 3 skills: the structure of the paper and how to answer the source question (AO2) and the interpretations question (AO3) on the depth topics, alongside the breadth essay (AO1).13 min answer →
- Why did the witch craze rise and fall in early modern Europe, and what does it reveal about belief, power and society?Paper 3 Option 31 The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America c1580 to c1750: the themes behind the rise and decline of witch persecution, with depth studies of major outbreaks.14 min answer →