← History syllabus

EnglandHistory

Exam skills

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you compare and evaluate two historical interpretations?

Identifying how two interpretations differ, explaining why they differ, and evaluating which interpretation is more convincing using content and contextual knowledge.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History interpretations questions, covering how to identify the difference between two interpretations, explain why they differ, and judge which is more convincing using detail and your own knowledge.
11 min answer →

How do you judge the usefulness of a source in AQA GCSE History?

Analysing the usefulness of a source for a stated enquiry using its content together with its provenance (nature, origin and purpose), and applying contextual knowledge.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History source questions, covering how to weigh a source's content against its provenance (nature, origin and purpose) and use contextual knowledge to reach a judgement on usefulness.
11 min answer →

How do you structure a top-band 16-mark history essay?

Planning and writing a balanced 16-mark essay that argues both sides, supports each point with precise evidence and reaches a justified, criteria-based judgement.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History 16-mark essay, covering how to plan a balanced argument, support each point with precise evidence, reach a justified judgement and pick up the spelling, punctuation and grammar marks attached to this question.
11 min answer →

How are the two AQA GCSE History papers structured and timed?

The structure, timing and mark allocation of Paper 1 (Understanding the modern world) and Paper 2 (Shaping the nation), and how the question types map onto each section.
A focused answer to the structure of AQA GCSE History (8145), covering the two papers, their timing and marks, the four kinds of study and how the question types are distributed across them.
10 min answer →

How do you write an analytical narrative account that links events?

Writing an analytical narrative account that selects relevant events, places them in order and explains how each event led to the next towards an outcome.
A focused answer to the AQA GCSE History narrative account question, covering how to select relevant events, sequence them in order and link each one to the next so the account analyses how events developed rather than simply listing them.
10 min answer →