History

    AQA
    GCSE

    Specification: 8145

    History develops your ability to analyse evidence, evaluate interpretations and construct arguments about the past. You'll explore significant events, people and societies while developing critical thinking skills.

    16

    Topics

    0

    Objectives

    65

    Exam Tips

    64

    Pitfalls

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    Key Features

    • Analyse primary sources
    • Evaluate historical interpretations
    • Understand cause and consequence
    • Construct evidenced arguments

    Assessment Objectives

    AO1
    45%

    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the historical periods studied

    AO2
    35%

    Explain and analyse historical events and periods studied using second-order historical concepts.

    AO3
    15%

    Analyse, evaluate and use sources (contemporary to the period) to make substantiated judgements, in the context of historical events studied.

    AO4
    15%

    Analyse, evaluate and make substantiated judgements about interpretations (including how and why interpretations may differ) in the context of historical events studied.

    What Gets Top Grades

    A*/Grade 9

    Knowledge & Understanding

    Demonstrates comprehensive and accurate knowledge

    • Uses correct subject-specific terminology
    • Shows detailed understanding of concepts
    • Makes accurate connections between topics
    • Demonstrates depth beyond surface-level knowledge

    Application

    Applies knowledge effectively to new contexts

    • Selects relevant knowledge for the question
    • Adapts understanding to unfamiliar scenarios
    • Uses examples appropriately
    • Shows awareness of context

    Analysis & Evaluation

    Develops sophisticated analytical arguments

    • Constructs logical chains of reasoning
    • Considers multiple perspectives
    • Weighs evidence to reach justified conclusions
    • Acknowledges limitations and nuances

    Key Command Words

    AQA
    State
    1 mark

    Give a single fact or term

    Identify
    1 mark

    Name, select, or recognise

    Outline
    2 marks

    Set out main features briefly

    Describe
    2-4 marks

    Give an account of what something is like or what happens

    Explain
    3-6 marks

    Give reasons with developed cause→effect chains

    Compare
    2-4 marks

    State similarities AND differences (both required)

    Analyse
    6-9 marks

    Examine in detail showing cause→effect→consequence chains

    Evaluate
    6-12 marks

    Weigh up BOTH sides, reach JUSTIFIED conclusion

    Assess
    6-12 marks

    Make judgments about importance with justification

    Calculate
    2-4 marks

    Show formula→substitution→calculation→answer with units

    Common Exam Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exams

    • •Confusing the criteria for 'utility' (usefulness) with 'convincingness' (accuracy) in the interpretation question
    • •Treating Native American tribes as a monolithic group rather than distinct nations with specific responses to expansion
    • •Failing to distinguish between the 'Early' (1840s-50s) and 'Late' (1860s-90s) periods of settlement and conflict
    • •Describing events narratively in the 'In what ways' question rather than explaining the second-order concept (consequence/change)
    • •Confusing the 'convincing' question (AO4) with a 'utility' question; candidates must check the interpretation against knowledge, not evaluate reliability.
    • •Attributing the hyperinflation crisis of 1923 directly to the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
    • •Describing the content of interpretations without identifying the overarching argument or 'view' of the historian/author.
    • •Failing to link the Enabling Act legally to the end of the Weimar Constitution, treating it merely as a violent takeover.

    Top Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for exam success

    • •For Q2 (Why they differ), explicitly link the author's background or the date of writing to their specific argument
    • •In Q3 (Which is more convincing), do not discuss reliability or bias; focus entirely on which view aligns best with your factual knowledge
    • •Allocate 5 minutes to Q1 and Q2, 10 minutes to Q3, and 20-25 minutes to the final essay
    • •Ensure the 16-mark essay contains a clear criteria for judgment in the introduction (e.g., 'The most significant factor was X because...')
    • •Use specific terminology (e.g., 'Manifest Destiny', 'Total War', 'Assimilation') to demonstrate precise AO1 control
    • •For the 'How do they differ' question, identify the main contrast in the overall view, then support with a detail from each text.
    • •In the 8-mark 'Convincing' question, do not waste time on provenance (bias/reliability); focus entirely on applying your knowledge to support or challenge the content.
    • •Allocate 15 minutes to the final 12-mark question; ensure you conclude with a judgment on relative importance.

    Specification Topics

    16 topics

    America, 1840-1895: Expansion and consolidation

    0 objectives5 tips4 pitfalls

    Germany, 1890-1945: Democracy and dictatorship

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Russia, 1894-1945: Tsardom and communism

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    America, 1920-1973: Opportunity and inequality

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Conflict and tension: The First World War, 1894-1918

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Conflict and tension: The inter-war years, 1918-1939

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-1972

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Conflict and tension in Asia, 1950-1975

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Conflict and tension in the Gulf and Afghanistan, 1990-2009

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Britain: Power and the people: c1170 to the present day

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Norman England, c1066-c1100

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Medieval England: the reign of Edward I, 1272-1307

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Elizabethan England, c1568-1603

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

    Restoration England, 1660-1685

    0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

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