Topic Two (0.2): Introduction to AL History – Examinations and Course Structure

Introduction Icon.png Introduction

This topic will familiarise you with the structure of the AL History course and the exams you are working towards. It also indicates where you can find more detail on these.

Exam Prep Icon.jpg Exam Preparation

To complete your A Level in History, in addition to the two AS papers, which you may have taken in an earlier exam sitting, for the AL part of the course, you will sit two papers as follows:

Paper 3: Interpretations Question

  • 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • 1 x 40-mark question
  • 20% of the A Level
  • Topic 2: The Holocaust

Paper 4: Depth Study

  • 1 hour and 45 minutes
  • 2 x 30 mark-questions on your depth study.
  • 30% of the A Level
  • Depth Study 1: European history in the interwar years, 1919–1941

Optional Activities Icon.png Course Structure

  • We study Paper 4: Depth Study first, as there is more content to cover, and it is assessed by a traditional essay paper.
  • We study three of the four themes in this paper, covered in Modules One to Six. They are:
    • Mussolini’s Italy (1919–41)
    • Stalin’s Russia (1924–41)
    • Hitler’s Germany (1929–1941)
  • You will then your attention to Paper 3: Interpretations Question. Here you will look at the Holocaust and examine the development of the debate about the causes and culpability. This is covered in Modules Seven to Eleven.
  • Module Twelve is a Revision and Exam Practice
  • The reading grid at the end of your downloadable Programme of Study gives a more detailed overview of all the modules and the topics within them and is also useful to print out so you can tick them off as you go along.

Exam Prep Icon.jpg Exam Preparation

Exam and Assignment Questions

  • History essays need to be structured clearly and appropriately, so it’s important you follow our guidance to maximise your chances of success.
  • You will face the following types of question in your exams and in the assignments on this course:
    • Paper 3 will always ask, ‘What can you learn from this extract about the interpretation and approach of the historian who wrote it? Use the extract and your knowledge of the Holocaust to explain your answer.’
    • Paper 4 will require you to write two substantial essays. You will choosetwo questions from the three themes we have covered and write an essay on each.

Assessment Objectives

  • The assessment objectives (AOs) for AS and A Level History are as follows:
    • AO1: Recall, select and deploy historical knowledge appropriately and effectively.
    • AO2: Demonstrate an understanding of the past through explanation, analysis and a substantiated judgement of key concepts: causation, consequence, continuity, change and significance within an historical context, the relationships between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
    • AO3: Analyse, evaluate and interpret a range of appropriate source material.
    • AO4: Analyse and evaluate how aspects of the past have been interpreted and represented.

Skills Icon.png Tasks

  • A more detailed overview of the format of each exam paper is available on pages 7 to 9 of the CAIE Learner Guide. and in the Cambridge Learner Guide:

Download PRINT OUT & READ – The CAIE Learner Guide for AS and AL History

  • We suggest you print this document out now so you can keep it in your folder and refer to it as you work through the course.
  • Read an explanation of the assessment objectives from Cambridge on page 8 of the Learner Guide. Check which ones apply to which AL papers.
  • Now study the mark schemes for Papers 3 and 4 carefully, as they give valuable guidance about what you need to demonstrate to achieve a high grade:

Download READ – Specimen Mark Scheme for Paper 3

Download READ – Specimen Mark Scheme for Paper 4

  • What are the key elements of a top grade answer in each?
  • Now compare the two essay question papers and mark schemes from AS and AL: Paper 2 (AS) and Paper 4 (AL). What are the key differences between the two papers?
  • What are the different demands of Paper 4?
  • List the possible command words and their meanings from page 9 of the Learner Guide.
  • Summarise the advice for Paper 3 and Paper 4 on page 19 of the Learner Guide.