1. Questions about the Course and the Subject (FAQs)

  1. Do I need to do all of the activities in the modules?

The modules have been been designed to guide you through your course in clear stages; they introduce you to each topic and indicate where you can find the crucial information in your textbooks, helping you to build up your knowledge and understanding so that you are equipped to complete the assignments as fully and with as much detail as possible. They also suggest useful activities and ways of recording the information you need, as well as supporting you in developing the level of analysis required.

  1. I have tried to access the resources mentioned from MASSOLIT, The Historical Association or Active History and it says I need a password. What is this?

These are three collections of resources, which you should find very helpful. They include podcasts, lectures and activities which relate to the topics you are studying. They are all password-protected, but you can access them as Wolsey Hall has a subscription to each. The passwords, which can change from time to time, are listed in General Resources.

  1. What is the most effective way to make notes?

Start with the key question for each topic, and put it at the head of a sheet of file paper. Make notes from your textbooks, as indicated by the page numbers listed. When you have worked through the topic, consult the extra resources on Canvas, and use these to add extra points and examples to your notes.

  1. What is the best way to make sure I will remember the content?

There is a lot of information to assimilate in History, and making clear notes, as indicated above, is a good starting point. Remember that notes do not just need to be lines of writing; diagrams, pictures and mind maps can all be helpful. When you have finished a module, look back at the key question, and check you could write a brief, clear answer to it.

  1. Why is it necessary to use the links in the modules as well as the textbooks?

If you are working to achieve a high grade, the textbooks will ensure you gain a clear overview of events, but they won’t always provide sufficient detail or analysis. The extra resources and activities, specified in the module pages, will supply these. They will also help you see the wide range of opinion and debate that surrounds many of the issues in History. Undertaking your own research on the internet, with discrimination, will further add to your understanding. We are always interested to hear of any resources you have found particularly useful.

  1. What is examined in each of the AS exam papers?

Topics within the AS syllabus rotate each year so that one topic is assessed in Paper 1 (documents) and the remaining three in Paper 2. The prescribed topic for Paper 1 is not assessed in Paper 2 for that year. This means each topic will be the prescribed topic for Paper 1 every four years. For our course, based on the American option: The History of the USA, 1820–1941, the four topics are:

      1. The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61
      2. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77
      3. The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920
      4. The Great Crash, The Great Depression and the New Deal policies, 1920–41.

The topics for each paper will rotate on a yearly basis, as follows:

Topics assessed in 2024:

Paper 1                   

      • The Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal Policies, 1920–41 

Paper 2

      • The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61
      • Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77
      • The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920

Topics assessed in 2025:

Paper 1

      • The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61

Paper 2

      • Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77 
      • The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920 
      • The Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal Policies, 1920–41

Topics assessed in 2026:

 Paper 1

      • Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77

 Paper 2

      • The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61
      • The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920
      • The Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal Policies, 1920–41

 Topics assessed in 2027:

 Paper 1

      • The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s to 1920

 Paper 2

      • The Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61
      • Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77
      • The Great Crash, the Great Depression and the New Deal Policies, 1920–41
  1. The AL course doesn't include Theme 4: Britain, 1919-39, which is in the specification. Why is this?

We omit Theme 4: Britain, 1919-39. This is because there will always be four separate questions on this option in Paper 4, one of which will be on each module, including the last one on Britain. The Wolsey Hall course covers three out of four modules, so you still have some choice, but don't spread yourself too thinly. This approach follows the advice from the exam board.

For Paper 3 (AL), there is only one set of questions for each option, so you will not have a choice, and need to cover the entire section of the specification.

  1. If I complete practice essays, will you mark them for me?

Unfortunately we can only mark the course assignments. It is still valuable practice to complete timed essays and/or essay plans and to check these yourself though, applying the knowledge you have gained from your tutor’s feedback on your assignments and the generic mark schemes provided in the General Resources section on Canvas. You will also find specific tips on content in the examiners’ reports available in the Exam Preparation Module at the end of the course from 2021 onwards, once there are past papers available for this syllabus.

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