GCSE Edexcel History Unit 2A Exam structure

You have 75 minutes

Question 1(a) -  (4 marks) - 4 minutes

Question 1(b) - (6 marks) - 10 minutes

Question 1(c) - (8 marks) - 12 minutes

Question 1(d) - (8 marks) - 12 minutes

Question 2(a) - (8 marks) OR   Question 2(b) - (8 marks) - 12 minutes

Question 3(a) - (16 marks) OR  Question 3(b)  - (16 marks) - 24 minutes

Therefore, in total you only answer 6 questions which add up to a maximum of 50 marks.

You can have one minute at the end to flick through and add detail.

• This will always be a four mark question with a source.
• Spend about 4 minutes on it. It's easy to do it in two minutes, as long as you don't overwrite.
• For one mark you paraphrase the source-put it in your own words.
• For two marks you make an inference-you make a judgement about the source.
• For three marks you make 2 inferences.
• For four marks you make one inference and one explanation-like a quote from the source which proves your inference.
• You don't even need personal knowledge for this.

• This is always a 6 mark question.
• Spend about 10 minutes on it.
• It will always basically want you to 'Describe the key features'
• For one mark: one simple statement.
• For two marks: two simple statements.
• For three marks: three simple statements.
• For four to six marks: one mark per each simple statements and one mark per each explanation.

• This is an 8 mark question.
• Spend about 12 minutes on it.
• It always asks you to 'Explain the effects'.
• For one mark: one simple statement.
• For two marks: two or more simple statements.
• For three marks: one developed statement of consequences/effects.
• For four to five marks: two or more developed statements.
• For six to seven marks: two fully explained consequences.
• For eight marks: two full explained consequences/effects and link them all together.

• This is an 8 mark question.
• Spend about 12 minutes on it.
• It always asks you to 'Explain why...'.
• It almost has the same structure as 1 (c)
• For one mark: one simple statement.
• For two marks: two or more simple statements.
• For three marks: one developed statement of consequences/effects.
• For four to five marks: two or more developed statements.
• For six marks: two fully explained consequences.
• For seven marks: a link between the causes.
• For eight marks: two full explained consequences/effects and link them all together, as well as prioritising-showing which cause is most important.

• This is an 8 mark question.
• Spend about 12 minutes on it.
• It always asks you to 'Explain how', referring to changes.
• For one mark: one simple statement of change.
• For two marks: two or more simple statements of change.
• For three marks: one developed statement of change.
• For four to five marks: two or more developed statements of change.
• For six to seven marks: two fully explained changes.
• For eight marks: two full explained changes and linked together.

• This is a 16 mark question.
• It gives you 4 bullet points that you can use as reasons in your answer, but you can use other reasons from your own knowledge if you want.
• You should have an introduction, 4 main paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Introduction: A response to the question, agreeing or disagreeing with it. You should mention the other three reasons you're going to use in it, and perhaps suggest which reason you think is most important without explanation. Keep it brief.
• 4 main paragraphs: In each paragraph you should introduce the reason briefly at first, then describe an event and a consequence and then link it to the question, explaining if it (for example) had a sigificant effect on Germany. Do this for the four paragraphs.
• Conclusion: summarise the arguement and show that you know there are different reasons for what the question asks. Then, link some of the reasons. For example, say ' 'this' wouldn't have happened if 'this' hadn't happened'. Finally, prioritise and state which reason you think is most important. And then, explain why.

• For one mark: one statement of causation.
• For two marks: two statements of causation.
• For three marks: three statements of causation.
• For four marks: four statements of causation.
• For five or six marks: developed statements of causation which agree or disagree with the question.
• For seven or eight marks: two developments of the bullet points.
• For nine to eleven marks: developed statements of causation, agreeing or disagreeing with the question with explanation. A precise answer.
• For twelve marks: four developed bullet points.
• For thirteen to sixteen marks: a sustained arguement that develops all 4 bullet points as well as linking each on to the question. Also, links between points are needed as well as prioritisation- showing which one is the most important and explaining why.