History

Assessment

At A-level, there are three assessment components. Component 1 assesses students’ understanding of breadth and of historical interpretations. Component 2 assesses understanding of depth and of the value of primary sources. Component 3 is a Historical Investigation (non-exam assessment). Component 3 is worth 20% of your A Level grade. Paper One There will be a compulsory question in Section A testing students’ ability to analyse and evaluate the views of historians (AO3). Three sources will be provided, containing historical interpretations linked to a broad issue or development. Students will be required to identify the arguments and evaluate them. In doing so, they must apply knowledge and understanding of the historical context to these arguments and interpretations. This question carries 30 marks. Section B will contain four essay questions of which students are required to answer two. Each essay is designed to test historical understanding over a broad chronology of approximately 20 years. The focus of these questions will be, as appropriate, on understanding causation, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance over time. Each question in this section carries 25 marks. Paper Two In section A there will be a compulsory question testing students’ ability to analyse and evaluate the value of primary sources to an historian studying a particular issue or development. Three sources will be set for evaluation. In their assessments, students are expected to evaluate the sources, considering, for example, provenance, style and emphasis and the content of the sources. Students must deploy knowledge and understanding of the historical context when making their assessments. This question carries 30 marks. Section B will contain three essay questions of which students are required to answer two. Each essay is designed to test historical understanding in depth, by a focus on events, issues and developments and the interrelationships of various perspectives as they apply to the question. Each question in this section carries 25 marks. Historical Enquiry: an internally marked, externally moderated essay of approximately 3,500 words.