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A Level History Coursework AQA – A Guide

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  • Post date January 8, 2024
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This guide shows you how to plan, research and write A Level History Coursework for AQA using ideas, resources, examples and structure. This coursework is weighted in the following format. Assessment Objective One (AO1) 10% (20 marks), Assessment Objective Two (AO2) 5% (10 marks) and Assessment Objective Three (AO3) 5% (10 marks). For AQA coursework this gives a total of 20% (40 marks) divided as shown above across all three of the A Level History Assessment Objectives.

A Level History Coursework AQA – Ideas, Examples and Resources

Choosing an Issue and Question – You are required to identify an issue or topic that you wish to study and develop a question from this. This gives a broad scope for potential questions. There are however two specific requirements of the question.

  • The question must not duplicate any of the content that you are studying for examination assessment in components 1 and 2.
  • The question must place the issue or topic in the context of approximately 100 years of history.

Question Ideas, Example and Selection

There are two potential ways to ensure that you cover the 100 year requirement for this coursework. You could identify an issue and related question which traces development over approximately 100 years. Alternatively, you could focus on a narrower issue but place it in the context of a 100 year period. Lets look at a couple of examples below to make this clear.

  • Q1. Q. ‘Despite a period of unprecedented economic and social change, British women remained marginalised and downtrodden’. During the period 1760-1867, assess the validity of this view. – This is the perfect example of a broad issue and question from which you could analyse development over the time period.
  • Q2. In the context of the period 1905 to 2003, to what extent was the Cuban missile crisis the biggest turning point in the relationship between Russia and the USA? – This question highlights a more specific issue (the Cuban missile crisis) and places it in context of the relationship between the two countries over the c100 year period.

There are some key points to consider when selecting a question for your coursework.

  • Question formulation – Students are advised to use the type of question formulations seen in AQA examinations and shown in the examples above.
  • Historiographical debate – There needs to be a scholarly debate around the question or issue. This means differing views on the question from different historians. This makes it easier to select appropriate works to analyse and compare.
  • Primary sources – Is there a range of primary sources and primary material available to support the coursework? These primary resources need to be accessible to the student.

Coursework Resources

  • Library – school, local, college, university – you should be able to borrow appropriate works.
  • Teacher – your teacher should be able to provide you with copies of appropriate resources to use.
  • JSTOR – www.jstor.org – contains a large collection of journal articles from historical publications covering numerous topics. These will often engage in the historical debate by replying to opposing views.
  • Purchase Books – many second-hand books are available to purchase at very cheap prices through Amazon or similar sites.

A Level History Coursework AQA – Structure and Planning

First section – introduction to the question (c. 350 words).

Introduction to the overall topic. You need to put the question into context by providing relevant information regarding what was happening at the time. You then need to define any key terms in the question. For the British women example question above you would need to define ‘remained marginalised and downtrodden’ .

This we could do by defining;

  • remained as showing continuity rather than change
  • marginalised as a group treated as insignificant and peripheral. 
  • downtrodden as a group oppressed or treated badly by those in power.

You would then need to set-out valid criteria by which the question can be judged in order to provide an accurate answer. These criteria will go on to become your factors as you can see in the plan below.

For the British women example question, we could potentially use the following criteria to judge whether they remained marginalised and downtrodden. Did women’s lives change for the better, during the period, in the following different areas?

  • Socially and Culturally
  • Legally and Politically
  • Education and Work

Second Section – Historians Viewpoints (c. 800 words – 400 each)

In this section we look at the viewpoints of two different academic historians. In order to achieve the highest marks, Level 5 (9-10 Marks) we need to do the following:

  • Show a very good understanding of the differing historical interpretations raised in the question.
  • Convincingly evaluate the interpretations with reference to time, context and/or limitations placed on the historians.

Using the example Cold War question shown above, you could analyse the views of a US historian writing after the Cold War has ended, with a Soviet historian writing during the period. This would enable you to contrast the content of both works and evaluate the interpretations given. This would also show how the time period affected the works, how limitations affected the works, how purpose affected the works, amongst many other issues that help to explain the authors differing viewpoints.

Third Section – Factor 1 and Source 1 (c. 650 words Factor 1 and 350 words Source 1)

In this section you cover the first factor that you have identified from your criteria in the introduction, as well as one of your primary sources that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question this section would concentrate on the Socially and Culturally factor that we are using as criteria to answer the question. Crucially you have to cover the time period and show your understanding of change and continuity as illustrated by the mark scheme detailed below.

  • Level 5 (17-20) marks – Very good understanding of change and continuity within the context of approximately 100 years.

You then add to this section your evaluation of your first primary source that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question you would have a primary source that related to the Socially and Culturally factor being covered here.

Fourth Section – Factor 2 and Source 2 (c. 650 words Factor 2 and 350 words Source 2 )

In this section you cover the second factor that you have identified from your criteria in the introduction, as well as one of your primary sources that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question this section would concentrate on the Legally and Politically factor that we are using as criteria to answer the question. Crucially you have to cover the time period and show your understanding of change and continuity as illustrated by the mark scheme detailed below.

You then add to this section your evaluation of your first primary source that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question you would have a primary source that related to the Legally and Politically factor being covered here.

Fifth Section – Factor 3 and Source 3 (c. 650 words Factor 3 and 350 words Source 3 )

In this section you cover the second factor that you have identified from your criteria in the introduction, as well as one of your primary sources that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question this section would concentrate on the Education and Work factor that we are using as criteria to answer the question. Crucially you have to cover the time period and show your understanding of change and continuity as illustrated by the mark scheme detailed below.

You then add to this section your evaluation of your first primary source that matches with this theme. So for the British women example question you would have a primary source that related to the Education and Work factor being covered here.

Sixth Section – Overall Conclusion (c. 350 words)

In the final section you need to produce an overall conclusion that fully answers the coursework question. So for the British women question you would be answering ‘did they remain marginalised and downtrodden during this period?’. This will take into account everything you have considered throughout the piece of work including your criteria, the viewpoints of the academic historians, the primary sources and the factors that you have covered from your criteria. In reaching a final judgement and conclusion, you need to take into account the entire period considering continuity and change across it, as you should have done throughout the rest of the coursework.

A Level History Coursework AQA – Primary Source Analysis

A Level History Coursework AQA

Looking at the primary source mark scheme table from the AQA website can help you to understand the requirements. Firstly, you must ensure that three sources are used and that there are a minimum of two different types (can be two different types of written source). To achieve the highest marks you must then ensure that a range of relevant and well supported comments are made on the value of the sources. Finally, you must provide a balanced and convincing judgement on the merits of each source in relation to our question.

Assessing Your Primary Sources

  • Provenance – The five W’s of Who, Why, What, When, Where; can help you to identify the provenance of a primary source and assess its value or limitations.
  • Tone and Emphasis – How does the tone and emphasis impact the value of the source. Is it impartial, critical, formal, aggressive, empathetic, mocking, candid etc?
  • Content – What is the actual content of the source saying? How true is this in terms of your contextual knowledge? Is there value in the inaccuracies of the content?
  • Value/Limitations and Judgement – The above three points ( Provenance, Tone and Emphasis and Content ) can be used to assess how much we can learn from the source, by weighing up value and limitations, as well as giving judgement on the merit of the source.

How To Improve Further at A Level History

Pass A Level History – is our sister site, which shows you step by step, how to most effectively answer any A Level History extract, source or essay question. Please click the following link to visit the site and get access to your free preview lesson. www.passalevelhistory.co.uk

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Coursework Help UK

How to Write A-Level History Coursework

History coursework is an academic paper which requires students’ critical thinking and evaluation on any historical events or on a series of events. This is done by including and mentioning different resources, perspectives, and interpretation of the happenings. A-level history coursework is all about writing essays. Regardless of your knowledge, if you are unable to produce a good essay you won’t be awarded good marks by your examiner.

To write a coursework, you need to have reliable resources from where you can collect information. You must also possess analytical thinking skills which help to determine the causes and effects of an event. You may also consider coursework sample to have a better understanding of the work which you are required to ask.

Taking a history course in A-levels seems to be very easy until you are asked to write a coursework. From here things become difficult for majority students as they don’t have any clear guidance to come up with a good essay. If you are also facing this difficulty, then don’t worry because you’re at the right place. This post will provide complete guidance on how to write A-level history coursework . Let’s find out more about it.

How to write a good coursework introduction?

History coursework usually depends on the thesis statement which is written in the introduction. Come up with a strong thesis statement. It is because the thesis statement describes the writer’s area of interest and the context which you are going to cover.

The introduction should be catchy and must sound appealing to the readers. While writing the introduction focus more on writing about the historical events which you have chosen to evaluate. Refer it with some pieces of evidence or facts. You can also show support by including relevant historical policies and statistics.

To make a great start, mind map a sheet with questions as it might help in building a better understanding of the subject. By doing so, it will be easy to formulate an impressive introduction. You can take help from your teacher, friend, or tutor in this regard. Moreover, look at different A-level coursework examples available at the school library.

Things to Include in Your History Coursework Body:

In the body paragraph of the history coursework, including all the arguments which support the introductory statements. For this purpose, you must have a list of outlined facts in chronological order. First, explain your quotes. Try to explain them in your own words rather than copying exact words and then shows how they support your point of view. Do include other historian’s interpretation in the same paragraph before finalizing your view.

Create a table which tabulates the data and by using statistics support your analysis with the relevant historical shreds of evidence as well as support the original interpretation. Also, highlights the limitations of the interpretation by giving a rough idea of the things which you haven’t included.

Then introduce the next interpretation and observe how similar and different it is with the previous one. Later, by following the same format conclude your essay.

How to Write a Compelling Conclusion:

The conclusion of your coursework should focus on two sources which are the most credible and detailed along with the reasons which show that your answer is according to the question. While writing the conclusion, restate your thesis statement and summarize the entire idea of the paper in just two to three lines. Also, justifies the shreds of evidence which are provided throughout the essay.

Some Easy to Understand Tips on Structuring a History Coursework:

The structure of history coursework is not much different from other academic papers. All you need is a precise introduction, main body paragraphs, and a conclusion which summarizes the entire essay.

Mentioned below are few easy A-level history tips to write a fine quality of coursework:

  • Stick to the required word limit. If the required word count is of 2000 words so, avoid exceeding it unlike most students do. Writing more than the required word limit often leads to the repetition of ideas and sentences. Moreover, writing more put you in danger of the penalty of writing too much.
  • Do structure your work like other academic essays. As it is not much different from other academic paper so, do write an introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • Provide evidence to ensure that you refer to facts frequently. Also, give citation of quotes which you have taken from different sources.
  • Make sure that you fully concentrate on your coursework question. Make it clear while introducing the subject along with the interpretation’s view. The side which you think is most credible support it with various historical pieces of evidence and examples. This will help you in forming a basis on which your judgment would be made.
  • Remember in school, you were provided with an essay structure and how you can handle the sources. Here too, this will be very helpful as it will assist you to come up with not just a good structure but also a good flow of the essay. However, if you are not provided with a structure then simply familiarize yourself with each interpretation of the question as it might prove to be useful. Beginning your essay with a clear understanding which supports your arguments will help you in developing a good introduction.

Final Words:

Although, it is very stressful to come up with a competitive and coherent piece of work, especially when you lack research skills and don’t have a good grasp of grammar. However, all these things can be overcome if you know how to correct them. Producing a quality history coursework is not easy but it is not that much difficult. Follow the above-mentioned guide and try to create a better paper which not just impresses your teacher but also awards you with good grades.

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how to write a level history coursework

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how to write a level history coursework

History Coursework: how to Choose the Best Question

  • Dr Janet Rose
  • June 13, 2020

So, just when you thought your first A-level History year was over and you could relax before tackling next year, you have to think about your history coursework. This will be the non-exam assessment (NEA) or Historical Investigation.  It can cause a lot of angst amongst students but taking some time and thinking it through carefully before you start can make the world of difference.

1. Choose to study something interesting for your history coursework

If you have the chance to choose whichever topic you like for your history coursework and set your own question, or if you are given a list of different topics, choose one you are genuinely interested in. You will be working on this piece for months, so it makes sense to choose something that will hold your interest.

2. Make sure there are no clashes with your other topics

In practice, there are constraints set by the various exam boards to make sure that your topic does not overlap with the components you are already studying for your A level or Pre U. Your exam centre (school, college or independent centre) will need to have your question approved by the exam board and they will not approve a topic with an obvious overlap. For example, if you are already studying the Tudors for AQA, it is unlikely that you can  study a topic set in England between 1485 to 1603. Therefore, if you are setting your own question, ask yourself if it overlaps in date or topic with one of your components. If it does, you will need to find an alternative. Each exam board has slightly different rules, so check on their website to see what the rules are for your exam board.

3. Find your source material early

For your history coursework, you will need to find two types of source material – primary and secondary:

P rimary sources are those that were written at the time and you will also need to find a range of these to support your investigation. To achieve high marks you should look for a variety of primary sources, for example, a letter, a report, a painting, a speech etc.

Secondary sources are scholarly books or articles by historians, or what the a-level exam boards call ‘interpretations.’ this means that your investigation will only be viable if historians have written about the topic and, preferably, argued over it. you will need to understand the arguments that provide a framework for your chosen topic. historians call this the historiography..

Therefore, the question you set yourself will only be able to achieve high marks if you make sure there are both secondary sources (scholarly argument) and primary sources (original material) to support your investigation. If you cannot find these, you should re-think your question.

History Coursework

4. Remember you actually have to answer the question!

It sounds really obvious – but remember that you actually have to answer the question you set yourself!  You need to choose something that is achievable in the time frame and gives you a good chance of success. A good question will give you a framework within which to research and write – you are looking for something that is not too vague nor too wide.

You also need something that you can address in the historical time frame (e.g. around 100 years for AQA) and a topic that you can analyse and evaluate in approximately 3, 500 words (check the word limit for your own exam board). In practice, any question that is too wide, too vague or unlikely to be achievable should be vetoed either by your school/college/independent centre or the exam board. However, this will waste your valuable time and is not totally foolproof, so choose an achievable project to give yourself a fighting chance of achieving that elusive A grade.

5. Choose a good format for your history coursework question

The standard ‘for and against’ question format will always be a good choice and will give you a framework within which to set your investigation. There are various ways to word such a question e.g. ‘How far…’, To what extent…’ ‘Within the context of … how important was…’ which will give you a clear framework and a direction for your investigation. Keep it simple is good advice here. Remember, though, to define your framework by including the date range in your question. For example ‘Within the context of 1790 to 1890, how important was…?’

Done well, the NEA or Personal Investigation will teach you a huge amount about how historians work, how sources are used and how to construct an argument. This will help you enormously when you come to the final exams and it can be a very valuable contribution to your qualification. It can also be enjoyable as it is your first chance to ‘do’ some real historical research. Choose your question with care and you automatically give yourself a head start.

Exam Board History Coursework Guidance

AQA Guidance

Cambridge Pre U Guidance

OCR Guidance

Edexcel Guidance

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30+ A-Level History NEA Ideas

In A-Level by Think Student Editor May 3, 2024 Leave a Comment

When I took A-Level History, doing the NEA was my favourite part. Having so much more independence and control over my own work was exciting and much more engaging than just being in lessons or doing exams. However, it was also pretty daunting.

All kinds of A-Level coursework give you so much more academic freedom and independence than you’d previously experienced, which can make it a bit stressful to have all this responsibility. The first place this can come into play is right at the start when you have to choose your essay question. In this article, we’ll try to make this part a little bit less stressful by giving you some ideas for what you could do.

Continue reading to getter a better understanding of the A-Level History NEA as a whole and to see some ideas for your essay question. This article will take you through these ideas by going through some of the main topic areas that you could focus on.

Table of Contents

What is an A-Level History NEA?

The term NEA stands for non-exam assessment, which is relatively the same as coursework. For A-Level History, this piece of coursework is in the form of an extended essay, which may even be referred to as an “investigation” on a specific area of history that has different historical interpretations.

Due to this, students will need to research into different historical interpretations of their specific topic as well as use primary sources and factual evidence/ data to evaluate the different historical interpretations.

The specific requirements for this NEA will depend on the exam board, which is especially the case when it comes to the word count, which can vary quite a lot. For example, for students using the Pearson Edexcel exam board, the word count is between 3,000 and 4,000 words, whereas for the AQA exam board, there is a word limit between 3,500 and 4,500 words.

Unlike these exam boards that have a set maximum word count, the OCR exam board only has a recommendation of 3,000- 4,000 words, although there is no actual set limit.

Despite being quite a lot of work, the A-Level History NEA will generally be a fair low proportion of the A-Level in comparison to other factors. Typically, this will be worth 20% of the whole A-Level History qualification.

You can learn more about this by checking out the specifications of A-Level History courses by clicking on the links with the respective exam board: AQA (linked here and here) Pearson Edexcel , OCR , WJEC , CCEA .

How to choose an A-Level History NEA idea

Choosing an A-Level History NEA idea can come in a few different ways and may not even be your choice as a student. How this all works will depend on your sixth form or college.

The first most obvious option is that your sixth form/ college lets you choose the topic and question that you want to focus on. Alternatively, your sixth form or college may give you an approved topics list but allow you to submit your own topic question and consider options outside of this list.

The strictest form is where your sixth form or college chooses the topic(s) that you can do and may even give you pre-approved question ideas. You can learn more about these by checking out this guide by OCR.

As choosing your own idea and topic from scratch is by far the hardest, we’ll see primarily focusing on that in this article. When choosing your own idea, the first thing you should think about is which historical period you want to focus on.

There are obviously a wide range you can choose from, although exam boards tend to have some restrictions in this aspect too. First of all, you won’t be able to do the same topic as whichever piece of history you studied for your depth study. Other restrictions will vary by exam board, so it’s best to ask your teachers or to look directly at your exam board’s coursework information.

After you pick your main topic, you need to narrow it down to a specific historical debate within this topic. From here, you can shape it into an extended essay question that allows you to have a clear line of argument and be evaluative and analytical. To do this, you might want to use vocabulary such as “the most/ least important/ significant/ etc.”.

What makes a good A-Level History NEA idea?

To make sure you have a good A-Level History NEA idea, you need to make sure that it is something you can write an entire extended essay on. Remember the NEA will require students to do over 3000 words and write a full answer with several sections and a clear line of argument and judgement, depending on the style of your essay question.

To be able to do this, you need to make sure you have enough background information about this specific subsection of your topic area and that there are lots of interpretations and primary sources available.

Another step to making sure that you have a good topic and question title is to make sure that it is has the right level of detail. This is as you need to make sure the focus is very specific so it can be in-depth and analytical but also broad enough to give you a full answer and enough to write about.

A-Level History NEA ideas for 2024

Now that we’ve looked at the criteria for choosing a topic and what makes a good one, we can properly dive into some examples. However, as previously mentioned, an NEA idea needs to be focused on a specific area of history. Due to this, in this article, we’ll be looking at some ideas based on specific historical areas.

These historical areas have been chosen due to being commonly studied in A-Level History courses. You can learn more about this from this page of the Cambridge Assessment website as well as from the component options mentioned in each exam board’s specification, as linked above.

The ideas below are sourced from a mixture of exam board suggestions and information provided to me when I was doing the NEA myself. Exam board suggestions come from pages of the Pearson Edexcel website, OCR website, the WJEC website and the AQA website all linked respectively.

A-Level History NEA ideas for Russian dictatorship

When looking at the history of dictatorships in Russia, we’re generally referring to the period from 1855 to 1991/2. In this period of history, there were several different kinds of leaders of Russia, all of which can be focused on for your NEA. These types of leaders are the Tsar rulers, the Provisional Government and the communist leaders.

While you may want to look at the leaders and their regimes, you could also look at society at the time

Some ideas for Russia and its rulers are as follows.

  • In the context of the years 1861 to 1964, to what extent was the Russian Revolution of 1917 caused by the war?
  • How far do you agree with the view that Peter the Great was largely unsuccessful in his attempts to modernise Russia?
  • How far do you agree with the view that Alexander II was largely successful in his attempts to modernise Russia in the period after 1855?
  • How far do you agree with the view that Stalin’s main aim in the period 1924–1939 was to carry out the changes begun by Lenin?
  • ‘The lives of the Russian peasants were transformed for the better in the years between 1928 and 1964.’
  • How valid is assessment of the peasantry in Russia?
  • How far do you agree with the view that the Battle of Stalingrad was mainly responsible for Soviet victory in the Second World War?
  • To what extent do you agree with the view that by 1924, the people of Russia had exchanged one authoritarian regime for another?
  • Assess the reasons for the purges in 1930’s Russia
  • To what extent did Communism in Russia improve the lives of women in the years 1917-53?

A-Level History NEA ideas for civil rights in the USA

The civil rights movement in the USA spanned a long period and was made up of several significant events. Due to this, there is so much for you to focus on within this topic, from specific figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, to key legislation or specific protests or events.

Some of the essay question you could chose for the civil rights movement are as follows.

  • How far do you agree with the view that the most significant contribution to the success of the Civil Rights movement between 1954 and 1970 was made by people in local communities in the US?
  • ‘Martin Luther King had the greatest impact of any individual in advancing the civil rights of African Americans in the USA.’ How valid is this view of the years 1865 to 1968?
  • Assess the claims that the role of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement was exaggerated.
  • Assess the view that the Civil Rights movement was the most significant cause of Second Wave Feminism?
  • To what extent did Rosa Parks change the nature of the Civil Rights Movement by 1965?
  • How far did World War II improve the lives of black Americans?
  • To what extent has the role of women in the Black Civil Rights Movement been undervalued?
  • To what extent did Malcolm X and the Black Panthers further the civil rights movement?
  • To what extent was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) responsible for the successes of the civil rights campaign in the years 1945–57?
  • To what extent did life for black people in America improve between the end of the First World War and the Wall Street Crash of 1929?

A-Level History NEA ideas for Weimar and Nazi Germany

Weimar and Nazi Germany is a common topic, not only at A-Level, but also at GCSE and even at the start of secondary school, before starting GCSEs. Due to this, students will often have quite a bit of background knowledge on this topic, even if they haven’t studied it as part of their A-Levels. This can make it a bit easier for you to access this topic for your NEA.

Some NEA ideas for Weimar and Nazi Germany are as follows.

  • ‘Propaganda was the main reason for Hitler’s rise to power in 1933’. How far do you agree?
  • To what extent do you agree that the Holocaust was a long-term plan?
  • The Reichstag Fire was a deliberate plot hatched by Hitler’s henchmen to help consolidate the NSDAP’s control over Germany.’ How valid is this assessment of the Reichstag Fire?
  • Assess the view that the Wall Street Crash was the main reason the Weimar government lost support by 1930.
  • Assess the view that Hitler’s use of fear and violence the main reason why he was able to maintain control of Germany between 1933 – 45.
  • To what extent were the Nazis successful in winning over the hearts and minds of the youth?
  • To what extent were ordinary German people responsible for the Holocaust?
  • To what extent was music used as a form of opposition to the Nazi Regime?
  • To what extent was Stresseman right when he said ‘Germany was dancing on a volcano’ when implying that German democracy would inevitably fail?
  • Assess the view that the errors of Hitler were the main reason for allied victory in WWII.

A-Level History NEA ideas for the Tudors

Once again, the Tudors are commonly taught in some shape or form throughout, even starting in primary school. This can still make it easier to access the essay questions on this topic as you’ll already have some background knowledge.

Some NEA ideas are as follows.

  • In the context of the years 1485 to 1603, how effectively did Tudor government deal with rebellion in England?
  • How far do you agree with the view that the main reason for the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII was that they no longer served any useful purpose?
  • How far do you agree with the view that Mary, Queen of Scots, was the greatest challenge facing Elizabeth in the period after 1568.
  • Assess the reasons why there was there an attempt to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne in 1553.
  • Assess the view that the survival of Roman Catholicism in England during the reign of Elizabeth I depended on the role of the gentry
  • To what extent did Elizabeth I remain single to keep her political power?
  • ‘Anne Boleyn lost her head because of the large faction against her’ To what extent is this true?
  • Assess the view that Elizabethan propaganda was a success.
  • ‘The reign of Mary I was a complete failure.’ How fair is this assessment?
  • Assess the impact of the reign of Elizabeth I on the roles of women in Tudor society

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Ways of Writing an A-Level History Coursework

When it comes to history coursework, you have to be sharp in the different historical events. The information you write has to be real, and for your work to be standard, you will depend on various sources. You have to know the tips for writing a perfect essay because history coursework is all about that. There is no way you can survive if you have poor writing skills. Even if you have strong points and do not know how to arrange them, you will still get low marks. You have to show the reader that you know what you are writing by following the writing procedure.

When you have to write a coursework, do not depend on only one source, you need to get information from different places. You also have to think for you to come up with the correct causes of a particular event. If you are having problems, you have a choice of going through other samples so that you can have a better understanding. To some people considering a History is easy because they do not know what awaits them.

When you choose a history course, be ready to work on coursework. When students get to this point, some of them give up while others write shady essays. The secret here is knowing how to write an excellent paper. If you are having challenges with writing, worry not because you are in the right place. You are going to learn the steps to take for you to have a standard paper.

Ways of Writing a Coursework Introduction

The first thing that should come to your mind in this part is the thesis statement. You have to write a perfect statement. It will give the reader a clue about what to expect in your paper. You have to ensure that you have an exciting introduction that flows naturally. When you are writing this part, concentrate on the historical events you have decided to consider in your piece.

 Do not forget to include the evidence so that your work makes more sense. If you leave out the proofs, there is nothing you are doing. To remain on the right path, write down questions on a piece of paper, and you will have a great understanding of what you are doing. If you consider using this format, you will have a top-notch introduction. Remember that if your introduction is boring, the reader will put your work aside and move to the next. Make it as appealing as you can.

Ways of Writing the Body

Here you will have to write all your arguments to support your paper and make it useful. Be sure to have a list that has all the facts that you need. You will start by explaining your quotes and make sure you do not copy from anywhere. Let it come from your head so that it makes sense. Do not forget to support your analysis with historical evidence. Ensure you write the limitations by giving ideas.

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Understanding history coursework assessment objectives.

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Last summer saw a varied and wide ranging series of topics covering several thousand years’ worth of history. We’ve seen some key insights come out as a result for all units .

Topic choice

Perhaps one of the most important things to remember, before any words have been written, is to be careful of the topic that you choose. Some topics have proven to be harder to resource than others. Be mindful of the demands of the assessment objectives, not only when marking, but when choosing the topic. Students have, perhaps unsurprisingly, shown their love of certain topics, but finding a decent number of credible or valid interpretations (AO3) have proven to be much harder and have hampered responses as a result.You can read more about choosing a topic in Mike Goddard’s blog .

Resourcing the topic

We recommend that each coursework piece should use at least 10-15 sources in total, covering both primary and secondary, an essay that uses only a solitary historian’s view is not going to score high marks in AO3. Equally, if a response only uses one or two primary sources, they will be unlikely to score highly in AO2. So if a topic is proven hard to resource, it might be worth thinking again!

Synopticity matters

The other really important thing to remember is that this is a synoptic unit. The essay skills you need to show in papers 1 and 2 are similar to the essay skills needed in coursework. You have to write relevantly; answer your own question; discuss different interpretations and come to a reasoned and convincing judgement. The source skills of analysis and evaluation of primary sources by using provenance and knowledge must also be applied in coursework – remember that there are 10 marks for evaluating primary sources.

You also need to use the skills that you have been using in Unit 3 when you have evaluated the two extracts from historians by using your own knowledge. The difference between coursework and these units is that you can choose which secondary and primary sources to include – so be sure that you choose evidence which you can evaluate! You can read more about units 1-3 in the guide to assessment .

The Assessment Objectives

Let us look at some key bullet points for each of the assessment objectives. The focus here will be on common themes aimed at supporting overall improvements.

  • Ensure descriptive narrative isn’t overly credited.
  • Ensure responses are focussed on the question. If an answer doesn’t remain focussed throughout, it can’t be a top level response.
  • Avoid long, rambling paragraphs, keep to the point!
  • Ensure marks for evaluation are for evaluation, and not for explanation – it doesn’t matter how excellently they’ve explained a source if they haven’t evaluated it.
  • Evaluation at this level should reflect the skills learnt for unit 1 – evaluation of provenance and using own knowledge, but must be more than simple comments like: “This is a good source as the writer was living at the time”.
  • Example of basic evaluation: “Hitler made the speech and he was the leader and would know”
  • Better to say: “Hitler was making the speech at a time when war was imminent and emotions were high, but it may not reflect his true intentions, because the policy was still to force Jews to emigrate
  • The key messages here were similar to AO2 but also include:
  • Sometimes students simply cross reference historians and that would not be credited highly. For example, comments like “Kershaw agrees with Evans”.
  • The only effective form of evaluation is always going to be that based on contextual evidence and ones that are sustained throughout the response.

The full asessment objectives can be accessed via the website .

As some key takeaways, we would urge your students to remember the following:

  • Remember to choose the right topic – something that interests the student is great, but only if it is ‘doable’.
  • Remember how to use AO2 and AO3 – simply saying “he was/wasn’t there at the time” or “Man agrees with Weatherford” (for any Mongol fans out there) is not enough.
  • Remember to focus on the question not the topic!

Finally – scripts with commentaries from the summer series are now available on interchange

INSET material will also be available in due course.

Coming soon

We have a brand new interactive tool, giving you access to thousands of pre-approved coursework questions, bringing you a whole new way of submitting questions to us. Make sure you’ve signed up to updates to keep up to date with all the latest news and events.

Grant Robertson

how to write a level history coursework

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EDEXCEL A Level History Coursework guidebook

EDEXCEL A Level History Coursework guidebook

Subject: History

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

barrie8

Last updated

19 June 2024

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how to write a level history coursework

Step by step guide for EDEXCEL coursework on how to approach finding a question, searching resources to paragraph planning with example answers.

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AS and A-level History

  • Specification
  • Planning resources
  • Teaching resources
  • Assessment resources

Introduction

  • Specification at a glance
  • 1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204
  • 1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598 (A-level only)
  • 1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
  • 1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702
  • 1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796 (A-level only)
  • 1F Industrialisation and the people: Britain, c1783–1885
  • 1G Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
  • 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
  • 1J The British Empire, c1857–1967
  • 1K The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
  • 1L The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991
  • 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
  • 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
  • 2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564 (A-level only)
  • 2D Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
  • 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
  • 2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715 (A-level only)
  • 2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801
  • 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815 (A-level only)
  • 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
  • 2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941 (A-level only)
  • 2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945
  • 2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
  • 2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953
  • 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945
  • 2P The Transformation of China, 1936–1997
  • 2Q The American Dream: reality and illusion, 1945–1980
  • 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991
  • 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
  • 2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000 (A-level only)

Component 3: Historical investigation (non-exam assessment) (A-level only)

  • Scheme of assessment
  • Non-exam assessment administration
  • General administration

AS and A-level Component 3: Historical investigation (non-exam assessment) (A-level only)

Purpose of the Historical investigation

The purpose of the Historical Investigation is to enable students to develop the skills, knowledge and historical understanding acquired through the study of the examined components of the specification.

Through undertaking the Historical Investigation students will develop an enhanced understanding of the nature and purpose of history as a discipline and how historians work.

  • ask relevant and significant questions about the past and undertake research
  • develop as independent learners and critical and reflective thinkers
  • acquire an understanding of the nature of historical study
  • organise and communicate their knowledge and understanding in a piece of sustained writing

Students will be required to submit a Historical Investigation based on a development or issue which has been subject to different historical interpretations. The Historical Investigation must:

  • be independently researched and written by the student
  • be presented in the form of a piece of extended writing of between 3500 and 4500 words in length, with a limit of 4500 words
  • draw upon the student's investigation of sources (both primary and secondary) which relate to the development or issue chosen and the differing interpretations that have been placed on this
  • place the issue to be investigated within a context of approximately 100 years
  • be an issue which does not duplicate the content of Components 1 and 2.

The Historical Investigation must be supervised in accordance with the requirements of Section 5.1 of this specification.

The centre must complete a non-examined assessment (NEA) title approval form no later than 20 October in the year before the intended completion of the A-level course. The form must detail the title and date range of the proposed historical investigation for each student. The teacher must state which examined components will be studied. This form must be submitted to AQA for review. AQA will check that the proposed historical investigation title, when combined with the examined components, meets the following requirements:

  • the proposed title is set in the context of approximately 100 years
  • there is no overlap with the content of the options studied for the examined components
  • all three components together cover a chronological range of at least 200 years

AQA will inform the centre if any historical investigation title does not meet the requirements and the focus for the non-examined assessment will need to be changed.

Failure to comply with these requirements will invalidate the student’s entry and no A-level result will be issued.

It is therefore vital that the teacher ensures that all requirements are met. If a student changes their historical investigation title, a new form should be completed.

On completion of the NEA, each student must also complete a Candidate Record Form (CRF) detailing the options studied for the examined components. The student must sign this form. The teacher must counter sign the CRF and this declaration will confirm that the historical investigation complies with the NEA title approval form and has adhered to all requirements.

The CRF must be sent to the moderator at the same time as marks for the NEA are submitted. The moderator will check that all course requirements have been met.

If the requirements have not been met, then the entry will be invalid and no result issued.

Copies of all the documentation, including the NEA proposal form and guidance on submission procedures are available from the AQA website at www.aqa.org.uk/history

Further guidance is available from the History subject team: [email protected]

Choice of issue and question to be studied

Students will be required to identify an issue or topic they wish to study and develop a question from this issue or topic as the focus of the Historical Investigation. The issue or topic to be studied and the question which stems from it must place the issue or topic in the context of approximately 100 years of history. The question could be based on British history or non-British history or could be a multi-country issue. However, it must not duplicate content studied in Components 1 and 2.

The Historical Investigation could identify an issue and a related question which traces a development over approximately 100 years. Alternatively, it could focus on a narrower issue, but place it the context of approximately 100 years.

  • A broad issue and related question which analyses its development over approximately 100 years, for example: assessing how Puritanism changed during the Seventeenth Century; or assessing the extent to which the condition of the Russian peasant improved over the period 1850–1950
  • A more specific issue in the context of approximately 100 years, for example: assessing the extent to which the Glorious Revolution successfully settled relations between Crown and Parliament in the context of the Stuart period; or assessing the extent to which Tsar Nicholas I changed the nature of Tsarist rule set against the period of Catherine the Great, Alexander and Nicholas I.

Issues which relate to international, national or local developments are appropriate, as are investigations which adopt specific historical perspectives such as cultural, social or technological.

However, in choosing the issue, students need to take the following into account:

  • Is there a range of primary sources and primary material available to support individual investigation?
  • Is the issue and related question one which has promoted debate and differences of interpretation amongst historians?

When framing the question to be answered, students must ensure that it enables them to demonstrate skills of historical analysis, evaluation and judgement, to appraise the views of historians and to evaluate primary sources.

Students are advised to use the type of question formulations seen in examinations such as the use of questions which begin ‘To what extent’ or a quotation in the form of a judgement followed by ‘Assess the validity of this view’.

The A-level subject content for history requires that students carry out a Historical Investigation that is independently researched. It is acceptable that students within a centre base their Historical Investigations around the same topic. However, the essential pre-requisite of non-exam assessment and the principal purpose of the Historical Investigation both require that the Historical Investigation is the work of individual students each developing a question to investigate and each evaluating individually, primary sources and historical interpretations. Where students in a centre are studying a similar topic or topics, there may be only a limited number of primary sources and, more so, a limited number of historical interpretations. However, the centre must ensure that students assess and evaluate sources individually, even where sources used are similar. It is not permitted for centres to direct students to the same sources as this fundamentally undermines the need for the Historical Investigation to be the work of an individual student.

Further guidance and exemplar material are available via the AQA website.

The skills and qualities to be demonstrated and assessed

The skills and qualities of all three Assessment Objectives must be demonstrated in the Historical Investigation. These are:

AO1: demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate the key features related to the periods studied, making substantiated judgements and exploring concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance.

AO2: analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period, within the historical context.

AO3: analyse and evaluate, in relation to the historical context, different ways in which aspects of the past have been interpreted.

The task required of students in responding to AO3 will be different from that in the examined components in that students will be expected to:

  • show an understanding of the limitations placed on historians
  • show an understanding of the significance of the time and/or context in which an historian writes
  • compare and evaluate differing historical interpretations.

Students must base their analysis and evaluation of historical interpretations on the work of academic historians. It is not acceptable that the analysis and evaluation is based on textbook historians or course books.

Students are expected to use short quotations, paraphrase and/or footnotes to show the source of their interpretations. Lengthy extracts are not required.

In developing their response to a chosen issue to investigate, students are expected to consult a range of resources, which may include textbooks, course books and work of academic historians. Within the Historical Investigation, however, there must be explicit analysis and evaluation of two differing interpretations by academic historians where students analyse and evaluate the differences between the interpretations, show an awareness of the time and/or context of the interpretations and demonstrate an understanding of the limitations placed on historians.

The Historical Investigation must be written with the qualities of all three objectives integrated within the body of the work. For example, students will analyse, evaluate and reach judgements about the question chosen (AO1) and within this analysis and evaluation, appraise the views of historians (AO3) and analyse and evaluate primary source material and the extent to which it is useful in supporting arguments or conclusions (AO2).

Completion of the Historical investigation

The Investigation should be completed in approximately 3500-4500 words, excluding bibliography, footnotes, and appendices, with a limit of 4500 words. Work that exceeds this word limit will incur a five mark penalty. This penalty will be applied by AQA, and should not be applied by the teacher. A word count must be included on the Candidate Record Form.

The Investigation must contain an evaluation of three primary sources. At least two different types of primary source should be evaluated. These may be different types of written primary sources, for example: official publications; reports; diaries; speeches; letters; chronicles; observations of elite or ‘ordinary’ people (from the inside or from the outside). Other appropriate sources may include artefacts, archaeological or visual sources.

The Investigation must also demonstrate an understanding of differing interpretations presented by two academic historians about the issue.

Students are advised to avoid extensive, verbatim copying from sources and to ensure that the Investigation is written in their own words. Extensive verbatim copying can lead to malpractice.

The use of footnotes is strongly advised in order to demonstrate the range of evidence consulted and validate the bibliography. Additionally, footnotes alleviate concerns about plagiarism, as the source of comments, views, detail or others' judgements is acknowledged. Skill in the use of footnotes is also highly valued by Higher Education. A bibliography should be provided, listing the sources that have been consulted.

The role of the teacher

Teachers have a number of significant roles:

  • to explain the requirements of the Historical Investigation to students
  • to ensure that students do not duplicate content already covered in Components 1 and 2 and to ensure that the NEA title which forms the focus of the Historical Investigation is placed in the context of approximately 100 years
  • to provide appropriate supervision of students, offering general guidance about the issue and question chosen for investigation
  • to monitor the progress of the Investigation
  • to submit to AQA, by 20 October in the year before intended A-level certification, an NEA title approval form. This form will require that options from Components 1 and 2 are identified, along with the title of Component 3 and its chronological range for each student
  • to sign a declaration that the Investigation is the work of the individual working independently
  • to inform AQA where there are concerns about malpractice, such as plagiarism or the submission of work that is not that of the student

Assessment and moderation

The Historical Investigation will be marked by centres and moderated by AQA. It is most important that centres establish rigorous internal standardisation to ensure that the rank order of the students is fair, accurate and appropriate. This is particularly important in larger centres where more than one teacher has prepared and assessed students.

The work of students is to be assessed by a levels of response mark scheme which addresses each of the following assessment objectives, with the weighting as indicated:

Assessment Objective Max Mark
AO1: Demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate the key features related to the periods studied, making substantiated judgements and exploring concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance 20
AO2: Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period, within the historical context. 10
AO3: Analyse and evaluate, in relation to the historical context, different ways in which aspects of the past have been interpreted. 10

Mark Scheme to be used when assessing the Historical investigation

AO1: 20 marks

Demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate the key features related to the periods studied, making substantiated judgements and exploring concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity and significance.

NOTE: An Historical investigation which fails to show an understanding of change and continuity within the context of approximately 100 years cannot be placed above Level 2 in AO1 (maximum 8 marks)

Level 5: 17–20 The response demonstrates a very good understanding of change and continuity within the context of approximately 100 years and meets the full demands of the chosen question. It is very well organised and effectively delivered. The supporting information is well-selected, specific and precise. It shows a very good understanding of key features, issues and concepts. The answer is fully analytical with a balanced argument and well-substantiated judgement.

Level 4: 13–16 The response demonstrates a good understanding of change and continuity within the context of approximately 100 years and meets the demands of the chosen question. It is well-organised and effectively communicated. There is a range of clear and specific supporting information, showing a good understanding of key features and issues, together with some conceptual awareness. The response is predominantly analytical in style with a range of direct comment relating to the question. The response is well-balanced with some judgement, which may, however, be only partially substantiated.

Level 3: 9–12 The response demonstrates an understanding of change and continuity within the context of approximately 100 years and shows an understanding of the chosen question. It provides a range of largely accurate information which shows an awareness of some of the key issues. This information may, however, be unspecific or lack precision of detail in parts. The response is effectively organised and shows adequate communication skills. There is a good deal of comment in relation to the chosen question, although some of this may be generalised. The response demonstrates some analytical qualities and balance of argument.

Level 2: 5–8 The response demonstrates some understanding of change and continuity but may have limitations in its coverage of a context of approximately 100 years. The response may be either descriptive or partial, showing some awareness of the chosen question but a failure to grasp its full demands. There is some attempt to convey material in an organised way although communication skills may be limited. The response contains some appropriate information and shows an understanding of some aspects of the investigation, but there may be some inaccuracy and irrelevance. There is some comment in relation to the question but comments may be unsupported and generalised.

Level 1: 1–4 The response demonstrates limited understanding of change and continuity and makes little reference to a context of approximately 100 years. The chosen question has been imperfectly understood and the response shows limited organisational and communication skills. The information conveyed is extremely limited in scope and parts may be irrelevant. There may be some unsupported, vague or generalised comment.

AO2: 10 marks

Analyse and evaluate appropriate source material, primary and/or contemporary to the period, within the historical context.

Level 5: 9–10 Provides a range of relevant and well-supported comments on the value of three sources of two or more different types used in the investigation to provide a balanced and convincing judgement on their merits in relation to the topic under investigation.

Level 4: 7–8 Provides relevant and well-supported comments on the value of three sources of two or more different types used in the investigation, to produce a balanced assessment on their merits in relation to the topic under investigation. Judgements may, however, be partial or limited in substantiation.

Level 3: 5–6 Provides some relevant comment on the value of three sources of at least two different types used in the Investigation. Some of the commentary is, however, of limited scope, not fully convincing or has only limited direction to the topic under investigation.

Level 2: 3–4 Either: provides some comment on the value of more than one source used in the investigation but may not address three sources in equal measure or refers to sources of the same 'type'. Or: provides some comment on the value of three sources of at least two types used in the investigation but the comment is excessively generalised and not well directed to the topic of the investigation.

Level 1: 1–2 Provides some comment on the value of at least one source used in the Investigation but the response is very limited and may be partially inaccurate. Comments are likely to be unsupported, vague or generalised.

In commenting and making judgements on the value of the sources, students will be expected to apply their own contextual knowledge and perspectives of time and place in order to assess the value and limitations of their sources as evidence. They will be expected to comment on, as appropriate to the investigation and chosen sources:

  • the differing perspectives of the sources chosen
  • the social, political, intellectual, religious and/or economic contexts in which the sources were written
  • the credibility, authority, authenticity, consistency and comprehensiveness of the sources
  • the bias, distortion or propagandist elements found in the sources

AO3: 10 marks

Analyse and evaluate, in relation to the historical context, different ways in which aspects of the past have been interpreted.

Level 5: 9–10 Shows a very good understanding of the differing historical interpretations raised by the question. There is a strong, well-substantiated and convincing evaluation of two interpretations with reference to the time, context and/or limitations placed on the historians.

Level 4: 7–8 Shows a good understanding of the differing historical interpretations raised by the question. There is some good evaluation of the two interpretations with reference to the time, context and/or limitations placed on historians, although not all comments are substantiated or convincing.

Level 3: 5–6 Shows an understanding of differing historical interpretations raised by the question. There is some supported comment on two interpretations with reference to the time, context and/or limitations placed on historians, but the comments are limited in depth and/or substantiation.

Level 2: 3–4 Shows some understanding of the differing historical interpretations raised by the question. They may refer to the time, context and/or limitations placed on the historians in an unconvincing way.

Level 1: 1–2 Shows limited understanding of the differing historical interpretations raised by the question. Comment on historical interpretations is generalised and vague.

In showing an understanding of historical interpretations and evaluating historical interpretations, students will be expected to apply their own contextual knowledge.

They will be expected, as appropriate to the investigation:

  • to show an understanding of the limitations placed on historians
  • to show an understanding of the significance of the time and/or context in which an historian writes
  • to compare and evaluate differing historical interpretations.

NOTE: The Investigation has a limit of 4500 words. Work that exceeds this word limit will incur a 5 mark penalty. This deduction will be applied by AQA, and should not be applied by the teacher.

Structuring A-level history coursework

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  • Literature Review Guidelines

Making sense of what has been written on your topic.

Goals of a literature review:.

Before doing work in primary sources, historians must know what has been written on their topic.  They must be familiar with theories and arguments–as well as facts–that appear in secondary sources.

Before you proceed with your research project, you too must be familiar with the literature: you do not want to waste time on theories that others have disproved and you want to take full advantage of what others have argued.  You want to be able to discuss and analyze your topic.

Your literature review will demonstrate your familiarity with your topic’s secondary literature.

GUIDELINES FOR A LITERATURE REVIEW:

1) LENGTH:  8-10 pages of text for Senior Theses (485) (consult with your professor for other classes), with either footnotes or endnotes and with a works-consulted bibliography. [See also the  citation guide  on this site.]

2) NUMBER OF WORKS REVIEWED: Depends on the assignment, but for Senior Theses (485), at least ten is typical.

3) CHOOSING WORKS:

Your literature review must include enough works to provide evidence of both the breadth and the depth of the research on your topic or, at least, one important angle of it.  The number of works necessary to do this will depend on your topic. For most topics, AT LEAST TEN works (mostly books but also significant scholarly articles) are necessary, although you will not necessarily give all of them equal treatment in your paper (e.g., some might appear in notes rather than the essay). 4) ORGANIZING/ARRANGING THE LITERATURE:

As you uncover the literature (i.e., secondary writing) on your topic, you should determine how the various pieces relate to each other.  Your ability to do so will demonstrate your understanding of the evolution of literature.

You might determine that the literature makes sense when divided by time period, by methodology, by sources, by discipline, by thematic focus, by race, ethnicity, and/or gender of author, or by political ideology.  This list is not exhaustive.  You might also decide to subdivide categories based on other criteria.  There is no “rule” on divisions—historians wrote the literature without consulting each other and without regard to the goal of fitting into a neat, obvious organization useful to students.

The key step is to FIGURE OUT the most logical, clarifying angle.  Do not arbitrarily choose a categorization; use the one that the literature seems to fall into.  How do you do that?  For every source, you should note its thesis, date, author background, methodology, and sources.  Does a pattern appear when you consider such information from each of your sources?  If so, you have a possible thesis about the literature.  If not, you might still have a thesis.

Consider: Are there missing elements in the literature?  For example, no works published during a particular (usually fairly lengthy) time period?  Or do studies appear after long neglect of a topic?  Do interpretations change at some point?  Does the major methodology being used change?  Do interpretations vary based on sources used?

Follow these links for more help on analyzing  historiography  and  historical perspective .

5) CONTENTS OF LITERATURE REVIEW:

The literature review is a research paper with three ingredients:

a) A brief discussion of the issue (the person, event, idea). [While this section should be brief, it needs to set up the thesis and literature that follow.] b) Your thesis about the literature c) A clear argument, using the works on topic as evidence, i.e., you discuss the sources in relation to your thesis, not as a separate topic.

These ingredients must be presented in an essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

6) ARGUING YOUR THESIS:

The thesis of a literature review should not only describe how the literature has evolved, but also provide a clear evaluation of that literature.  You should assess the literature in terms of the quality of either individual works or categories of works.  For instance, you might argue that a certain approach (e.g. social history, cultural history, or another) is better because it deals with a more complex view of the issue or because they use a wider array of source materials more effectively. You should also ensure that you integrate that evaluation throughout your argument.  Doing so might include negative assessments of some works in order to reinforce your argument regarding the positive qualities of other works and approaches to the topic.

Within each group, you should provide essential information about each work: the author’s thesis, the work’s title and date, the author’s supporting arguments and major evidence.

In most cases, arranging the sources chronologically by publication date within each section makes the most sense because earlier works influenced later ones in one way or another.  Reference to publication date also indicates that you are aware of this significant historiographical element.

As you discuss each work, DO NOT FORGET WHY YOU ARE DISCUSSING IT.  YOU ARE PRESENTING AND SUPPORTING A THESIS ABOUT THE LITERATURE.

When discussing a particular work for the first time, you should refer to it by the author’s full name, the work’s title, and year of publication (either in parentheses after the title or worked into the sentence).

For example, “The field of slavery studies has recently been transformed by Ben Johnson’s The New Slave (2001)” and “Joe Doe argues in his 1997 study, Slavery in America, that . . . .”

Your paper should always note secondary sources’ relationship to each other, particularly in terms of your thesis about the literature (e.g., “Unlike Smith’s work, Mary Brown’s analysis reaches the conclusion that . . . .” and “Because of Anderson’s reliance on the president’s personal papers, his interpretation differs from Barry’s”). The various pieces of the literature are “related” to each other, so you need to indicate to the reader some of that relationship.  (It helps the reader follow your thesis, and it convinces the reader that you know what you are talking about.)

7) DOCUMENTATION:

Each source you discuss in your paper must be documented using footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography.  Providing author and title and date in the paper is not sufficient.  Use correct Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style form.  [See  Bibliography  and  Footnotes/Endnotes  pages.]

In addition, further supporting, but less significant, sources should be included in  content foot or endnotes .  (e.g., “For a similar argument to Ben Johnson’s, see John Terry, The Slave Who Was New (New York: W. W. Norton, 1985), 3-45.”)

8 ) CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW:

Your conclusion should not only reiterate your argument (thesis), but also discuss questions that remain unanswered by the literature.  What has the literature accomplished?  What has not been studied?  What debates need to be settled?

Additional writing guidelines

History and American Studies

  • About the Department
  • Major Requirements & Courses
  • What courses will I take as an History major?
  • What can I do with my History degree?
  • History 485
  • Methodology
  • Choosing a Topic
  • Book Reviews
  • Historiographic Clues
  • Understanding Historical Perspective
  • Sample Literature Review
  • Using Quotations
  • Ellipses and Brackets
  • Footnotes and Endnotes
  • Content Notes
  • Citation Guide
  • Citing Non-Print Resources
  • How to Annotate
  • Annotated Examples
  • Journals vs. Magazines
  • Understanding Plagiarism
  • Historians Define Plagiarism
  • Plagiarism Tutorial
  • UMW Honor System
  • Presentation Guidelines
  • Tips for Leading Seminars
  • Hints for Class Discussion
  • Speaking Center
  • Guidelines for a Research Paper
  • Library Research Plan
  • How to Use ILL
  • Database Guide
  • Guide to Online Research
  • Writing Guidelines
  • Recognizing Passive Voice
  • Introduction and Conclusion
  • MS Word’s Grammar and Spellcheck
  • Writing Center
  • What You Need to Know
  • Links to Online Primary Sources by Region
  • What will I learn from my American Studies major?
  • What courses will I take as an American Studies major?
  • What can I do with my American Studies degree?
  • American Studies 485
  • For Prospective Students
  • Honors and Award Recipients
  • Internships

Alumni Intros

Alumni Intros

How have History & American Studies majors built careers after earning their degrees? Learn more by clicking the image above.  

Recent Posts

  • History and American Studies Symposium–April 26, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Courses
  • Fall 2023 Symposium – 12/8 – All Welcome!
  • Spring ’24 Course Flyers
  • Internship Opportunity – Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador
  • Congratulations to our Graduates!
  • History and American Studies Symposium–April 21, 2023
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Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Homepage

Online Programs

Ap® us history (intensive, ncaa approved).

  • Advanced CTY-Level
  • Session-Based
  • History and Social Science

Analyze historic material, synthesize your own ideas, and develop skills to make conclusions on the basis of an informed understanding of history in this course that successfully prepares you for the AP U.S. History exam. You’ll master the ability to interpret documents while learning how to persuasively present your reasoning and evidence in an essay format.

Through synchronous virtual class meetings every other week and one-on-one review sessions you can schedule directly with your instructor, you’ll chart the course of U.S. history from the Constitution all the way down to challenges of the 21st century.

Time Commitment: 8-11 hours per week (1 hour of class time every other week, 8-10 hours of independent work).  

Course Overview

What we'll do

We’ll explore U.S. history through textbook readings, projects, directed online activities, and live sessions with an experienced instructor that emphasizes critical thinking and applications. We’ll learn to interpret historical documents, master a significant body of facts, and write critical essays and short-answer responses. Students will analyze historical facts material, synthesize their own ideas, and develop the skills to make conclusions based on a knowledgeable judgment. They will also learn how to present their reasoning and clear evidence persuasively in essay format.

What we’ll learn

  • How to construct a response to a prompt concerning the rise and fall of the Equal Rights Amendment within the context of a forum, a three-part response to a short answer question set concerning British and Spanish slave systems within the context of a forum
  • How to construct a three-part response to a short answer question set involving primary sources on pre-Revolution British/Colonial relations in North America, the Louisiana Purchase, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, post-Civil War American industrialists, and the political alignment of FDR’s New Deal, within the context of a forum
  • How to construct an essay using a secondary source concerning Henry Kissinger’s early appraisal of American involvement in Vietnam
  • How to construct an essay in response to a document-based question prompt on American views of imperialism from 1898 to 1908; and post-World War II social movements through describing historical context, analyzing a set of primary documents and synthesizing the information into a thesis, analyzing multiple sources of evidence, both given and memorized, to support a thesis statement, and identifying and explaining at least three sources’ point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience
  • How to construct an essay in response to a long essay question prompt about the American government's transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution; and the Jacksonian Democracy by describing historical context, synthesizing relevant historical evidence into a thesis, and analyzing memorized, multiple sources of evidence to support a thesis statement
  • How to plan a written practice response to a document-based question prompt on British North American and Native American relations via an informational organizer
  • How to plan a written practice response to a long essay question prompt on the social impact of Europeans and the social structures of Western Hemispheric peoples via an informational organizer

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Identify and explain historical developments and processes
  • Analyze sourcing and context of primary and secondary sources
  • Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources
  • Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes
  • Use historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity and change) to analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes
  • Develop an argument

How we'll measure learning

Instructors evaluate student work using rubrics and provide detailed constructive feedback on each assignment. This course is aligned to the College Board AP U.S. History course skills and contents.

This course is

Register for an Online course by selecting an open class below. If no open classes are listed, then course enrollment is currently closed. Note: You will need to have an active CTY Account to complete registration through MyCTY

This course is not open for enrollment at this time. Please check back later.

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level Advanced CTY-Level or Advanced CTY-Level

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Course Prerequisites

1 prerequisite

Successful completion of a high school history course

Cost and Financial Aid

Application fee.

  • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $15 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
  • Nonrefundable International Fee - $20 (outside US only)

Financial Aid

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for Academic Year 2023-2024 Online Programs (Courses with start dates July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Our application for Academic Year 2024-2025 Online Programs is expected to open in January. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible.

Technical Requirements

This course requires a computer with high-speed Internet access and an up-to-date web browser such as Chrome or Firefox. You must be able to communicate with the instructor via email. Visit the Technical Requirements and Support page for more details.

This course uses a virtual classroom for instructor-student communication. The classroom works on standard computers with the Zoom desktop client , and on tablets or handhelds that support the Zoom Mobile app . Recorded meetings can only be viewed on a computer with the Zoom desktop client installed. The Zoom desktop client and Zoom Mobile App are both free to download.

Most course lectures may be viewed on mobile devices, but some assignments and quizzes must be completed on a desktop or laptop computer.

This course uses Respondus LockDown Browser proctoring software for designated assessments. LockDown Browser is a client application that is installed to a local computer. Visit the Respondus website for system requirements .

Terms & Conditions

Students may interact in online classrooms and meetings that include peers, instructors, and occasional special guests.

Courses may include videos from the web. Recommendations or links at the end of videos are provided by the video host and are not CTY recommendations. 

Virtual class meetings may be recorded for students to review.

After a you complete a course, your projects may be used to illustrate work for future students. 

You will need to create an account on a third-party site to access course resources.

About History and Social Science at CTY

Our online History and Social Science courses include the study of economics, U.S. history and government, world history, and psychology. Reading and writing are at the heart of all our offerings. Courses for older students cover material typically found in introductory college-level classes, while younger scholars enjoy studying world history and geography. All courses are guided by expert instructors who connect with you through virtual class meetings and interactive review workshops. Whichever course you choose, you’ll gain important insights into the inner workings of government, world civilizations, global culture, and the human mind.

Dig into World History and Geography

In the newly created Preparation for AP World History and Geography Eastern Hemisphere and Preparation for AP World History and Geography Western Hemisphere courses, students explore fascinating historical concepts of the past through historical analysis, engaging discussions, and dynamic live sessions. Students meet with their instructor and peers each week to investigate transformative world events and discuss their thoughts with one another. Taking these courses will help students prepare for the challenge of AP History courses.

Meet our History and Social Sciences Instructors

As an educator I believe that my job is to make learning easy. To that end, I always try to present the material in a way that is as easy for my students to understand as humanly possible. In doing so, students are inspired to want to learn because they see that effort gets results.

Headshot image of Alejandro Lozano

I enjoy building relationships with students, facilitating their learning, and helping them achieve a refined understanding of the complex world around us. Using a high energy, enthusiastic approach to learning allows me to deeply connect with my students while having lots of fun!

Alejandro Lozano

History and Social Sciences Instructor

Headshot image of Tyler Meinhart

Teaching AP World History: Modern , I'm frequently astonished at how natural it is for students from both the United States and across the world to meet and learn about a global subject from not just their instructor but, just as importantly, so many different student perspectives!

Tyler Meinhart

Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/20/gcse-results-day-2024-number-grading-system/

GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number grading system

how to write a level history coursework

Thousands of students across the country will soon be finding out their GCSE results and thinking about the next steps in their education.   

Here we explain everything you need to know about the big day, from when results day is, to the current 9-1 grading scale, to what your options are if your results aren’t what you’re expecting.  

When is GCSE results day 2024?  

GCSE results day will be taking place on Thursday the 22 August.     

The results will be made available to schools on Wednesday and available to pick up from your school by 8am on Thursday morning.  

Schools will issue their own instructions on how and when to collect your results.   

When did we change to a number grading scale?  

The shift to the numerical grading system was introduced in England in 2017 firstly in English language, English literature, and maths.  

By 2020 all subjects were shifted to number grades. This means anyone with GCSE results from 2017-2020 will have a combination of both letters and numbers.  

The numerical grading system was to signal more challenging GCSEs and to better differentiate between students’ abilities - particularly at higher grades between the A *-C grades. There only used to be 4 grades between A* and C, now with the numerical grading scale there are 6.  

What do the number grades mean?  

The grades are ranked from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest.  

The grades don’t exactly translate, but the two grading scales meet at three points as illustrated below.  

The image is a comparison chart from the UK Department for Education, showing the new GCSE grades (9 to 1) alongside the old grades (A* to G). Grade 9 aligns with A*, grades 8 and 7 with A, and so on, down to U, which remains unchanged. The "Results 2024" logo is in the bottom-right corner, with colourful stripes at the top and bottom.

The bottom of grade 7 is aligned with the bottom of grade A, while the bottom of grade 4 is aligned to the bottom of grade C.    

Meanwhile, the bottom of grade 1 is aligned to the bottom of grade G.  

What to do if your results weren’t what you were expecting?  

If your results weren’t what you were expecting, firstly don’t panic. You have options.  

First things first, speak to your school or college – they could be flexible on entry requirements if you’ve just missed your grades.   

They’ll also be able to give you the best tailored advice on whether re-sitting while studying for your next qualifications is a possibility.   

If you’re really unhappy with your results you can enter to resit all GCSE subjects in summer 2025. You can also take autumn exams in GCSE English language and maths.  

Speak to your sixth form or college to decide when it’s the best time for you to resit a GCSE exam.  

Look for other courses with different grade requirements     

Entry requirements vary depending on the college and course. Ask your school for advice, and call your college or another one in your area to see if there’s a space on a course you’re interested in.    

Consider an apprenticeship    

Apprenticeships combine a practical training job with study too. They’re open to you if you’re 16 or over, living in England, and not in full time education.  

As an apprentice you’ll be a paid employee, have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff, gain job-specific skills, and get time set aside for training and study related to your role.   

You can find out more about how to apply here .  

Talk to a National Careers Service (NCS) adviser    

The National Career Service is a free resource that can help you with your career planning. Give them a call to discuss potential routes into higher education, further education, or the workplace.   

Whatever your results, if you want to find out more about all your education and training options, as well as get practical advice about your exam results, visit the  National Careers Service page  and Skills for Careers to explore your study and work choices.   

You may also be interested in:

  • Results day 2024: What's next after picking up your A level, T level and VTQ results?
  • When is results day 2024? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs

Tags: GCSE grade equivalent , gcse number grades , GCSE results , gcse results day 2024 , gsce grades old and new , new gcse grades

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IMAGES

  1. AQA A Level History Coursework Guidance

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  2. A level History, NEA: American Civil Rights Movement Coursework (full

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  3. How to Write a Level Aqa History Coursework

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  4. OCR A-Level History Unit Y113

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  5. A Level History Coursework

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  6. AQA A Level History Coursework Guidance

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VIDEO

  1. Lec 1

  2. A-level History

  3. How to get an A* in A level history coursework

  4. How to Write an Essay in 40 Minutes

  5. A Level History: Coursework Video 1

  6. Doing Most of my History A Level Coursework in One Evening

COMMENTS

  1. A Level History Coursework Edexcel

    Learn how to plan, research and write A Level History coursework for Edexcel using ideas, resources, examples and structure. Find out how to select a question, access appropriate works, analyse and evaluate different interpretations of the past.

  2. A Level History Coursework AQA

    This guide shows you how to plan, research and write A Level History Coursework for AQA using ideas, resources, examples and structure. This coursework is weighted in the following format. Assessment Objective One (AO1) 10% (20 marks), Assessment Objective Two (AO2) 5% (10 marks) and Assessment Objective Three (AO3) 5% (10 marks).

  3. Edexcel History A Level Coursework structure and guidance

    A video giving an overview of the Edexcel A Level History coursework, which makes up 20% of the overall A Level grade.Introduction to video (including a joke...

  4. How to get started with A Level History coursework

    In this video I give some guidance on how to get started with A Level History Coursework.Here is my video discussing coursework structure, writing and mark s...

  5. How I got FULL MARKS in my History A Level Coursework

    Hi everyone! So today I thought I would show you guys how I got a 40/40 in my history coursework. I'm really proud of it and I think that with these tips you...

  6. How to Write A-Level History Coursework

    Learn how to write a good history coursework for A-levels with tips on introduction, body, and conclusion. Find out how to structure, cite, and evaluate historical events and interpretations.

  7. History Coursework: how to Choose the Best Question

    5. Choose a good format for your history coursework question. The standard 'for and against' question format will always be a good choice and will give you a framework within which to set your investigation. There are various ways to word such a question e.g. 'How far…', To what extent…' 'Within the context of … how important ...

  8. PDF Coursework Guide HISTORY A

    level History course. Some examples might be the impact of industrial growth on a town or a region; the impact of civil war on a local area; the development of culture in a particular city; the impact of religious or social change on a locality; the significance of a particular person, or events which have impacted on past members of their family.

  9. PDF Guide HISTORY A

    The examination at the end of the Course consists of three papers. The examination for Unit 1 is 1 hour 30 minutes in length and is worth 25% of the A Level, Unit 2 is examined by a 1 hour paper and is worth 15% of the A Level and Unit 3 is examined by a 2 hour 30 minute paper and is worth 40 of the A Level. The topic based essay makes up the ...

  10. 30+ A-Level History NEA Ideas

    For A-Level History, this piece of coursework is in the form of an extended essay, which may even be referred to as an "investigation" on a specific area of history that has different historical interpretations. ... To make sure you have a good A-Level History NEA idea, you need to make sure that it is something you can write an entire ...

  11. How To Create An A-Level Coursework In History

    Here you will have to write all your arguments to support your paper and make it useful. Be sure to have a list that has all the facts that you need. You will start by explaining your quotes and make sure you do not copy from anywhere. Let it come from your head so that it makes sense. Do not forget to support your analysis with historical ...

  12. Revision Tips to Achieve A* in A Level History

    Prioritise self-care in the days leading up to the exam, ensuring adequate rest and relaxation. Remember, a clear mind enhances your ability to recall and articulate historical knowledge effectively. Unlock A* in A-Level History with strategic tips on exam prep, time management, and resource utilisation. Your path to success starts here.

  13. Understanding History coursework assessment objectives

    You have to write relevantly; answer your own question; discuss different interpretations and come to a reasoned and convincing judgement. The source skills of analysis and evaluation of primary sources by using provenance and knowledge must also be applied in coursework - remember that there are 10 marks for evaluating primary sources.

  14. PDF How to Plan and Write Good Coursework

    cover each issue in sufficient depth. This will involve you going beyond the essential reading and doing your own r. search through more in-depth reading. It is up to you to select sections and chapters from c. eight to ten books (o. more, if you are feeling ambitious). It is also recommended that a normal, very good essay contains reference to ...

  15. EDEXCEL A Level History Coursework guidebook

    EDEXCEL A Level History Coursework guidebook. Subject: History. Age range: 16+. Resource type: Assessment and revision. File previews. pdf, 1.38 MB. Step by step guide for EDEXCEL coursework on how to approach finding a question, searching resources to paragraph planning with example answers.

  16. How To Write A Level History Coursework

    Writing A Level History coursework can be challenging due to the intensive research required, strong analytical skills needed, and proficiency in writing to clearly articulate complex ideas. Seeking external assistance can help supplement students' own efforts by providing guidance from expert writers, but it is crucial students maintain academic integrity and ensure the work reflects their ...

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    In this lesson we're going to go through the requirements for the A-Level History Coursework, taking into consideration what is needed to get the top grades....

  18. Aqa a level history coursework examples (pdf)

    Writing coursework, especially at the AQA A Level History level, can be a challenging and time- consuming task. It requires in-depth research, critical analysis, and effective communication of your ideas. Students often find themselves grappling with extensive reading, synthesizing information, and meeting the stringent requirements of academic writing.

  19. AQA

    The centre must complete a non-examined assessment (NEA) title approval form no later than 20 October in the year before the intended completion of the A-level course. The form must detail the title and date range of the proposed historical investigation for each student. The teacher must state which examined components will be studied.

  20. Structuring A-level history coursework

    Structuring A-level history coursework. A. Blood_Orange. 12. I just need an explanation of how to structure the points of an essay (the main paragraphs) when doing history coursework. I honestly should know this by now, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask since everywhere I've searched kinda just glosses over the content of the main paragraphs.

  21. Literature Review Guidelines

    You should assess the literature in terms of the quality of either individual works or categories of works. For instance, you might argue that a certain approach (e.g. social history, cultural history, or another) is better because it deals with a more complex view of the issue or because they use a wider array of source materials more effectively.

  22. AP® US History (Intensive, NCAA Approved)

    Our online History and Social Science courses include the study of economics, U.S. history and government, world history, and psychology. Reading and writing are at the heart of all our offerings. Courses for older students cover material typically found in introductory college-level classes, while younger scholars enjoy studying world history ...

  23. PDF AP U.S. History

    when placed into a subsequent, higher-level college course. § Achievement-level descriptions formulated by college faculty who review each AP Exam question. Using and Interpreting AP Scores . The extensive work done by college faculty and AP teachers in the development of the course and exam and throughout the scoring process ensures

  24. GCSE results day 2024: Everything you need to know including the number

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