CIFE History article

‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’
George Santayana

What does A-Level History involve?

History is a study of the past; events and important landmarks which have framed our understanding of what has gone before. History covers every aspect of different eras and societies. Above all History has relevance to what is happening today.
At the Yalta conference of 1945 the three major world leaders, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met to determine the fate of Europe and beyond. America emerged as the predominant power, and this heralded the beginning of the post war world order. The USA was the cornerstone of European security, shielding the continent from Soviet/Russian aggression. Fast forward to now and another three world leaders Trump, Xi Jinping and Putin are trying to shape the world as they see it, with the possible American abandonment of Europe. So, an understanding of the past, in this case, the Cold War, is important to help to make sense of the present.

What is A-Level History about?

The History A-Level includes a choice of topics ranging from the Crusades through to the Tudors to the rise of Hitler and the origins of the Cold War and the modern Middle East. The main exam boards OCR, Edexcel, AQA and CIE offer just about every period of History so there is a lot of choice.
What sort of work is needed? One of the most important skills you will develop in studying History is the ability to analyse and interpret complex information. History is a subject that requires you to evaluate evidence, consider different points of view and draw informed conclusions. Through developing critical thinking skills, you will be better equipped to understand the complexities of the modern world.

What sort of work is involved?

To study History students should be able to read around topics do note-taking and undertake independent research. They will learn to evaluate source material, its origin, who wrote it and how it contributes to the understanding of History. Another key aspect is the independent researched coursework. This is an extended essay of between 3000-4000 words on a topic of the student’s choice. For this, students can access websites longer text books, on-line archives, even historical movies like Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991) or Mary Queen of Scots (2019) although there must always be caution when observing how Hollywood looks at historical events.
A typical coursework question might be: ‘Assess the reasons for the Parliamentary victory in the English Civil War’ or ‘How important was the defeat at Stalingrad in the outcome of the war on the Eastern Front during the Second World War’?
Coursework is very important preparation for university study because it encourages students to deliver longer essays more like the assignments they will be expected to do at university. The research skills and discipline required for successful A-Level coursework is integral to this.

How is the A-Level assessed?

For the OCR board there are 3 exams plus coursework
The student must cover a 200-year period for the A level. For example, the British period study 1930-1997
The non-British period study. For example, the French Revolution, 1774-1815
The thematic study involving a longer period of study. For example, this could be Russia and its Rulers 1856-1964
Clearly these choices meet the 200 years study period requirement for History A level. You have to study a wide span of history, not just a short period in more depth…
The CIE exam board in contrast is mainly modern world History including Europe, China and Japan and the USA. There are four exams for CIE but unlike the other exam boards there is no coursework.

What background do I need?

A GCSE in History is useful but not compulsory to take the A level. The key is for the student to be able to absorb a lot of information, analytical and evaluation skills are also important, but above all, a student must be curious about the past and to show a real interest in what that past encompassed.

Where can History lead?

History is a very useful A level to have when applying to university. It can be studied alone or as part of a History/Politics or part of an International Relations course or Humanities degree or for a Law degree. Studying History equips students with the knowledge and transferable skills to succeed at a wide variety of careers after university such as business, broadcast media, diplomacy, journalism, advertising and Law.

Mr Sean Murphy,
History & Politics Tutor
Cherwell College Oxford.

Discover more about our Traditional 2-Year A-Level Programme here