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GCSE History exam guide
How the papers are set up, what each type of question wants, and how to write paragraphs that score.
What every GCSE History course covers
All GCSE History courses in England follow the same Department for Education rules, so whichever board you take, you'll study:
- a period study of about 50 years, such as Germany 1890-1945 or America 1920-1973
- a wider world depth study, such as the inter-war years or the Cold War
- a thematic study over a very long period, such as health and medicine from medieval times to today
- a British depth study, such as Norman England or Elizabethan England, with a historic environment (a real site you study in detail)
At least 40% of the course is British history, and it has to cover the medieval, early modern and modern eras.
How the exam boards set it out
| Board | How it's assessed |
|---|---|
| AQA (8145) | Two papers, each 2 hours and 84 marks (including 4 for spelling, punctuation and grammar), each 50%. Paper 1 "Understanding the modern world" is a period study plus a wider world depth study. Paper 2 "Shaping the nation" is a thematic study plus a British depth study. |
| Edexcel (1HI0) | Three papers: a thematic study with its historic environment, a period study with a British depth study, and a modern depth study. |
| OCR | Two different courses: History A (Explaining the Modern World) and History B (Schools History Project). Check which one your school takes. |
| Eduqas | One course with its own mix of British and world history units. |
Always check your board's own specification for your exact options: AQA GCSE History, Edexcel GCSE History.
The main question types
Describe
Give two features with a supporting detail each. Keep it short: these are quick marks, not essays.
Explain why / In what ways
Give two or three reasons, each in its own paragraph, and explain how each one led to the result. Use the word "because" a lot.
Write an account / narrative
Tell the story in order, but show how one event led to the next. Linking words like "this led to" and "as a result" matter more than extra detail.
Which was more important / How far do you agree
These are the big essay questions. Explain both sides with evidence, then make a clear judgement that compares them. "Both were important" is not a judgement. Say which mattered more and why.
How useful is this source?
Look at three things: the content (what it tells you), the provenance (who made it, when and why) and the context (what you know about the time). A source can be useful precisely because it's biased, if it shows you what a group of people believed. Our guide to a 1932 song as a source works through a full example.
Interpretations
An interpretation is a later view of the past, often by a historian. Ask what it argues, what it emphasises or leaves out, and why its author might see it that way. See how this works with views of Douglas Haig.
How to write a PEEL paragraph
PEEL keeps every paragraph focused on the question:
- Point: answer the question in one sentence.
- Evidence: give precise facts, dates, names or numbers.
- Explain: show how the evidence proves your point. This is where most marks are.
- Link: tie it back to the question or compare it with another factor.
Here is a PEEL paragraph for "Explain why Germans hated the Treaty of Versailles":
Notice that the explanation is longer than the evidence. That's normal in a good answer.
Want to practise? Download our PEE paragraph writing frame (Word document), with sentence starters, a worked example and a blank frame to fill in.
A simple revision plan
- Make a one-page timeline for each topic.
- Turn the key people, terms and dates into flashcards and test yourself every few days.
- For each topic, write out the three most likely essay questions and plan them in bullet points.
- Answer real past questions in timed conditions, then mark them against the mark scheme.
Updated 18 October 2026