How to Revise A-Level History
Revise A-Level History with practice on source evaluation, historiography, and essay writing across your chosen periods.
Revision Strategy
Revising History requires you to balance factual recall with analytical skills. You need to remember specific dates, events, facts, and examples, but the marks are awarded for how you use this knowledge to construct arguments and evaluate evidence. Avoid the trap of spending all your time memorising facts without practising how to deploy them in essays and structured answers.
Source analysis and essay writing are central to History exams, so practise these skills regularly. For sources, develop a consistent approach: consider who created it, when, why, and what perspective it represents. For essays, plan your argument before you start writing and make sure every paragraph has a clear point supported by specific evidence.
Case studies and specific examples are what separate strong answers from weak ones in History. Learn three or four precise details for each major topic — specific names, dates, statistics, or places — and practise weaving them into your answers. Vague generalisations will not earn top marks, but precise, well-deployed evidence demonstrates genuine understanding.
Study Tips for A-Level History
- ✓ Always analyse source provenance before evaluating content — who created the source, when, for what purpose, and what perspective does it represent. This is fundamental to every source-based question at A-Level.
- ✓ Organise your notes thematically rather than chronologically where possible. For example, group your knowledge of a period under themes like political change, economic factors, social developments, and the role of individuals — this makes it easier to construct analytical essays.
- ✓ Learn the historiographical debate for each topic. Knowing that historian A argues one cause was most significant while historian B disagrees, and being able to evaluate both positions, is what distinguishes A and A* answers.
- ✓ Create concise factual flashcards with dates, statistics, and specific examples. You need precise evidence to support your arguments — vague references to things getting worse will not score well.
Exam Tips for A-Level History
- ✓ In essay questions, establish your argument in the opening paragraph. State your line of reasoning clearly — for example, while factor X was important, factor Y was the most significant cause because... This gives your essay direction and shows the examiner you are arguing, not narrating.
- ✓ When evaluating sources, go beyond surface-level comments about bias. All sources have a perspective — the key is explaining how that perspective affects the source s value for a specific enquiry, and cross-referencing with your own knowledge.
- ✓ Manage your time strictly. History papers often have multiple essay questions, and spending too long on one means rushing another. Allocate time based on mark weighting and stick to it.
Topics to Cover
8 topics in A-Level History
Frequently Asked Questions
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