My guide to approaching AS-level History (9489)

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Preface

Hi there, in this short quick guide I'll go over the necessary things that you need to know for AS-level History (9489). I'll start by discussing the paper format for each paper, and then delving into what you need to do in terms of the structure. As there are three options for AS-level History, I will not discuss the specific content that is needed in terms of the syllabus - I may do this for the option I'm doing at a later time.

The reason I'm doing this is because I feel this would aid me in my revision for AS exams, which is this month, and I also feel that this post may help others doing the 9489 syllabus (regardless of the option that they're doing). Without further do, let's start! I'll link the syllabus page as well for reference in case you need a copy of the syllabus.

Link to syllabus page

Paper 1 (Document Question)

Part A (15-marks question)

This question requires you to compare 2 sources and find the similarities/differences. You should find 4 similarities/differences (there is no fixed ratio of how many similarities or differences, but it must add up to 4 in total) and discuss them in 4 separate paragraphs (after a brief introduction), after that evaluate the reliability of the 2 sources and state which source is more reliable, and explain why that is so.

Part B (25-marks question)

This question requires you to analyse 4 sources and to see if it supports the given hypothesis or not. For this question, make a brief introduction, and then break your essay into 4 paragraphs (1 for each source) and discuss whether or not the given sources support the hypothesis or not, and why. After each source, you must discuss in the evaluation whether the source is reliable or not in 1 paragraph each, here's how you should structure it to put it in a easier to understand way:

Short Introduction

- Source A - does it support hypothesis or not, and why?
- Evaluation for source A (reliability)
- Source B - does it support hypothesis or not, and why?
- Evaluation for source B (reliability)
- Source C - does it support hypothesis or not, and why?
- Evaluation for source C (reliability)
- Source D - does it support hypothesis or not, and why?
- Evaluation for source D (reliability)

Conclusion - conclude by saying whether or not the sources mainly support the hypothesis or not, and give some examples to support your conclusion

Paper 2 (Outline Study)

10-mark questions (Part A)

  • You do not need to write an introduction, if you'd like to then keep it brief. You have about 22 minutes to write the answer for the 10-mark question. Your answer would be normally 1 1/2 pages long with normal handwriting.
  • Use 1 paragraph per point to support your answer. In total you should have 6-7 paragraphs (brief introduction, if necessary, followed by 3-4 points for the 10-mark question followed by a conclusion which concludes the most important reason which answers the question asked (e.g. "Explain why did Prussia win the Austro-Prussian War in 1866")
  • When giving reasons, unless it has been planned that the first reason is the most important one, do not start the essay with 'Firstly,' as it suggests that the first is the most important reason.
  • Give 2-3 supporting pieces of detail for each point that you make, remember 1 paragraph per point.
  • Before concluding, justify the most important reason before coming to a conclusion.

Reasons supported by evidence is key.

If you follow the points above and present the points which relate to the question asked, you should be able to gain 7-8 marks out of 10, this is more than enough for an A grade.

20-mark questions (Part B)

Much of the same advice as the 10-mark question applies here, however you have to take into consideration that you have to write more as there are more marks available. Here is what you need to take into consideration:

  • You have about 32 minutes to write out a 20-mark answer in the exam period. Your answer would be normally 2 1/2 pages long with normal handwriting.
  • You have to write about 5 points in total across both sides of a given argument (as the questions will be How far... or To what extent..., so you will need to discuss both sides of the question in order to access the full range of the marks available). In a normal scenario you need at least 2 points on one side and 3 points on the other side, however this could vary.
  • Use 1 paragraph per point, as with the 10-mark answer. However, the difference here is that you have to make an evaluation paragraph for each point that you write, or what I like to do is to give an evaluation at the end of the explanation for one side of the argument.
  • Remember that the evaluation is very important, and is crucial to access the higher bands of the paper's mark scheme. As always, reasons supported by evidence - treat the examiner like an idiot.
  • Before concluding, write a historian's quote to demonstrate to the examiner that you understand the history material which is being tested. Remember that this quote must be historically accurate and must be something that is applicable to the specific area of the syllabus that you are being tested on in the specific question. A good way to find a historian's quote is to use the Access to History textbooks for the relevant option that you are doing, and this should be available readily online. More information in the 'Resources' section below.

If you follow the points above you should be able to achieve around 13-14 marks at the very least out of 20, which is enough for an A grade in my opinion. However, do try your best to make sure to achieve at least 15-16 marks for the 20-mark question, so that it adds up and you can secure your grade.

My thoughts on the grade thresholds for AS-level History

In terms of the grade threshold, the threshold is around 40/60 for an A grade at AS-level, however to remain safe and for a chance at an A* grade I would recommend you aim for 45+/60. This can be achieved if you manage to achieve 7-8/10 for both of the 10-markers and 15-16/20 for the 20-markers, at a minimum = total 44-46 marks. This combined with a strong Paper 1 score of over 25/40 (Paper 1 is not very difficult as it has less contextual knowledge involved and is mostly analysis) and you should be able to achieve 70+/100 which is a guaranteed A at AS-level and possibly A* at A2-level.

Resources

There are a plethora of resources available online for this subject, here are some websites and resources that you can check out:

  • Past papers) - this is a very important resource for you for obvious reasons.

  • Learner Guide and ECR/Other%20Resources/) - the Learner Guide gives you more information on how to approach the papers, and the Example Candidate Responses (ECR) booklet shows a sample past examination answer that a student produced. Use both of these booklets, as well as the Scheme of Work (a booklet for teachers which has links to resources Cambridge encourages teachers and students alike to use) - all of this is available in the hyperlink above.

  • Mr. Allsop History is also a great website for revision, definitely do check out his Exam Skills for more exam tips and techniques (some of his videos for CIE still do apply to the 9489 syllabus).

  • In terms of textbooks, use one of the official endorsed textbooks listed on the Cambridge website. For more material, I highly recommend the Access to History book series as well.

That's about it from my side, good luck to whomever is reading this! If you have any queries feel free to drop them below and I'll try my best to answer.

My other resources: