A Level: History
Course title: Advanced GCE in History
Exam board: AQA
Subject specific entry criteria: Grade 7 in GCSE History.
Course overview
Unit 1: Breadth Study
Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
This option allows students to address the following key questions:
- How was Russia governed and how did political authority change and develop?
- Why did opposition develop and how effective was it?
- How and with what results did the economy develop and change?
- What was the extent of social and cultural change?
- How important were ideas and ideology?
- How important was the role of individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments?
Unit 2: Depth Study
Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
This option provides for the study of a transformative period of British history, during which democratically elected government faced a series of challenges, both internally and externally, and British society underwent fundamental change.
Unit 3: Historical Enquiry NEA
- A personal study based on the Crusades. This should take the form of a question in the context of c.100 years.
- 3000-3500 words
Assessment overview
Unit 1: written exam:
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- 40% of A Level
Unit 2: written exam:
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- 40% of A Level
Unit 3: Marked by teachers and moderated by AQA
- 20% of A Level
Future progression
History can be studied at university in its own right, as well as in combination with other subjects such as Languages, Politics or Economics. There are also a range of related degrees such as International Relations or American Studies.
Potential careers
The majority of students who take History degrees do not enter a field connected to History. Those who do can be teachers, archaeologists, archivists or professional historians. Others enter a wide range of professions including the law, marketing, journalism, the armed forces, and management roles to name just a few. In fact, many of the skills you develop make it an ideal training for almost any profession. It is a highly regarded subject.
How to succeed in History
You will need a genuine interest in the subject and a passion for debate and argument. You should be prepared to work hard and to read and to read and write extensively.