A complete guide to AQA A-Level History
AQA A-Level History (specification 7042) is a linear two-year course made up of one breadth study, one depth study, and an independent historical investigation called the NEA. It is one of the most rigorous A-Levels available and a strong choice for any student aiming at history, law, politics, English or PPE degrees.
This guide covers everything you need to know to walk into the exam confident: How the two written papers work, what the historical investigation involves, how source and interpretation skills are tested, and the revision techniques that work best for A-Level History.
Two papers plus an NEA
Paper 1 is a breadth study covering around 100 years. Paper 2 is a depth study covering a shorter, more turbulent period. The NEA is an independent investigation worth 20%.
Essays at the core
Both papers are essay-based. Strong essay technique – argument, evidence, evaluation – is the biggest mark differentiator.
Sources and interpretations
Paper 1 tests interpretations of historians. Paper 2 tests primary sources. Different skills, both essential.
How AQA A-Level History is assessed
AQA A-Level History is a linear qualification. You are assessed in two written papers at the end of Year 13 and submit an independent historical investigation completed during Year 13.
The written papers test the same four assessment objectives: AO1 (knowledge of historical events and the ability to construct arguments), AO2 (analysis of primary sources), AO3 (analysis of historians' interpretations) and AO4 (which is not assessed at A-Level).
| Component | Focus | Length | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Breadth study covering around 100 years (e.g. Tudors, Russia, America, Italy) | 2h 30m | 40% |
| Paper 2 | Depth study paired with the breadth (e.g. Wars of the Roses, Russia in Revolution) | 2h 30m | 40% |
| NEA | Historical investigation, around 4,500 words | Submitted in Year 13 | 20% |
Each written paper contains an extract or source question and two essay questions. The essay questions are the biggest individual mark allocations on the A-Level. Schools pair their breadth and depth options from a fixed list of approved combinations.
Linear and option-based AQA A-Level History is a linear two-year course assessed at the end of Year 13. Schools pick one breadth option and one paired depth option from a list of approved pairings. The most popular combinations are Tudors (1485–1603) plus the Wars of the Roses, and Russia (1855–1964) plus Russia in Revolution.
Paper 1: The breadth study
Paper 1 is the breadth study. It covers around 100 years of history and asks you to identify change, continuity, cause and consequence across a long period. Popular options include Tudors (1485–1603), Russia (1855–1964), America (1865–1975) and the British Empire.
Section A: Historians' interpretations
You are given an extract from a published historian (or sometimes two extracts) and asked to evaluate the interpretation. Strong answers identify the argument the historian makes, weigh it against your own knowledge, and judge its convincingness as a whole.
Section B: Essays
Two essays from a choice of three, each worth 25 marks. The questions cover long-period change, often phrased as "To what extent..." or "How successful...". Strong essays make a clear judgement up front, support it with three or four well-chosen examples spanning the period, and finish with a justified conclusion.
Exam tip for Paper 1 Breadth essays reward students who can span the whole period. An essay on the Tudor monarchy that uses examples from Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I will outscore one that focuses on a single reign. Build a one-page timeline for every breadth topic with two or three key events per decade.
Paper 2: The depth study
Paper 2 is the depth study. It covers a much shorter period – often 25 to 30 years of turbulent history – in much more detail. Popular options include the Wars of the Roses, Russia in Revolution, the American Civil War, and the rise of Nazi Germany.
Section A: Primary sources
You are given two or three primary sources from the period and asked to evaluate them. Strong answers identify the provenance (who wrote it, when, why), explain what it reveals about the events, and reach a judgement on which source is most valuable to a historian.
Section B: Essays
Two essays from a choice of three, each worth 25 marks. The questions cover causation, motivation and significance in much more depth than Paper 1. Strong answers use precise, narrow examples – named people, dates, quotations – to build an argument.
Exam tip for Paper 2 Depth essays reward precision. The students who score top marks know dates within a month, attribute decisions to named individuals, and quote primary sources from memory. Build a vocabulary list of key terms for your depth study and use them deliberately in essays.
The historical investigation (NEA)
The NEA, formally called the historical investigation, is an independently researched and written essay of around 4,500 words. It must span at least 100 years and must not overlap with either of your exam topics. You choose the question, research it using both primary and secondary sources, and reach an evaluative conclusion.
Most schools complete the NEA in the autumn term of Year 13, with submission usually in the spring. The NEA is marked against the same assessment objectives as the exam essays, plus an additional weighting on research independence and source evaluation.
Common mistake on the NEA Students pick a question that is too broad and run out of words. The 4,500-word limit is tight – examiners reward a narrow, well-evidenced question over an ambitious one with thin coverage. "Why did Bismarck unify Germany?" is too big. "How important was Austrian weakness in the unification of Germany 1862–1871?" is the right scale.
Source and interpretation skills
Source and interpretation skills are tested differently on each paper. Paper 1 asks you to evaluate the arguments made by published historians; Paper 2 asks you to evaluate primary sources written at the time. Strong answers in both cases follow the same logic: Identify the argument or message, weigh it against your own knowledge, and judge its convincingness or value.
The most common weakness on source questions is to summarise rather than evaluate. A summary of what a source says scores at level 1 or 2. To reach level 4 or 5 you need to test the source against your own knowledge, comment on the provenance, and reach a clear judgement. Practising one source question a week against the mark scheme is the fastest way to improve.
5 tips for AQA A-Level History revision
A-Level History rewards detailed knowledge and clear argument. The students who get A and A* train themselves to plan essays carefully, support every claim with precise evidence, and reach justified conclusions.
1. Build a timeline for every topic
Make one A4 timeline per topic, with two or three key events per decade. Memorise the dates within a month. Strong essays span the whole period and quote precise dates – the timeline is the foundation of that skill.
2. Drill 25-mark essays under timed conditions
Write one essay a week under timed conditions and mark it against the AQA mark scheme. Note which assessment objective is letting you down. Most students plateau because they keep practising the same mistakes – usually weak evaluation or vague evidence.
3. Memorise short, vivid quotations
A short primary quotation in an essay is high-value evidence. Build a list of 15–20 short quotes per topic – three or four words is enough – and use them as the spine of your arguments. Quotes from Lenin, Henry VIII, Lincoln or Hitler carry weight in the right context.
4. Practise source and interpretation questions weekly
Source and interpretation questions are skill-based and improve quickly with focused practice. Spend one session a week on a single source question, mark it strictly, and target whichever assessment objective is letting you down (provenance, content, judgement).
5. Treat the NEA like an apprenticeship in being a historian
The biggest NEA mark losses come from weak source evaluation, not from poor writing. Read three or four historians on your topic, identify where they disagree, and use that debate as the spine of your argument. The NEA is your one chance to write history rather than just answer questions about it.
