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How to get A grade in A Level History?

Hi, I'm in Yr12 and I've taken History for A-Level and currently I'm at a C/B grade; i was wondering what I can do to make sure I can improve to get an A grade at the end of the year.

Thanks

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Reply 1
With our course, about 50% of the AS Level is source paper, so fairly formulaic. Learn the formula for those rigiourously, and the structures for other essays(they're all similar).

Also, just learn the stuff.

That's basically it tbh.
Reply 2
I got an 'A', but haven't the slightest idea how, because I systematically disregarded every piece of advice given. I suppose the formulaic answer would be to marshal the views of as many historians as possible.
Look at your teacher's comments on each essay that he/she has marked. Have you got a check list on what you need to include in your essays?

Remember to include links, make sure the information you use in your essays are relavant to the question and make sure in your conclusion you state which is the most inportant factor whilst addressing the other factors.

Also remember to PEEL
Point
Example
Explanation
Link back to the question
Reply 4
Make sure everything you are writing links back to the question, and explicitly state how it does. There is no point in writing all the facts if they do not fit into the question, or are not an actual response to what is being asked.

As already stated, learn how to answer the source papers as it is always the same basic questions with different material. If you are unclear on this, refer to past mark schemes or ask your teacher to take you through how to answer the questions.
Reply 5
To get the higher grades my teacher told us that you have to make a measured judgement in the introduction and briefly refer to the points that lead you to feel this way.
Then the body of your essay is going through each one, making a mini conclusion after you've made your point and go onto the next one.
It's all about knowing your stuff and using it to fuel a sustained argument.
Reply 6
do you believe the practice in writing essays gradually improves your grade?
Reply 8

I'm doing the same subjects apart from Further, where I'm doing Government & Politics.
Reply 9
in my experience it is cramming for a week solidly before the exams :biggrin:
got 278...then they realised that there was one paper everyone did badly on and they remarked the lot and I went up to 287 :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: (just getting over the news - I found out yesterday and gleefully realised that I now only need 193 more UMSs to get an A overall :woo: )
Yeah, so basically cram loads and get a really high A for AS and then you can relax a bit at A2 and still get an A overall :p:
Reply 10
AG27
do you believe the practice in writing essays gradually improves your grade?


I didn't last year while studying my ASs... and I did spectacularly badly. This year I've been quite strict about doing timed practice essays and I've been getting As. Once you've got your structure sorted you just need to have the right knowledge :smile:

It's good to get a load of past questions and plan out answers or write up an introduction for them.
sadie-kiki
in my experience it is cramming for a week solidly before the exams :biggrin:
got 278...then they realised that there was one paper everyone did badly on and they remarked the lot and I went up to 287 :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: (just getting over the news - I found out yesterday and gleefully realised that I now only need 193 more UMSs to get an A overall :woo: )
Yeah, so basically cram loads and get a really high A for AS and then you can relax a bit at A2 and still get an A overall :p:


Cramming a day before exams seemed to work out fine, but I suppose it still was a real fluke that I ended up with 300/300 :biggrin:
No complaints, naturally, but the marking can be a bit erratic even a the best of times.
Reply 12
In the source based paper when you use some evidence from any of the sources would you also talk about the reliability of the source?
Reply 13
by the way, well done on both of your brilliant marks
AG27
by the way, well done on both of your brilliant marks


Thank you very much, but I doubt I will be able to repeat it at A2!
I'm currently doing my coursework for A Level - I'm quite worried about it as my friend who loves History and was predicted an A overall got a D on her coursework, whereas people who were predicted D's overall got an A on their coursework! Apparently you just have to be really explicit. Don't ramble, get to the point. After each paragraph, link back to the question so you stay focused and, for the sources paper, cross reference sources to develop your argument!

I agree with Elle J, once you've got the structure sorted, you're off to a good start! For my AS, I hadn't a clue about what the sources paper was saying but I still came out with an A because I just stuck to my usual structure!
Reply 16
Economist1
Cramming a day before exams seemed to work out fine, but I suppose it still was a real fluke that I ended up with 300/300 :biggrin:
No complaints, naturally, but the marking can be a bit erratic even a the best of times.

:five:



*is secretly annoyed at having lost 13 UMSs* :ninja:
AG27
In the source based paper when you use some evidence from any of the sources would you also talk about the reliability of the source?


Yup, the nature of the sources is always important! I.e. who's writing it, what you could determine from this (whether it's bias etc!) :smile:
Reply 18
Economist1
Thank you very much, but I doubt I will be able to repeat it at A2!

:ditto: to this

My aim is to do well enough on the 2 papers that I'm doing in January (210 UMSs) so that I don't have to do the coursework :p: or at least only have to write a crap essay in it to get what I need for an A.
Reply 19
ChocolateFish
I'm currently doing my coursework for A Level - I'm quite worried about it as my friend who loves History and was predicted an A overall got a D on her coursework, whereas people who were predicted D's overall got an A on their coursework! Apparently you just have to be really explicit. Don't ramble, get to the point. After each paragraph, link back to the question so you stay focused and, for the sources paper, cross reference sources to develop your argument!

I agree with Elle J, once you've got the structure sorted, you're off to a good start! For my AS, I hadn't a clue about what the sources paper was saying but I still came out with an A because I just stuck to my usual structure!

When you link back to the question at the end of each paragraph, will your point be similar to the one stated at the start of the paragraph?

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