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AQA History A2 British State + People 1865-1915

Hi everyone:-)
I'm now starting revision on the British unit for history and was just wondering if anyone had any good techniques or ideas on how to structure revising for it? As I'm quite stuck! There's a lot to learn, is anyone finding it easier than me and could help?

Thanks!

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Reply 1
I am also sitting HIS3G, it is a lot to cover and I believe the only way to do it is chronologically - make notes on the whole period and make sure you gather evidence (historians views etc). I have noticed a lack of talk regarding this exam which is annoying given the difficulty and amount you need to know.
I have split the notes into administrations and elections but I would like to see more attention on this thread as the exam is so vast it would be good to get some more views/discussions going.
some topics I believe are likely to come up and I am revising thoroughly are (Chamberlain over the whole period - The Labour Party - Liberal Social reforms 1906+ - 1867 Reform - Gladstone and home rule and maybe the rights of women over the whole period)
Thought I'd bump this, remembering the content and interpretations seems really overwhelming and bearing in mind we only have 45 minutes per question, I am really worried about this exam.
Original post by The Monk
Thought I'd bump this, remembering the content and interpretations seems really overwhelming and bearing in mind we only have 45 minutes per question, I am really worried about this exam.



Really worried too. It's on Monday and I'm actually really panicking. There's so much content and they can literally ask you on any of it so I'm just absolutely cramming.
Reply 4
I organised my notes into Ireland, domestic & foreign assessing continuity and change in policy throughout the period. Also, I've made sure I know the impact/level of success that each act had, which allows you to answer many questions in one way or another! I then brought all the themes together to assess threats posed to each party throughout the period (as well as reasons for election losses etc.). Lastly, I'm trying to plan answers for as many possible questions I can think of - especially ones which are in the form of 'to what extent was X the main reason for...'
I hope this helps a bit! I'm stressing too, there's so much to know & I hardly know anything on the economy...
Reply 5
It's so much content it hurts. i'm going through ministries and then looking at the themes of ireland, domestic policy, electoral reform and foreign policy.
Does anyone have any educated guesses about what may come up on the paper?
Original post by TheCynicalChild
Really worried too. It's on Monday and I'm actually really panicking. There's so much content and they can literally ask you on any of it so I'm just absolutely cramming.

The main worry for me is if they ask a narrow question similar to the Constitutional Crisis and Eastern Crisis in the past. This exam could either be comfortably straight-forward on an absolute nightmare depending on the questions.

in terms of guessing questions. I would go for:
why did the Liberal Party go to war in 1914?
How successful were governments in pacifying Ireland 1868-1914?
to what extent was the Depression responsible for the Growth of New Unionism 1889-1900? Or something like that
(edited 9 years ago)
Am I right in thinking we don't need to remember too many historians and quotes and just put "historians would argue that ..." Etc

timing is a real issue for me also
Original post by The Monk
Am I right in thinking we don't need to remember too many historians and quotes and just put "historians would argue that ..." Etc

timing is a real issue for me also


I don't think we do, as long as we're 'aware of different interpretations', but it couldn't hurt to drop in a few names and quotes. I wouldn't obsess over it too much though.

I say this like I'm prepared for the exam and I'm really not.
Original post by TheCynicalChild
I don't think we do, as long as we're 'aware of different interpretations', but it couldn't hurt to drop in a few names and quotes. I wouldn't obsess over it too much though.

I say this like I'm prepared for the exam and I'm really not.

Luckily i need 79 UMS for an A which is about 52-54 marks but I'm just terrified I'm going to get a question I just don't understand.
I feel confident with the majority of content ATM but I know on the day I'm likely to miss out something key.
Original post by The Monk
Luckily i need 79 UMS for an A which is about 52-54 marks but I'm just terrified I'm going to get a question I just don't understand.
I feel confident with the majority of content ATM but I know on the day I'm likely to miss out something key.


Not really sure what I need...I got 85 UMS and 90 UMS for my AS units, and my teacher only told me I had an A/A* for the coursework. Nevertheless, I'll just try my best.

It's the little things you overlook or forget, right? It just gets me in the exam.
aaggh need an a* in this to get into my firm. I'm just neglecting the economy tbh- unless it's a synoptic i just don't know enough. I looked in the textbook and saw a fat chunk on progress, industry and agriculture that we haven't even been taught and just panicked. Has anyone else had teachers who have been really unhelpful with regard to the economy?

I reckon Ireland (possibly with regard to the emergence of Home Rule), outbreak of ww1 (simply because it's the centennial this year- or is that too obvious?), and something on the Labour party.- i still don't understand how there's been literally nothing on the labour party so far, bar the specimen. But then again, A2 paper is much less formulaic than AS, significantly harder to guess questions.
Reply 12
Original post by lukeface
aaggh need an a* in this to get into my firm. I'm just neglecting the economy tbh- unless it's a synoptic i just don't know enough. I looked in the textbook and saw a fat chunk on progress, industry and agriculture that we haven't even been taught and just panicked. Has anyone else had teachers who have been really unhelpful with regard to the economy?

I reckon Ireland (possibly with regard to the emergence of Home Rule), outbreak of ww1 (simply because it's the centennial this year- or is that too obvious?), and something on the Labour party.- i still don't understand how there's been literally nothing on the labour party so far, bar the specimen. But then again, A2 paper is much less formulaic than AS, significantly harder to guess questions.


My teacher didn't do a lot on the economy either & I only know enough to be synoptic also!
& I agree with you about the questions + I'm thinking a threat question could be possible...
What's the likelihood of us getting one on a specific act like 1867 or 1884 ?

personally I'd like one on foreign/imperial policy so long as it's not heavily focused on Chamberlain or something. This exams just so horrible because you have no idea what is going to come up :frown:
Reply 14
I haven't focused on the economy that much. Literally all I know is that Germany was overtaking Britain as one of the top European economic heavyweights. (better Pension schemes etc)

I hope the questions are to do with reasons for going to war (would make sense as it is the 100th anniversary of t ww1) and anything to do with pacifying Ireland or the end of Splendid Isolation (but has been asked recently)
Reply 15
Original post by The Monk
What's the likelihood of us getting one on a specific act like 1867 or 1884 ?

personally I'd like one on foreign/imperial policy so long as it's not heavily focused on Chamberlain or something. This exams just so horrible because you have no idea what is going to come up :frown:


A question on a single act would be horrible, but you never know. As people have said before it could go 2 ways, 3 nice and straight forward questions or 3 absolute horrors.
Original post by mullers
A question on a single act would be horrible, but you never know. As people have said before it could go 2 ways, 3 nice and straight forward questions or 3 absolute horrors.

Timing is really hard for me also in this exam but 2 nice or atleast reasonable questions would be such a relief on the day, nerves are really kicking in for me now as it's my first exam.
Reply 17
Original post by The Monk
Timing is really hard for me also in this exam but 2 nice or atleast reasonable questions would be such a relief on the day, nerves are really kicking in for me now as it's my first exam.


I know what you mean, in class it took my nearly 60 minutes to do one question properly... History is my first too, I'm not nervous as such yet, but tomorrow night will be a different story... just one nice question on the day is all I ask cause you can do that one first and then have a think on the next and writing the first may jog your memory. When I go in and as soon as I open the paper I am going to write down everything i can remember and go from there
Original post by mullers
I know what you mean, in class it took my nearly 60 minutes to do one question properly... History is my first too, I'm not nervous as such yet, but tomorrow night will be a different story... just one nice question on the day is all I ask cause you can do that one first and then have a think on the next and writing the first may jog your memory. When I go in and as soon as I open the paper I am going to write down everything i can remember and go from there

Not that you can really assume anything in this exam but I'd like to think there will be one which is really nice. I'm thinking the other two will be good/bad dependant of what people revised really with maybe one of them being ridiculously narrow
Reply 19
Original post by The Monk
Not that you can really assume anything in this exam but I'd like to think there will be one which is really nice. I'm thinking the other two will be good/bad dependant of what people revised really with maybe one of them being ridiculously narrow


Completely agree with you... its such a big subject to cover. Yeah just one would be nice.
To what extent did Gladstonian Liberalism dominate foreign affairs in the years 1868-1874?
Is what my teacher feels may come up (as a narrow question, but at least its 1868-74), or something along those lines.

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