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CIE A level History 9389 2018

Hello :smile:
Anyone taking history 9389 out there? I know hardly anyone does CIE history :') so if you are let's help each other! I'm planning to take AS in Oct/Nov this year and A2 same time next year, if all goes well. (If I get anything less than a B for AS, well, I'm falling back on my other 4 subjects.)

If anyone has the scheme of work please share it I'd be super grateful thankss.

Fyi, I'm taking the European option for components 1, 2 and 4 and I haven't decided for component 3 yet. For component 2 I'm studying 3 topics to be safe, so the French Revolution, Russian Revolution and origins of WW1. Component 4 choices will depend on how stressed out I am by next year.

I'll start off the resources:

history9389.com - has quite a few tips on exam techniques and revision for certain topics as well. It's great because it's tailored specifically to the cie syllabus. On the downside, it's kind of incomplete because there's only one person managing it afaik, and he's probably got uni stuff going on. (A fellow Malaysian 🙌)

mrallsophistory.com - mostly good for podcasts, if that's your thing. I didn't use it much for IGCSEs but that's just me.

libgen.io - lots of pdfs and ebooks (for any subject really, history included). I got quite a few books off here, especially for A2 reading.

Add more!

EDIT 22/3:
Hooray, I found the schemes of work! Not all of them but I think all options are covered for components 1 and 2, and the Holocaust and British Imperialism options for component 3. (No luck for component 4.)

They're all on studylib.net, and I did a very specific google search with the keywords:
site:studylib.net cie a level "9389"
There should be relatively few results to dig through.

I forgot to mention a couple of sites, namely:

Internet History Sourcebooks Project on fordham.edu - original sources, has indexes for different periods/themes (* the site seems to be down at the moment, but hopefully it'll be fixed soon)

papacambridge.com - past year papers, mark schemes, examiner reports

PS if you have any other resources/links I'll add them to this post as a reference for anyone
(edited 5 years ago)

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Reply 1
I'm just going to reply to myself then :')

So for past year papers the most complete collection I've found (for history) is on papacambridge.com, with a couple of missing papers from other sites. I still have a few gaps though.

One thing I want to point out is that examiner reports are the best resource a self-studying student could have. You have questions, the mark scheme, and then an entire document telling you what the examiner wants or dislikes in answers, as well as common mistakes. It's basically the next best thing to a teacher. Use them.

I'm still looking for the scheme of work so please let me know if you can access it!
Reply 2
Hi

I'm also doing CIE history- i'm taking both the as and a2 exams this summer!!

How are you finding it?
Original post by bellyyyy
Hi

I'm also doing CIE history- i'm taking both the as and a2 exams this summer!!

How are you finding it?


which topics r u doing for AS and A2?
Reply 4
Original post by bellyyyy
Hi

I'm also doing CIE history- i'm taking both the as and a2 exams this summer!!

How are you finding it?


Whoa all 4 papers at once? That's pretty daring 0.0 how do you even remember so much content??

Tbh I can't really tell :tongue: I mean I made my own schedule and I'm sticking to it so far, and all seems good atm, but ofc there's no one to mark my essays or anything so my first litmus test would be AS
Reply 5
Yeah there really is loads to remember!! especially for papers 2 and 4! Thats good! I havnt had any of my essays marked either..but ive been reading the mark schemes to death and just going to have to hope my technique is okay! i guess i will find out come exams/results day tho..
are you self studying??
Reply 6
Original post by Audrey18
which topics r u doing for AS and A2?


Cold war for paper 3 and Europes Dictators for paper 4 :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Audrey18
which topics r u doing for AS and A2?


oh and The Search for Intenational Peace and Security for paper 1 and Modern Europe- French Revolution and Origins of WW1 for paper 2
Reply 8
Haha yes mark schemes are the way to go! Yep I'm self-studying hbu? What other subjects are you doing?

Also how do you study for A2, just read books and make notes?
Reply 9
Original post by fortytwo
Haha yes mark schemes are the way to go! Yep I'm self-studying hbu? What other subjects are you doing?

Also how do you study for A2, just read books and make notes?


Yeah im self studying too..wish i hadnt chosen history tho because its so hard with the essays! im doing Geography and Biology too, wbu??

Yep pretty much! i just work my way through the syllabus writing notes/reading then do an essay question at the end of each section. I really need to keep working on my essays tho as im struggling with the timing!
Paper 3 has been particulary hard tho as its a histography paper so theres only so much you can read- its more about how you write it!
Reply 10
Original post by bellyyyy
Yeah im self studying too..wish i hadnt chosen history tho because its so hard with the essays! im doing Geography and Biology too, wbu??

Yep pretty much! i just work my way through the syllabus writing notes/reading then do an essay question at the end of each section. I really need to keep working on my essays tho as im struggling with the timing!
Paper 3 has been particulary hard tho as its a histography paper so theres only so much you can read- its more about how you write it!



Bio, chem, physics and maths heh but I'm taking them in school so it should be manageable I think 🙃
I haven't actually started on timed papers yet (eek) but I have a feeling paper 1 is going to be very pressured in terms of time.
Paper 3 is pretty terrifying (but also super interesting!) which is why I haven't decided on what topic I'm doing yet, because given a choice I'd go for the Holocaust but then I've already studied the cold war quite a bit during IGCSEs so it would probably be easier for me 🤔 it all depends on how stressed I am over my sciences and esp maths by the beginning of next year haha
Original post by bellyyyy
Cold war for paper 3 and Europes Dictators for paper 4 :smile:


Original post by bellyyyy
oh and The Search for Intenational Peace and Security for paper 1 and Modern Europe- French Revolution and Origins of WW1 for paper 2


Original post by fortytwo
Bio, chem, physics and maths heh but I'm taking them in school so it should be manageable I think 🙃
I haven't actually started on timed papers yet (eek) but I have a feeling paper 1 is going to be very pressured in terms of time.
Paper 3 is pretty terrifying (but also super interesting!) which is why I haven't decided on what topic I'm doing yet, because given a choice I'd go for the Holocaust but then I've already studied the cold war quite a bit during IGCSEs so it would probably be easier for me 🤔 it all depends on how stressed I am over my sciences and esp maths by the beginning of next year haha


CIE has been very unwilling to help private candidates sitting for the history 9389 AS and A2 papers. many people have failed the exams and then subsequently dropped the subject. when you email CIE even after you tell them that you're a private candidate they will tell you to ask your teachers. so if you're planning to take history then do so at your own risk. the official textbooks don't tell you much except for the usual content for each topics. it doesn't cover how to answer the various papers since they're different.

for example paper 1 and paper 3 are source papers so you have to follow a certain format in order to score the high marks. paper 2 and paper 4 are normal essay style question but there is also a format to answer those questions to get the top marks. the mark scheme doesn't tell you everything so when you get disappointing results in august don't blame yourself. CIE simply doesn't care.

CIE students are usually from pakistan, malaysia, indonesia, india an a few others because those countries either don't have their national exams equivalent of the A levels or even if they do then their official A levels equivalent are simply not up to par with the A levels from first world countries.
Reply 12
First off, thanks for the warning. I truly appreciate your input especially since I haven't had much contact with other students.

Original post by Audrey18
the official textbooks don't tell you much except for the usual content for each topics.


I'm definitely not relying solely on the textbook. The information in there is vague at best, oversimplified and one-sided at worst. The only use I have for it is to see what specific topics CIE wants to examine. I use a combination of Palgrave's Modern European History (printed), Wikipedia, online sources (fordham.edu is a pretty good starting point), and pdfs of history books (ie not textbooks written specifically for a course/syllabus - the CIE textbook even has reading recommendations at the end of each chapter).

Original post by Audrey18
it doesn't cover how to answer the various papers since they're different.


Actually, it does. There's a section at the back focusing specifically on exam technique and answering different questions (source-based, analysis/evaluation). I can only speak for the European textbook, but I presume that CIE would have printed the same section in the others as well.

Original post by Audrey18
CIE students are usually from pakistan, malaysia, indonesia, india an a few others because those countries either don't have their national exams equivalent of the A levels or even if they do then their official A levels equivalent are simply not up to par with the A levels from first world countries.


Well, this is just nitpicking on my part, but I think in Malaysia the equivalent of a levels (STPM) is pretty much on par with or even of a higher standard than most pre-u programmes, including a levels (with the exception of history, which literally just skims everything from the earliest civilisations up to the 20th century). The main reason I'm taking a levels is that it's easier to score and a levels are more widely recognised overseas.

So again, thank you for your opinion, but I think it's definitely possible to score even without a teacher. It's a lot harder, but it can be done.
Original post by fortytwo


So again, thank you for your opinion, but I think it's definitely possible to score even without a teacher. It's a lot harder, but it can be done.


post your history results here on August 16, 2018.
Reply 14
Original post by Audrey18
post your history results here on August 16, 2018.


My AS exam is in October but ok, I'll post them when I get them.
Original post by fortytwo
I'm just going to reply to myself then :':wink:

So for past year papers the most complete collection I've found (for history) is on papacambridge.com, with a couple of missing papers from other sites. I still have a few gaps though.

One thing I want to point out is that examiner reports are the best resource a self-studying student could have. You have questions, the mark scheme, and then an entire document telling you what the examiner wants or dislikes in answers, as well as common mistakes. It's basically the next best thing to a teacher. Use them.

I'm still looking for the scheme of work so please let me know if you can access it!


Hello!! i am also doing this sources paper on European option! do you know which topic you also want to do?
Reply 16
Hi! Do you mean which topic I'm doing for each paper? I'm taking the European option for everything, so it's German and Italian unification for P1.For Paper 2 I've narrowed it down to the French Revolution and Russian Revolution, because depth and answering technique are probably more important than breadth (also, I've studied WW1 at IGCSE level and I find it less interesting than the other two topics)
I’m doing AS and A2 History too!! How did you find Paper 1??
Original post by fortytwo
Hi! Do you mean which topic I'm doing for each paper? I'm taking the European option for everything, so it's German and Italian unification for P1.For Paper 2 I've narrowed it down to the French Revolution and Russian Revolution, because depth and answering technique are probably more important than breadth (also, I've studied WW1 at IGCSE level and I find it less interesting than the other two topics)

yes! i do my sources paper on unification of italy and germany, i just did the exam today.
my second paper we studied on russia and ww1 ,, ww1 is pretty boring aswell sigh
i havent done IGCSE level in history!! but so far, i feel like history is okay for me haha
Reply 19
Original post by glittergorl
I’m doing AS and A2 History too!! How did you find Paper 1??


I actually started this thread quite far in advance haha I'm only doing my AS in October this year, then A2 in October next year. But how was paper 1 for you?

Original post by miharuxx
yes! i do my sources paper on unification of italy and germany, i just did the exam today.
my second paper we studied on russia and ww1 ,, ww1 is pretty boring aswell sigh
i havent done IGCSE level in history!! but so far, i feel like history is okay for me haha


Cool, how'd the exam go? Are you taking other subjects?

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