Paper 1
For IGCSE History Paper 1, you will be given two hours to answer three questions: two from Core Content and one from Depth Study. Each question is worth [20] marks and divided into three smaller questions. These are each worth [4], [6], and [10] marks respectively. This means that the whole paper is worth [60] marks and valued at 40% of your final grade. For the purposes of this tutorial, three Core Content questions will be answered rather than two Core Content and one Depth Study.
Time management is a big part of success in an exam, and especially so in History Paper 1. The paper consists of three questions worth [20] marks each, and each [20] mark question contains one [4] mark question, one [6] mark question, and one [10] mark question. You will have to answer all three [20] mark questions in two hours, which means you should allocate yourself 40 minutes per question. Since each [10] mark question is worth half of its respective [20] mark question, each [10] mark question should take around 20 minutes to answer. Simple division shows that you should spend:
However, you may finish a [4] mark question in less than eight minutes. Try and adhere to your schedule as much as possible, but use any extra time to read over or add extra details to your other answers. Do not give yourself extra time for, say, a [10] mark question by taking time away from questions you haven't answered yet.
- Eight minutes on each [4] mark question
- Twelve minutes on each [6] mark question
- Twenty minutes on each [10] mark question
However, you may finish a [4] mark question in less than eight minutes. Try and adhere to your schedule as much as possible, but use any extra time to read over or add extra details to your other answers. Do not give yourself extra time for, say, a [10] mark question by taking time away from questions you haven't answered yet.
1. Read the extract, and then answer the questions which follow.
It was 1848, the year of revolutions, which excited the nationalists of Europe. A revolution in France on 22 February overthrew the monarchy and sparked off revolts in Hungary, Austria and Prussia. In Italy the uprisings had already begun.
It was 1848, the year of revolutions, which excited the nationalists of Europe. A revolution in France on 22 February overthrew the monarchy and sparked off revolts in Hungary, Austria and Prussia. In Italy the uprisings had already begun.
(a) Describe events in Paris in February 1848 leading to the Second French republic.
(b) Why did revolutions occur across Europe in 1848? (c) How far were the revolutions of 1848 responsible for their own failures? Explain your answer. |
[4]
[6] [10] |
There are specific command terms in each question, which when combined with the number of marks the question is worth, give you a general idea of what you should write and how much you need to write about it. (a) questions are always worth four marks and typically start with the word "describe". They normally ask for a chronology of what happened in a specific period of time. When answering the (a) question above, you should identify what caused the events in Paris, what ended them, and two key events that took place during the revolution. The question tells you that your chronology should end with the formation of the Second French republic. The four key points to answer the (a) question above could be:
When answering a [4] mark question, don't bullshit. You either know it or you don't.
- On 22 February 1848, a huge socialist reform banquet was banned by the French government.
- Revolutionaries erected barricades and resisted the police. The police attempted to disperse the crowd.
- King Louis-Philippe dismissed his premier, Guizot, as a gesture of appeasement.
- King Louis-Philippe was forced to abdicate to Britain and and the Second French republic was formed by Lamartine.
When answering a [4] mark question, don't bullshit. You either know it or you don't.
The command term in (b) questions is usually "explain" - they ask why something happened when it did. When answering the (b) question above, you should identify two to three factors that caused the 1848 revolutions, and explain why they caused revolutions. One point (worth three marks) that answers the (b) question above could be:
Notice how the point above explains how industrialization led to revolution, rather than just identifying that it did. The second half of your answer to the (b) question above could be:
If you have extra time, you could even include a third point to really get your answer to the top band:
- Revolutions occurred in Europe in 1848 for a variety of reasons which took place in the years leading up to 1848. Industrialization had been taking place for years, which led to flocks of workers moving to industrial towns, which were increasing in number and size to accommodate the workforce. However, the rapid population of these towns led to overcrowding and diseases such as typhoid and cholera. This led to revolution because workers wanted better conditions to work in.
Notice how the point above explains how industrialization led to revolution, rather than just identifying that it did. The second half of your answer to the (b) question above could be:
- Another reason the revolutions took place was famine: poor harvests in 1845-46 led to starvation and rising food prices. People felt like the ruling bodies were not doing anything to help the situation, which led to the desire to replace them. The rising food prices led to revolution because many people were spending more and more money on food, and less on industrially manufactured goods, so the increasing industrial workforce was not needed and this led to many unemployed workers who were angry with the government.
If you have extra time, you could even include a third point to really get your answer to the top band:
- Another effect of industrialization had been on artisans: factories had taken away their specialized jobs and they wanted social change, and they took the opportunity to try and get it when the revolutions began. Also, the middle class had been emerging for some time. Most middle class people were doctors, lawyers and other intellectuals who wanted a right to vote and a say in politics. The ruling bodies did not give them that right, so the need for them to be overthrown arose.
(c) questions require to you explain two sides of an argument and ultimately make a decision on which side of the argument you agree with. You should write a balanced argument - this does not mean that you have to write the same amount for each side of the argument. Just because you write one page for one side of the question, this does not mean that you have to write a page for the other side. Before even starting to answer the question, choose which side you agree with and make sure you make your argument for that side stronger. Also, make sure you answer the question: when answering the (c) question above, consider what the question is asking you.