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  1. A Level
  2. History OCR

History

Spec H505

Free OCR A Level History revision: past papers from 1900–2025 with mark schemes.

British period study and enquiry

Alfred and the Making of England 871–1016

Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1107

England 1199–1272

England 1377–1455

England 1445–1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII

England 1485–1558: the Early Tudors

England 1547–1603: the Later Tudors

The Early Stuarts and the Origins of the Civil War 1603–1660

The Making of Georgian Britain 1678–c.1760

From Pitt to Peel 1783–1853

Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour 1846–1918

Britain 1900–1951

Britain 1930–1997

Non-British period study

The Rise of Islam c.550–750

Charlemagne 768–814

The Crusades and the Crusader States 1095–1192

Genghis Khan and the Explosion from the Steppes c.1167–1405

Exploration, Encounters and Empire 1445–1570

Spain 1469–1556

The German Reformation and the rule of Charles V 1500–1559

Philip II 1556–1598

African Kingdoms c.1400–c.1800: four case studies

Russia 1645–1741

The Rise and Decline of the Mughal Empire in India 1526–1739

The American Revolution 1740–1796

The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon 1774–1815

France 1814–1870

Italy and Unification 1789–1896

The USA in the 19th Century: Westward expansion and Civil War 1803–c.1890

Japan 1853–1937

International Relations 1890–1941

Russia 1894–1941

Italy 1896–1943

Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919–1963

The Cold War in Asia 1945–1993

The Cold War in Europe 1941–1995

Apartheid and Reconciliation: South African Politics 1948–1999

Thematic study and historical interpretations

The Early-Anglo Saxons c.400–800

The Viking Age c.790–1066

English Government and the Church 1066–1216

The Church and Medieval Heresy c.1100–1437

The Renaissance c.1400–c.1600

Rebellion and Disorder under the Tudors 1485–1603

Tudor Foreign Policy 1485–1603

The Catholic Reformation 1492–1610

The Ascendancy of the Ottoman Empire 1453–1606

The Development of the Nation State: France 1498–1610

The Origins and Growth of the British Empire 1558–1783

Popular Culture and the Witchcraze of the 16th and 17th Centuries

The Ascendancy of France 1610–1715

The Challenge of German Nationalism 1789–1919

The Changing Nature of Warfare 1792–1945

Britain and Ireland 1791–1921

China and its Rulers 1839–1989

Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964

Civil Rights in the USA 1865–1992

From Colonialism to Independence: The British Empire 1857–1965

The Middle East 1908–2011: Ottomans to Arab Spring

Non exam assessment: Topic based essay (Unit Y100)

Overview and choice of essay topic

Topic based essay assessment and course coherence

Selection of sources and interpretations

Assessment at a glance

AssessmentFormatDurationMarksWeighting
British period study and enquiry (Unit group 1)Written exam1h 30m50 marks25%
Non-British period study (Unit group 2)Written exam1h30 marks15%
Thematic study and historical interpretations (Unit group 3)Written exam2h 30m80 marks40%
Topic based essay (Unit Y100)Non-exam assessment—40 marks20%

Course aims & skills

OCR A Level History builds the skills examiners reward. By the end of the course you should be able to:

  • Analyse primary sources in their historical context
  • Compare and evaluate differing historical interpretations
  • Construct sustained, evidence-based arguments
  • Explain causation, consequence, change and continuity
  • Reach substantiated historical judgements
  • Plan and carry out independent historical research
  • Evaluate the reliability and value of evidence
  • Communicate complex arguments clearly in extended essays
  • Draw comparisons across countries, periods and perspectives

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