history - exemplar pack paper 3 (ao1 - edexcel...student response to question 8 (9hi0 39) 6 example...

A Level History - Exemplar pack - Paper 3 (AO1)(Summer 2018)

Exemplar pack for GCE History (9HI03) - Paper 3 (covering AO1)

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Contents

Introduction 2

Generic Mark Scheme - 9HI03 AO1 4

Example 1 - (Question 9 from 9HI0 36) 5

Student response to question 9 (9HI0 36) 5









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Introduction General Examiner’s Comments

The exemplification that follows is designed to show the key features of the generic mark schemes and what distinguishes the qualities of one level from another. These examples are taken from different options. Additionally, the Paper-specific principal examiner reports contain examples.

Assessment Objective 1, which is examined in Sections A and B of Paper 1, Section B of Paper 2 and Sections B and C of Paper 3, tests a candidate’s ability to demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate the key features related to the periods studied and to explore concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance.

The generic mark scheme identifies progression in with regard to four separate elements or traits:

Bullet Point 1 refers to the analysis of key features related to the period. Weaker answers offer only a limited analysis of some key features and there are likely to be descriptive passages which do not relate to the focus of the question. Stronger answers demonstrate analysis of the relationship between the key issues relevant to the question with ‘sustained analysis’ a feature of those in the top level band.

Bullet Point 2 relates to the knowledge the candidates utilise to evidence their answers. The best answers will have knowledge sufficient to demonstrate understanding of the demands and conceptual focus of the question and to respond ‘fully’ to its demands whereas weaker responses, though including some accurate and relevant knowledge, will lack range and/or depth.

The ability to establish criteria as part of coming to a judgement is the focus of Bullet Point 3. Better responses will not just identify criteria relevant to the subject and conceptual focus of the question, their evaluations will be at least ‘partially substantiated’ (Level 4) or fully applied and substantiated, as well as their ‘relative significance evaluated’ (Level 5). In weaker responses, judgements will be present that are asserted or that have limited substantiation

Finally, Bullet Point 4 relates to the organisation of a response, particularly the coherence, clarity and precision with which arguments are communicated. Structure will be lacking in weaker responses. At Level 2, there will be some attempts at organisation, but the argument will generally lack in coherence, clarity and precision. The strongest responses will be well organised and their arguments will be ‘logical and coherent throughout’ as well as being clearly and precisely communicated.

When coming to a mark, examiners place the response into a level for each of the four Bullet Points, making a judgement as to how securely it meets the qualities outlined in the generic mark scheme. Should it meet each of the criteria in a single level, the mark awarded will be at the top of that level. Should it meet the criteria for one or more of the Bullet Points less convincingly however, the mark will be adjusted downwards in the mark band for that level. However,

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it is common for responses to meet different levels for each or some of the Bullet Points. In such cases, examiners apply the ‘best fit’ approach adjusting the mark according to the balance between the levels attained and how strongly the response meets the criteria for each Bullet Point.

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Generic Mark Scheme 9HI03 – AO1

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Example 1 (from 9HI0 36)

Question 9: How far do you agree that the Fenian Uprising of 1867 was the key turning point in the development of Irish Nationalism in the years c1774-1885?

Student response to question 9 from 9HI0 36:

Some accurate and relevant knowledge is included but it lacks range and depth. Here, generalised statements are made about the topic. The overall judgement is asserted.

Examiner comment for Example 1 This response was awarded Level 1 The student makes some attempt to address the question but is very lacking in range and depth. Although it reaches Level 1 for each of the four Bullet Points described in the generic mark scheme, there is very little in the way of knowledge included. Overall this answer reached a mid-level 1

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Question 8: How far was the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 the key turning point in the shaping of white attitudes towards race relations in the United States in the years 1850-2009?


Some accurate and relevant knowledge is introduced here though it is lacking in depth. Analysis of the key features suggested by the question is also limited.

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Some range of material is included as an alternative to the stated factor though again, it lacks depth and development. An overall judgement is given here but the substantiation is limited to the positive portrayal of black Americans. The candidate makes claims about the importance of several books and films but does not make an explicit comparison of their significance as ‘turning points’.

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An overall judgement is therefore given but it has limited substantiation and the criteria for judgement are left implicit. The response does show organisation, but the argument lacks precision.

Examiner comments for Example 2 This response was awarded a Level 2 This response was awarded a Level 2 for each of the four Bullet Points in the generic mark scheme. Though the candidate understands the conceptual focus of the question and introduces key features which are relevant, it lacks depth of knowledge and the analysis of these key features is very limited. The essay does proceed to a judgement but the support for this is also thin. While it is implied that other books or films may have been equally or more important as To Kill a Mocking Bird in changing the racial attitudes of white Americans during this period, and some reasons are advanced as to why, the judgement is not directly related to them and for Bullet Point 3 of the generic mark scheme, the response remains at L2. Overall, this response was awarded a L2 mark.

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Question 3: ‘The principal reason why the Chartists failed to secure the terms of the Charter, in the years 1838-48, was that their campaign was damaged by violence.’

How far do you agree with this statement?


Key features relevant to the question are introduced. Here the candidate is attempting to address the stated factor in the question. However, the knowledge produced in support of the argument is less about the violence of the years 1838-48 and more about how the government’s response to the violence of earlier reform movements affected the Chartist movement.

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Here, the candidate continues with the same line of argument. While the evidence produced has some relevance to the question, some consideration of the violence of the Chartists themselves during the 1830s and 1840s would have helped considerably. Though the general trend of the argument is clear therefore, it is evident that some parts of it lack coherence and precision. The government’s preparation and response is a valid reason to consider when discussing the failure of Chartism. Accurate and relevant knowledge is included to demonstrate some understanding of the demands of the question.

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Here there is an attempt to explain links between the relevant key features of the period. In probably the strongest part of the response, the candidate identifies divisions among the Chartist leadership as being important in the movement’s failure.

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Again, some accurate and relevant knowledge is used to evidence this part of the argument though it lacks depth. In assessing the different reasons for the failure of Chartism in relation to each other, an attempt is made to establish criteria for judgement and to relate the overall judgement to them. However, it is weakly substantiated.

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Examiner comments on Example 3 This response was awarded level 3 The major weakness of this response lies in the candidate’s treatment of the stated factor in the question, the damage done to the Chartist cause by violence. Though an attempt is made to examine the contribution of violence to the failure of the Charter, it is less Chartist violence in the years 1838-48, and more the way in which the violence of earlier reform movements prepared the government to resist the Chartists, which occupies the candidate’s response to the stated factor. There is some analysis of other key features relevant to the question, also accurate and relevant knowledge is included which demonstrates understanding of the conceptual focus of the question. Likewise, an attempt is made to establish criteria for judgement and the answer does show some organisation. All these features place this response in L3 for each of the four Bullet Points in the generic mark scheme. However, the failure to evidence the stated factor properly (Bullet Point 2) and the lack of coherence in the argument (Bullet Point 4) were assessed as meeting the criteria for L3 less securely. Overall, the answer reaches mid L3.

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Question 2: ‘Henry VIII’s religious changes were not seriously threatened in the years 1533-37.’

How far do you agree with this judgement?


The candidate establishes their line of argument from the start and provides some justification for it. Here, there is evidence of sufficient knowledge being deployed to demonstrate understanding of the demands and conceptual focus of the question. Here, criteria for judgement are established in the process of coming to a judgement. The candidate identifies the popular uprisings of 1536-37 as religiously motivated and a clear threat to royal policy, especially in the north where Tudor control was weak.

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Again, the candidate provides detailed knowledge to support the argument that Henry’s religious changes were serious threatened. By broadening the discussion of the ‘threat’, here they are demonstrating analysis of the relationship between key features of the period. The counter case could have been developed further but some detailed knowledge is included to support it.

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Again, criteria for judgement are established in the process of evaluating the statement in the question, e.g. the candidate establishes the degree of ‘threat’ by the extent of popular conformity and Henry’s relative ease in dealing with the risings. The overall judgement is supported, even though some evaluations (with regard to the risings being seen as more of a threat at the time than since) are only partially substantiated.

Examiner comments for Example 4 This response was awarded level 4 A weakness of this response is its rather limited interpretation of the question, viewing the threat to Henry VIII’s religious policies as coming very largely from the revolts of 1536-37 and neglecting evidence of threat from before. Also, while the argument that Henry’s religious policies were not seriously threatened are treated at some length, the counter-case is less well developed. Nonetheless, this was placed in L4 for each of the Bullet Points in the generic mark scheme. Bullet Point 1 acknowledges that analysis of the key features ‘may be uneven’, while Bullet Point 2 states that ‘sufficient’ knowledge is deployed to meet ‘most’ of the demands of the question. These features are clearly apparent. Moving on to the last two Bullet Points, the candidate does establish valid criteria by which to make a judgement (e.g. the extent of the risings of 1536-37 and the ‘appeasement’ undertaken by the king to deal with them) and this judgement is supported by the evidence provided in the essay. The answer is well organised, and the argument is conveyed with clarity. Therefore, this exemplifies a high L4 response.

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Question 4: How accurate is it to say that retaining decreased in importance in the years 1399-1509?


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Here, the candidate is already considering criteria by which the question can be judged.

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The need for chronological range, essential to a response in Section C of Paper 3, is shown here. The candidate clearly has a detailed knowledge of the context and deploys it here to demonstrate understanding of the conceptual focus of the question. This consideration of retaining as a threat to weaker monarchs is sustained here.

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Again, the criteria for judgement are clearly established here as the candidate reasons from the evidence that stronger monarchs could control retaining through their character and skills of kingship, also by innovating (e.g. the use of bonds and recognisances) therefore retaining could be important as a prop to a stronger monarchy. The argument is logical and coherent and communicated with clarity and precision.

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Here, the candidate again deploys detailed knowledge of the period, responding fully to the demands of the question.

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In an impressive aside, the candidate develops the importance of retaining as a prop rather than simply a threat to the monarchy. This is an example of the sustained analysis of the relationships between key features relevant to the question.

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In evaluation, the candidate returns to the criteria for judgement established earlier in the essay. The relative significance of these criteria is evaluated in substantiating the overall judgement.

Examiner comments for Example 5 This response was awarded level 5 This response was awarded a L5 for all of the Bullet Points in the generic mark scheme. It sustains an analysis of retaining across the full chronological range identified in the question, qualifying its importance by the qualities of the monarch and the uses to which it could be put by the more able. Impressive is the knowledge deployed to demonstrate understanding of the conceptual focus of the question which meets its demands in full. From the start, the candidate considers criteria by which the question can be evaluated and applies these fully in coming to a judgement, while the argument is logical and coherent throughout. Thus, this response exemplified a high Level 5 response.

history - exemplar pack paper 3 (ao1 - edexcel...student response to question 8 (9hi0 39) 6 example...

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