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Tools and TipsRight, now you are ready for the exam. Or are you?

What do you need to do to prepare?

Exam Café will help you focus on the skills that you will need to display in order to do well in the exam. There is also a CD-ROM with specifi c advice for each of the units you will have studied. If you have used Grade Studio and Brain Boost throughout the course, you will already have practised some of the key skills that are vital in revision and the fi nal exam.

Getting startedRemember the purpose of revision is to help you understand content and be able to present it in the right way in the exam.

Revision may seem like a daunting task but if you follow these hints and tips it will seem much more simple.

Organise your notes before you start; make sure that you have everything that you need.•

Know what you will be tested on in each exam. There are check lists on the • CD-ROM which will help you work out what you need for each paper.

Plan a realistic revision timetable. Remember that history is not the only subject • you will need to revise, and you are still allowed to have a social life as well! On the CD-ROM there are examples of how to organise a revision timetable.

When revising make sure you are in a calm and organised environment. If your • desk is messy, you won’t be as focused!

Set yourself realistic targets and divide your time into small sections of about half an hour • at a time with lots of breaks and rewards.

Some people fi nd it helps to revise with a friend and test each other.•

Try not to cram too much in. Pick out key points and summarise the main ideas • and events. See your CD-ROM for useful hints on how to summarise.

Find a revision style that suits you. Everyone is different so don’t worry if your • friends are revising in a different way to you. If your way works, then stick to it.

Don’t leave everything until the last minute!•

There are lots of ways to revise and it is important that you fi nd one that suits you.

On the next page there are some examples of techniques that you might fi nd useful.

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RevisionRevision techniques

Mind maps Flash Cards

A mind map is a diagram used to represent key topic ideas branching from a central key word.

Try to use colour, images and short snappy phrases (rather than lots of writing) on your mind map. If you make it look good, you are more likely to remember what’s on it.

InternationalRelations1919–39

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

LEAGUE OF NATIONSCOLLAPSE OF PEACE

MANCHURIA CRISIS

ABYSSINIA

Flash cards are good for helping you remember key facts and fi gures.

Have a question or a clue on one side and all the information you need to remember on the other.

Try to use images, bullet points and mnemonics on your fl ash cards as these will help you remember things.

What did FDRdo during the

100 Days?

• Fireside chats• Closed banks• Reopened trustworthy banks• Given emergency powers by congress• Repealed prohibition• Started alphabet agencies (The New Deal)

Mnemonics Timelines

A mnemonic is where you take the fi rst letter of each word you are trying to remember and turn it into a different phrase.

For example:PirateValeryHatesJelly

helps you remember some of the key individuals you will need to know about (Pare, Vesalius, Harvey, Jenner).

You could also add images to help visualise ideas in the exam.

A timeline will help you see the ‘big picture’ in history. By putting all your ideas together chronologically you will be able to see how events link to each other.

Treaty ofVersailles

Failed Uprising, Hitler jailed.Hitler writes Mein Kampf

Hitler comesto power

Wall Street Crash

1919 1923 1929 1933

On timelines you can mark turning points and measure progress or change.

You could also colour code topics and key ideas and add images to help you memorise the content.

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Exam PreparationLesson 1: Unit A971: International RelationsLEARNING OBJECTIVES:In this lesson, you will:

familiarise yourself with the types of questions that you will be asked • on the International Relations section of Unit A971use mark schemes to help you understand what skills the examiner • is looking for.

GETTING STARTEDSymbolism is often used in political cartoons. What are the following images symbolic of?

1 2 3 4

A lion A dove A swastika Uncle Sam

In Unit A971 you will be assessed on International Relations. You will have studied two of the following:

The inter-war years 1919–39• The Cold War 1945–75• A new world? 1948–2005 •

In the section you choose you will have to answer all of question one and then either question two or question three. You must answer all parts of each question you attempt.

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ACTIVITIESChoose one of the following cartoons and then answer the question below.

A) A cartoon entitled ‘Peace and future cannon fodder’.

Clemenceau is saying ‘Curious! I seem to hear a child weeping.’

B) A cartoon entitled ‘Peep under the Iron Curtain’.

On the wall is written ‘No admittance, by order Joe’.The signpost reads ‘Russia’.

C) The caption reads ‘Excuse me sir, is this little lady bothering you?’

The lady is labelled ‘solidarity’ and the mugger is named ‘Polish government’.

What is the message of this cartoon? Use the source and your own knowledge to explain your answer. [7 marks]

Use the mark scheme below to help you answer this question.

Level Description Marks

1 Uses surface features only. 1

2 Says what the cartoon means without supporting ideas. 2–3

3 Says what the cartoon means with supporting detail from either the cartoon or own knowledge.

4–5

4 Says what the cartoon means with supporting detail from the cartoon and own knowledge.

6–7

Question OneIn question one there are two sections. The fi rst is usually a question about the meaning of a source; the second is usually asking you to explain an aspect of a topic you have studied.

There are examples of these questions for every topic on the CD-ROM.

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Questions Two and ThreeThese questions tend to have three parts to them.

There are examples of these questions for every topic on the CD-ROM.

Part aThis type of question asks you to describe a key feature or event. These questions tend to be worth four marks, so remember four facts.

You might also get marks for developing or explaining an idea more fully.

Choose one of the following questions to have a go at:

In what ways did the Treaty of Versailles punish Germany? [4 marks]

What happened at the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961? [4 marks]

What were the main aims of the Provisional IRA? [4 marks]

Ask someone else to mark your answer. You will get one mark for each relevant point and an additional mark for supporting detail.

Part b

This type of question asks you to explain an aspect of the topic. The skills required in this question are the same as those for question one, part b.

Choose one of the following questions to have a go at:

Explain why the League of Nations failed to deal with Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia. [6 marks]

Explain why Khrushchev sent missiles to Cuba in 1962. [6 marks]

Explain how Gorbachev’s policies led to the collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe. [6 marks]

Use the mark scheme below to help you answer this question.

Level Description Marks

1 General answer, lacking specifi c knowledge. 1

2 Identifi es and/or describes reasons for the factor or event in question. 2–3

3 Explains reasons for the factor or event.One explained reason. [3–4 marks]Two or more explained reasons. [5–6 marks]

3–6

Part c

This type of question is a two-sided argument, usually worth ten marks.

You will also be assessed with this type of question in the section on your chosen depth study. There are examples of two-sided argumentative questions on the next two pages.

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