Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in History

Specification 4HI1 · Pearson Edexcel · International GCSE · first assessment June 2019 · graded 9–1

Two 90-minute papers of equal weight. Paper 1 tests two depth studies through interpretation, consequence and judgement. Paper 2 tests one historical investigation — where sources are cross-referenced — and one breadth study in change, where you argue about significance and causation across a century.

Papers and components

• Paper 1: Depth Studies (4HI1/01) — 50% of the qualification, 60 marks, 90 minutes. Part (a) Interpretation of a source — AO4; Part (b) Explain two effects — AO1, AO2; Part (c) Judgement essay — AO1, AO2
• Paper 2: Investigation and Breadth Studies (4HI1/02) — 50% of the qualification, 60 marks, 90 minutes. Section A Historical Investigation — AO1, AO3, AO4; Section B Breadth Study in Change — AO1, AO2

Assessment objectives

• AO1 (34%) — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
• AO2 (36%) — Explain, analyse and make judgements about historical events and periods studied using second-order historical concepts.
• AO3 (15%) — Use a range of source material to comprehend, interpret and cross-refer sources.
• AO4 (15%) — Analyse and evaluate historical interpretations in the context of historical events studied.

What to know about this specification

• Two papers of 90 minutes, 60 marks each, worth 50% apiece.
• You study at least two depth studies for Paper 1, and one investigation plus one breadth study for Paper 2.
• Paper 1 assesses AO1, AO2 and AO4 — but no AO3. All source cross-referencing marks live on Paper 2.
• Graded 9–1, so condensed revision notes on this course are called Grade 9 Notes.
• The options are chosen by your school. If you do not know which depth studies you are entered for, ask before revising — the papers contain every option and you answer only on yours.
• This is not the same as Edexcel's GCSE History (1HI0) taken in England, which has different options, different papers and a different question structure.

Options on this specification

• The French Revolution, c1780–99 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• Development of a nation: unification of Italy, 1848–70 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45 (built in Incandio)
• Colonial rule and the nationalist challenge in India, 1919–47 (built in Incandio)
• Dictatorship and conflict in the USSR, 1924–53 (built in Incandio)
• A world divided: superpower relations, 1943–72 (built in Incandio)
• A divided union: civil rights in the USA, 1945–74 (built in Incandio)
• South Africa: from union to the end of apartheid, 1948–94 (built in Incandio)
• A1 The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18 (built in Incandio)
• A2 Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24 (built in Incandio)
• A3 The USA, 1918–41 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• A4 The Vietnam Conflict, 1945–75 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• A5 East Germany, 1958–90 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B1 America: from new nation to divided union, 1783–1877 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B2 Changes in medicine, c1848–c1948 (built in Incandio)
• B3 Japan in transformation, 1853–1945 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B4 China: conflict, crisis and change, 1900–89 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B5 The changing role of international organisations: the League and the UN, 1919–c2011 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B6 The changing nature of warfare and international conflict, 1919–2011 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B7 The Middle East: conflict, crisis and change, 1917–2012 (on the specification; not yet built here)
• B8 Diversity, rights and equality in Britain, 1914–2010 (on the specification; not yet built here)

Topics (34)

• Cross-referencing two sources (AO3) — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO3
• Evaluating historical interpretations (AO4) — Paper 1 | Part (a): Interpretation of a source; AO4
• The 16-mark judgement essay — Paper 1 | Part (c): Judgement essay; AO1, AO2
• Both papers on the day: the timing that decides your grade — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4
• Germany 1 — The establishment of the Weimar Republic and its early problems — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Germany 2 — The recovery of Germany, 1924–29 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Germany 3 — The rise of Hitler and the Nazis to January 1933 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Germany 4 — Nazi Germany, 1933–39 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Germany 5 — Germany and the occupied territories during the Second World War — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USSR 1 — The leadership struggle, 1924–29 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USSR 2 — Five-year Plans and collectivisation — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USSR 3 — Purges, show trials, the cult of Stalin and the revision of history — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USSR 4 — Life in the Soviet Union, 1924–41 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USSR 5 — The Second World War and after, 1941–53 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Superpowers 1 — Reasons for the Cold War — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Superpowers 2 — Early developments in the Cold War, 1945–49 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Superpowers 3 — The Cold War in the 1950s — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Superpowers 4 — Three crises: Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• Superpowers 5 — The Thaw and moves towards Détente, 1963–72 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USA 1 — The Red Scare and McCarthyism — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USA 2 — Civil rights in the 1950s — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USA 3 — Civil rights in the 1960s: protest, legislation and division — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USA 4 — Other protest movements and the divided society — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• USA 5 — Politics, Nixon and the end of the period, to 1974 — Paper 1; AO1, AO2, AO4
• WWI 1 — The alliance system and international rivalry, 1905–14 — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO1, AO3, AO4
• WWI 2 — The growth of tension in Europe, 1905–14 — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO1, AO3, AO4
• WWI 3 — The Schlieffen Plan and deadlock on the Western Front — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO1, AO3, AO4
• WWI 4 — The war at sea and Gallipoli — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO1, AO3, AO4
• WWI 5 — The defeat of Germany — Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation; AO1, AO3, AO4
• Medicine 1 — Progress in the mid-19th century: Nightingale, Chadwick, Snow and Simpson — Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change; AO1, AO2
• Medicine 2 — Discovery and development, 1860–75: Lister and Pasteur — Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change; AO1, AO2
• Medicine 3 — Accelerating change, 1875–1905: Ehrlich, Koch and chemistry — Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change; AO1, AO2
• Medicine 4 — Government action and war, 1905–20 — Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change; AO1, AO2
• Medicine 5 — Advances in medicine, surgery and public health, 1920–48: the NHS — Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change; AO1, AO2

Condensed revision notes on this course are called Grade 9 Notes, because it is graded 9–1.

Built from the official specification (Issue 5 — February 2026, read 2026-08-02); the official past paper (June 2023 question paper, 4HI1/01, read 2026-08-02); the official mark scheme (June 2023 mark scheme, 4HI1/02, read 2026-08-02).