Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History · specification 4HI1 · Paper 1 | Part (c): Judgement essay · Free · no account needed
The 16-mark judgement essay (4HI1 specification)
The biggest question on both papers, worth more than half of every 30-mark question, and the one where AO2 outweighs AO1.
Specification coverage
Paper 1 part (c) and Paper 2 Section B part (c)
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2. Suggested learning time: 60 minutes.
Required knowledge
- The 16-mark question is marked AO1 7 and AO2 9 — the judgement is worth more than the knowledge
- On Paper 1 you choose between (c)(i) and (c)(ii)
- On Paper 2 Section B the question supplies two bullet prompts you may use, and requires information of your own as well
Required skills
- Make a judgement using second-order concepts
- Support argument with precise, specific knowledge
- Organise a sustained answer in about 22 minutes
How it is examined
- “How far do you agree? Explain your answer.”
- “How significant was…?” / “How far were… responsible for…?” with two bullet prompts
Common mistakes
- Narrating events and adding a judgement at the end. The judgement must run through the answer.
- Ignoring the bullet prompts entirely, or using only the bullet prompts.
- Writing a balanced answer that never decides. 'How far' requires an extent.
- Running over 22 minutes and shortening the other questions to compensate.
This page maps the specification. To learn the content, open the History lessons — completely free.