Specifications that use this resource:

GCSE History 8145

Switching to AQA from OCR A

To save you time and help you compare our GCSE History with the OCR A specification, we’ve created some comparison tables.

These tables highlight the content and requirements side by side, so you can make the right choice for your students.

Mandated similarities

There are certain content requirements set by the Department for Education (DfE) in its document, History GCSE subject content, that must be common across specifications from all boards. The DfE guidance requires students to study, as a minimum:

two depth studies, each covering a substantial and short time span: one must be a British depth study from the medieval (500–1500), early modern (1450–1700) or modern (1750–present) eras o the other must be a European or wider-world depth study from an era different to the British depth study.
A period study of at least 50 years from any of the eras.
The historic environment through the study of a particular site in its historical context.
A thematic study involving the study of people, events and developments drawn from all three eras defined above.

The DfE requires that British history must form at least 40% of the assessed content.

Assessment comparison

Paper 1

AQA History Understanding the Modern World	OCR History A Period Study and non-British depth study
Written exam paper	Written exam paper
2 hours	1 hour 45 minutes
84 marks (including four marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar)	105 marks (including five marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar)
50% of the GCSE	50% of the GCSE

Further details

AQA History	OCR History
Section A Period Study	Section A Period Study
40 marks	65 marks (including five for spelling, punctuation and grammar).
Students take one of the following options: 1A America, 1840–1895: Expansion and Consolidation 1B Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship 1C Russia, 1894–1945: Tsardom and communism 1D America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality	Students must take International Relations: the changing international order 1918–c2001.
Students answer six questions. The first three questions test interpretations (AO4). The fourth question tests their knowledge and understanding (AO1) and the last two questions test AO1 with AO2 (explanation and analysis of historical events and periods using second-order concepts).	Students answer four questions. Question 1 tests students’ knowledge and understanding (AO1). Question 2 tests both AO1 and AO2 (explanation and analysis using second order concepts). For Questions 3 students will be tested on interpretations (A04) and AO1. Question four will be an essay that assesses AO4 with AO1 and AO2. There are also five marks available for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

AQA History	OCR History
Section B Wider World Depth Study	Section B Non British Depth Options
44 marks (including four marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar).	40 marks
Students take one of the following options: Conflict and tension, the First World War, 1894–1918 Conflict and tension, the Interwar Years, 1918–1939 Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972 Conflict and tension in Asia, 1950–1975 Conflict and tension in the Gulf and Afghanistan	Students take one of the following options: China 1950–1981: The People and State Germany 1925–1955: The People and State Poland 1956–1990: The People and State Russia 1928–1964: The People and State South Africa 1960–1994: The People and State The USA 1919–1948: The People and State The USA 1945–1974: The People and State
Students answer four questions. The first two questions target source evaluation (AO3) and the other two questions test AO1 and AO2.	Students answer four questions. Question 1 will target students’ knowledge and understanding (AO1). The second and fourth question will assess AO1 with AO2. The third question targets source evaluation. Some year this question will be one question and in other years it will be 1 question comprised of two parts.

Paper 2

AQA History Shaping the Nation	OCR A Explaining the Modern World British Thematic Study
Written exam	Written exam
2 hours	1 hour
84 marks (including 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar)	50 marks
50% of the GCSE	25% of the GCSE

Further details

AQA History	OCR A Explaining the Modern World
Section A Thematic Study
This section is worth 44 marks (including 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar).	This paper is worth 50 marks.
Students take one of the following options: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day Britain: Power and the people: c1170 to the present day Britain: Migration, empires and people: c790 to the present day	Students take one of the following options: Migration to Britain c1000 to c2010 Power: Monarchy and democracy in Britain c1000 to 2014 War and British society c790 to c2010
Students answer four questions. The first question tests sources (AO3). The other three questions target AO1 and AO2.	Students answer four questions. The first question will target A01. Questions 2, 3 and 4 will test AO1 and AO2.

AQA History	OCR A Explaining the Modern World
Section B British Depth Study	There is no Section B.
This section is worth 40 marks.
Students take one of the following options incorporating the study of a specific historic environment: Norman England, c1066–c1100 Medieval England: the reign of Edward I, 1272–1307 Elizabethan England, c1568–1603 Restoration England, 1660–1685
Students answer four questions. The first question tests interpretations (AO4). The other three questions target AO1 and AO2.

Paper 3

AQA History	OCR A Explaining the Modern World British Depth and a study of the historic environment
There is no Paper 3.	Written exam
	1 hour 15 minutes
	55 marks (including five for spelling, punctuation and grammar)
	25% of the GCSE

Further details

AQA History	OCR A Explaining the Modern World
	Section A British Depth Study
	This section is worth 35 marks (including five marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar).
	Students take one of the following three British options: The impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c1730 The English Reformation c1520–c1550 Personal Rule to Restoration 1629–1660. Their depth study option and study of the historic environment are linked to their chosen thematic study and all three must be taken together.
	Students answer two questions. The first question tests AO1 and AO2. The second question is an essay question that targets AO1 and AO2 and incorporates source evaluation (AO3). There also five marks available for spelling, punctuation and grammar.

AQA History	OCR A Explaining the Modern World
	Section B Historic Environment
	This section is worth 20 marks.
	Students take one of the following options: Urban environment: Patterns of migration Castles: form and function c1000–1750 Castles: form and function c1000–1750 Their study of the historic environment is linked to their British depth study and thematic study and all three must be taken together.
	There are two questions. The first question targets AO1 and AO2. The second question assesses AO3.

Specifications that use this resource:

GCSE History 8145