Assessment overview
Students must complete one component from 01—07, one from 08—10 and one from 11—13 to be awarded the OCR GCSE (9-1) in History A (Explaining the Modern World).
Content overview
Students study history:
- From three eras (medieval, early modern and modern)
- On three timescales (depth study, period study and thematic study)
- In three geographical contexts (local, British and European/wider world).
This means:
- A thematic study
- A British depth study
- A non-British depth study
- A period study
- A study of the historic environment.
Component group 1: Period study with non-British depth study
Students study International Relations: the changing international order 1918—2001**, plus one of the following for depth study:
- China 1950—1981: the people and the state
- Germany 1925—1955: the people and the state
- Poland 1956—1990: the people and the state***
- Russia 1928—1964: the people and the state***
- South Africa 1960—1994: the people and the state
- USA 1919—1948: the people and the state
- USA 1945—1974: the people and the state.
**for first assessment in 2021 the date range for the period study will be 1918-1975.
***these options are to be withdrawn, with a final assessment in 2020
Component group 2
Students study one of three British thematic studies, each of which links to one of three British depth studies and a study of the historic environment in component group 3, and these must be taken together, as indicated:
- Migration to Britain c. 1000 — 2010 (1)
- Power: monarchy and democracy in Britain c. 1000 — 2014 (2)
- War and British society c. 790 — 2010 (3)
Component group 3
Students study one of three British depth studies and studies of the historic environment. Each British depth study and a study of the historic environment links to one of the three thematic studies in component group 2, and these must be taken together, as indicated:
- The impact of empire on Britain 1688 — c. 1730 with Urban environments: patterns of migration (1)
- The English Reformation c. 1520 — c. 1550 with Castles: form and function c. 1000 — 1750 (2)
- Personal rule to restoration 1629—1660 with Castles: form and function c. 1000 — 1750 (3)
Options marked (1) must be studied together, options marked (2) must be studied together, and options marked (3) must be studied together.