Specific topic choices are confirmed by the department each year from the Edexcel 4HI1 options. A typical programme includes:

Paper 1: Depth Studies (choose two)

Examples (centres select from the approved list):

• Germany: Development of Dictatorship, 1918–45
• A World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943–72
• A Divided Union: Civil Rights in the USA, 1945–74
• Colonial Rule and the Nationalist Challenge in India, 1919–47
• The French Revolution, c1780–99

Focus: intensive study of a period with close attention to causes, key events, leaders, everyday lives, and the role of ideas. Students practise source analysis and short to medium-length essays.

Paper 2: Historical Investigation & Breadth Study in Change (one of each)

Historical Investigation (Block A) – examples:

• Origins & Course of the First World War, 1905–18
• Russia & the Soviet Union, 1905–24
• The USA, 1918–41
• The Vietnam Conflict, 1945–75
• East Germany, 1958–90

Focus: apply investigative skills to analyse causes, events, and consequences using sources and contextual knowledge.

Breadth Study in Change (Block B) – examples:

• The Changing Role of International Organisations: The League & the UN, 1919–c2011
• The Changing Nature of Warfare & International Conflict, 1919–2011
• America: From New Nation to Divided Union, 1783–1877

Focus: long-term developments and patterns of change across a wide timeframe, comparing factors and evaluating significance.

Historical Skills Embedded Throughout

• Evidence: provenance, reliability, typicality, and utility of sources
• Interpretations: why historians disagree and how interpretations are constructed
• Writing: structured, evidence-led arguments with clear judgments
• Chronology & Concepts: cause/consequence, change/continuity, similarity/difference, significance

• Paper 1: Depth Studies — 50%, 1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks
  • Two depth-study questions (one on each chosen study); mixture of source-based and knowledge-based tasks
• Paper 2: Investigation & Breadth Studies — 50%, 1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks
  • One Historical Investigation question (Block A)
  • One Breadth Study in Change question (Block B)

No coursework; both papers are taken at the end of Year 11. Question styles include source analysis, short responses, and extended essays requiring explanation and evaluation.

• Builds critical thinking, evidence-based writing, and independent judgment
• Deepens cultural literacy and understanding of current issues through historical context
• Highly regarded by colleges and employers for its rigorous analytical training

• A-level History, Politics, Law, Sociology, or International Relations
• University courses in History, PPE, International Relations, Journalism, Archaeology, Heritage/Archive Studies
• Careers where analysis, communication, and decision-making are key: law, civil service, diplomacy, journalism, education, research, policy, NGOs, business/management