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History Coursework Lesson and Guide (IGCSE CIE HISTORY)

Subject: History

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

18 February 2024

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A guide created for students about to begin their CIE IGCSE History coursework module. A mix of examples and guidance adopted from my own teaching and extracts from the CIE IGCSE coursework guide book (made more digestible for students). Includes: • Top tips • Clarification of key terms (e.g. significance) • Guidance on references • Mark Scheme/Criteria • 3 x Introduction examples with commentary • 3 x Main paragraphs examples with commentary • 2 x Conclusion examples with commentary

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IGCSE History Course

This IGCSE History Course will allow you to acquire knowledge and understanding of selected periods and/or aspects of history, exploring the significance of historical events, people, changes and issues.

You will use historical sources critically, in context, recording significant information and reaching conclusions.  You will find this course extremely valuable if you are looking to progress onto A Level History, seeking a progression route for further training whilst employed or would just like to study this subject as a hobby.

Enrolment Fee:

Get 10% discount when ordering multiple IGCSE courses. Use the coupon code: IGCSE10 at checkout

• Cambridge & Edexcel
• Full IGCSE Qualification
• Complete when you need to
• No enrolment dates. Enrol & start studying anytime.
• Up to 24 Months Tutor Support
• 130 Study Hours
• Fast Track Available
• Learning to suit you. Access to the online portal 24/7
• eBooks provided
• Practice Exam Papers
• References Available
• Same qualification as offered in schools/colleges

Description

Cambridge (2022), cambridge (from 2023).

This  IGCSE History Course  is ideal for anyone wishing to gain a knowledge and understanding of the subject. You will also find this course extremely valuable if you are looking for a progression route for further training  whilst employed.

This course will help students develop an understanding of past events. In order to understand the present, we need to look at past events and observe how they influence the current state of the world. It would be impossible to understand the current social, economic and political climate  without gaining a knowledge of events during the 20th century.

The course will be delivered online including Tutor Support for two years. All assignments are marked by one of our professional Tutors who will offer regular feedback and guide you through your course. Postal assignments cannot be accepted without prior permission from the tutor and you must have access to email in order to contact your Tutor.

Throughout your course, you'll have the support of a Tutor to guide you. Additionally, you can reach out to the Student Support Team for help with any other questions you may have. You can be assured that you will receive unlimited support for your home study course, so there is no need to struggle or feel isolated during your studies.

The course contains a number of assignments which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. You will also have access to a range of online resources.

Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations at an approved centre when an examination forms part of the course. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.

Differences between Cambridge and Edexcel Exam boards.

Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs are international qualifications. Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs can be taken worldwide including the United Kingdom. Both exam boards offer a similar specification however different courses can have a different structure. Both the Cambridge and Edexcel courses are full International GCSE qualifications.

Course fees for payment in full include:

• Assessment and feedback on all assignments.
• Access to your personal Tutor via our online portal.
• Access to a range of online resources, student materials, assessments, assignments, eBooks etc
• Practice exam papers to prepare you for the real thing.
• Tutor references and predicted grades once a satisfactory amount of work has been completed.
• Help finding an exam centre for you to sit your exam

Cambridge Course Code(s):

IGCSE History (9-1): 0977

IGCSE History: 0470

(Please note, there is no difference in the course teachings for the two specifications, there only difference is the grade you will receive once you have taken the exams. 0977 is graded 9-1, 9 being the highest while 0470 is graded A* to G, A* being the highest.)

Cambridge Exams: June & November

Cambridge Study Hours: 130 Hours

This IGCSE History CAIE Course will look at some of the major international issues of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as covering the history of particular regions in more depth. The emphasis is on both historical knowledge and on the skills required for historical research.

Students will develop an understanding of the nature of cause and effect, continuity and change, similarity and difference and find out how to use and understand historical evidence as part of your studies.

Specification for 2022 – Modules

The twentieth century: international relations since 1919

• Were the peace treaties of 1919–23 fair?
• To what extent was the League of Nations a success?
• Why had international peace collapsed by 1939?
• Who was to blame for the Cold War?
• How effectively did the United States contain the spread of Communism?
• How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989?
• Why did events in the Gulf matter, c.1970–2000?

At least one of the following Depth Studies:

Russia, 1905–41

• Why did the Tsarist regime collapse in 1917?
• How did the Bolsheviks gain power, and how did they consolidate their rule?
• How did Stalin gain and hold on to power?
• What was the impact of Stalin’s economic policies?

The United States, 1919–41

• How far did the US economy boom in the 1920s?
• How far did US society change in the 1920s?
• What were the causes and consequences of the Wall Street Crash?
• How successful was the New Deal?

Written examination: 2 hours

Availability: June and October

Assessment overview: Two questions from Section A (Core content), and one from Section B( Depth Studies)

40% of grade

Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

Assessment overview: Six questions on one prescribed topic taken from the Core Content. The prescribed topic changes in each examination session.

June 2022 series- How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989?

November 2022 series – Were the peace treaties of 1919–23 fair?

33% of grade

Paper 3: Alternative to Coursework

Assessment overview: Answer one question on a Depth Study.

27% of grade

Specification for 2023 – Modules

Exam papers:.

June 2023 series- Why had international peace collapsed by 1939

November 2023 series – How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989

Edexcel Course Code(s): 4HI1

Edexcel Exams: June only

Edexcel Study Hours: 130 Hours

This IGCSE History Course will help you get a good understanding of WW1 and selected other periods. You will be able to use historical sources critically, in context, recording significant information and reaching conclusions.

Edexcel Modules

Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45

• The establishment of the Weimar Republic and its early problems
• The recovery of Germany, 1924–29
• The rise of Hitler and the Nazis to January 1933
• Nazi Germany 1933–39
• Germany and the occupied territories during the Second World War

A divided union: civil rights in the USA, 1945–74

• The Red Scare and McCarthyism
• Civil rights in the 1950s
• The impact of civil rights protests, 1960–74
• Other protest movements: students, women, anti–Vietnam
• Nixon and Watergate

The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18

• The alliance system and international rivalry, 1905–14
• The growth of tension in Europe, 1905–14
• The Schlieffen Plan and deadlock on the Western Front
• The war at sea and Gallipoli
• The defeat of Germany

China: conflict, crisis and change, 1900–89

• The fall of the Qing, Warlordism and chaos, 1900–34
• The triumph of Mao and the CCP, 1934–49
• Change under Mao, 1949–63
• The Cultural Revolution and its impact, 1965–76
• China, 1976–89

Exam Papers

Paper 1: Depth Studies

Availability: June

Assessment overview: Two questions, one each on the following depth studies:

Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45 and A divided union: civil rights in the USA, 1945–74

50% of the total international GCSE

Paper 2: Investigation and Breadth Studies

Practical examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

Assessment overview: Two questions, one on the following Historical investigation: The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18, and one question on the following Breadth study: China: conflict, crisis and change, 1900–89

60 marks and

50% of the total International GCSE

You do not need any prior learning knowledge or experience to take this course. This course is openly available to anyone who wishes to take part in a highly rewarding home study course, although you would be expected to have a reasonable standard of literacy.

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 2 years from initial registration with the full support of your Tutor. You do not have to wait until September, when a traditional school starts. 

Once you enrol, you will be asked to fill in an enrolment form. On the form it will ask when you wish to complete by, so we can ensure you are supported right up to when you take your exams.

Once you enrol, you will have access to our online portal 24/7. Here you will find study materials that have been specially prepared by your tutor, there will be assessments, study notes, eBooks and assignments all relating to your course. Everything in this course is structured to follow the course specification, so all topics and units cover everything you need to learn. Your tutor will mark your work and give you written feedback on areas you need to improve or explain what you have done well. You can also ask your tutor questions if you get stuck on a topic or need something explaining a little more.  

When you approach the exams, your tutor will set you a series of practise exam papers so that you can know what to expect in your exam, and you can go into them feeling confident.

You will be provided with eBooks for this course. If you want to purchase physical books in addition, then we can provide you with the book ISBN numbers.

Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations (including any practicals they wish to take) at an approved centre. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.

All of our IGCSEs are available world wide. Meaning you can study with us from anywhere.

Cambridge, and Edexcel both have international exam centres, so you may be able to take the exams locally to you. Should you need any help finding a centre, then please do get in touch and we can assist you on this. 

We recommend that you are able to dedicate between 120 and 130 hours’ study time, plus additional time for completing assignments.

Yes, you can work at your own pace to complete this course. Despite having 24 months Tutor Support, once you enrol you will be asked when you wish to complete, and your tutor can work along side you to achieve this.

With online learning, having the flexibility is a real advantage. This allows you to set the pace. Take your time or Fast-track, get the qualification when you need it.

It is recommended that you aim to book your examinations 4/6 month prior to sitting them to avoid late entry fee charges.  Additionally, we would advise that you contact a few exam centres and find out the best price, as they can fluctuate greatly. 

You will sit the same exam as thousands of students across the country in an exam centre, and achieve the same qualification as everyone else. IGCSE qualifications are recognised by universities employers, colleges and sixth form colleges, giving students a wide range of options in their education and career.

Just like sitting your IGCSEs in a school, your tutor will be able to provide you with predicted grades, transcripts, certificate of graduation, and references for further education applications. 

Of course, all of our courses are tailored to cover the entire specification and are split into topics. You will have assignments to complete on every topic where your tutor will give you feedback. If you are struggling with an aspect then you can message your tutor and they can provide more information for you.

As your exams approach, your tutor will set a series of exam papers for you to take, so you can get a feel for the real thing.

If you complete all of your assignments, and your practise exam papers then there is no reason why you shouldn’t achieve a top grade. 

If you are interested in any of our courses then fill in this form to receive more information to your email. 

Alternatively click on the chat logo in the bottom right hand corner and contact us there. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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IGCSE History

Through the study of some of the most intriguing and tumultuous periods in human history, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of key events, people, and societies, and learn how to ask relevant questions about the past. Essential for anyone who wishes to study history at A-level or at university , this course has been created by subject specialists to equip you with key skills such as critical thinking, essay writing, and analysis.

Delve into the past and the power it holds to help us understand the present with our fascinating, dynamic History IGCSE course

You’ll begin by studying Germany between 1918 and 1945, exploring the development and collapse of democracy, and the rise and fall of Nazism, and discovering how Hitler & the Nazis used a variety of factors to take complete control of the country. Moving on, you’ll delve into the conflict and tension of the interwar years, discovering the events which led to the start of the Second World War.

Next, you’ll immerse yourself in the Cold War, one of the most dangerous times in recent history You’ll explore the difference between capitalism and communism and how this is at the root of the standoff between the USA and USSR. You’ll go on to study the changes in medicine between 1848 and 1948, exploring how our understanding of and attitudes towards public health developed over this century, and how this, along with the rapid development of technologies made medical treatments and diagnoses more effective.

Finally, you’ll undertake a historical investigation that looks at the origins and the course of the First World War, learning about the system of alliances before 1914 and the key issues that pushed Europe to war, ultimately exploring how Germany was defeated.

What you will learn

Unit 1 - germany 1890-1945: democracy and dictatorship.

• Germany and the growth of democracy
• Germany and the Depression
• The experiences of Germans under the Nazis

Unit 2 - BB Conflict and Tension: The Inter-War Years 1918–1939

• Peacemaking
• Treaty of Versaille
• The League of Nations and international peace
• The origins and outbreak of the Second World War

Unit 3 - BA Norman England: c1066 – c1100

• The Norman conquest and control
• Life under the Normans
• The Norman Church and Monasticism

Unit 4 - AA Britain: Health and the People c1000 to the Present Day

• Medicine stands still
• The beginnings of change
• A revolution in medicine
• Modern medicine

Unit 5 - Preparing for Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World (AB and BB)

• Preparing for Paper 1
• Paper 1 Section A
• Paper 1 Section B
• Punctuation in exams

Unit 6 - Preparing for Paper 2: Shaping the Nation (BA and AA)

• Preparing for Paper 2
• Grade Descriptors
• Paper 2 Section A
• Paper 2 Section B

Awarding Body

Edexcel is the UK’s largest awarding organisation offering academic and vocational qualifications in schools, colleges and workplaces in the UK and abroad. Edexcel is a multinational education and examination body covering  A-Level Courses  and  GCSE Courses .

Course Outcome

Upon successful completion of this History distance learning course, you will receive a GCSE certificate in History, issued by Edexcel . This syllabus ( 4HI1 ) has been chosen specifically because it is best suited to distance learning.

How is this course assessed or examined?

You’ll be required to complete the two IGCSE standard written exams:

• Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45
• A world divided: superpower relations, 1943–72
• The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18
• Changes in medicine, c1848–c1948

We provide a guaranteed exam space in one of our partner exam centres around the UK. Check where your closest exam centre is.

During your course, you will also be required to complete various assignments. These do not contribute towards your final grade but provide you with an opportunity to submit work to your tutor for marking and feedback. This will help you to gauge your progress as you work through the course. There is no coursework to complete.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this Edexcel IGCSE History course, however, it is recommended that you have an intermediate ability to read and write in English.

Past Papers

You can access past papers for this course . They are free to access and cover a range of exam boards.

Find out more about the exams here .

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Your Complete Guide to IGCSE Coursework

This guide includes everything you need to know about all the IGCSE coursework.

Like many of our other Complete Guides this article is not meant to be read in its entirety – just skip to whichever section is most relevant to you.

By Rebecca Lally, Saoirse Boyle, Hazel Fricska, and Nina Hopley

English Language

What do you need to do?

You need to submit 3 pieces of work, each of 500-800 words: a descriptive and/or narrative piece; an informative, analytical and/or argumentative piece; and a response to a text. Our teacher got us to write multiple practice pieces for each of the three text types during year 10 so that we could pick our favourites to redraft at the start of year 11. Your coursework portfolio is worth 50% of the total marks, which can help make up for lower scores in the exam if you know that is where you will struggle.

You need to pick different topics for each piece; this will allow you to create contrast through the portfolio and showcase different styles of writing. The descriptive piece offers the most creative freedom, although your teacher should offer some general guidance. We wrote pieces restaurants for our informative writing coursework and, for the media response piece, we wrote open letters to Wayne LaPierre, an American gun rights lobbyist.

Any advice?

• Don’t use a thesaurus. Switching out every other word for a supposedly better synonym is not what will make your work good! Your writing will come across as stilted and pretentious.
• Channel your efforts into creating fluidity and a consistent voice. Read through your work in your head and then out loud. Whilst reading ask yourself some questions: Where do the words start tripping over each other? Are you repeating anything?
• Try to show, rather than tell. Don’t fill your work with fluffy adjectives. Take the restaurant review as an example. You can say the food was “great”, “scrumptious”, “delicious”, “incredible”, but this doesn’t give  the reader any new or important information! Instead, describe the different textures, the different colours on the plate and the flavours of the food.
• Listen to your teacher. Your work will be internally assessed by a panel of teachers. You are allowed one draft – make it count. Make it as good as you can before you hand it in; once you have received feedback make sure to take all their advice on board.
• Let others read your work. Friends, parents, classmates. Tell them to be brutal, to pick it apart. A fresh pair of eyes can provide valuable insight and notice little things that you won’t. This can be especially helpful to do with students from other English classes! Their teacher may have approached a requirement in a different way and this may help you see aspects of your work from different perspectives.
• Your creative piece is an opportunity to show off your beautiful writing and rich descriptive language. Don’t worry about the plot. You will not be able to write an entire story in less than 800 words without sounding rushed. Focus on creating atmosphere and providing insight into your character(s).
• Be as specific as possible in your informative piece. Again, no fluffy adjectives! What information is most important to the reader and how will you relay this to them?
• In your media response piece, acknowledge every single point the text makes, explicit or implicit.  These points must be analysed and evaluated.  You must show that you understand the general tone of the text and the opinion of the writer. Do you agree with the journalist? Follow these pointers to write a cohesive and well-developed argument.

You need to produce a detailed essay, up to 2000 words in length, answering a question set by the school. You will need to do your own research from a variety of sources, evaluate different information and form your own opinion/argument. This year, we were asked to evaluate the significance of Gustav Stresemann, a chancellor and foreign minister from Germany’s Weimar years.

• Define the question clearly. Take significance: what does ‘significance’ mean? How is it different from importance? How will you measure it? Are there different kinds of significance? Answer these questions in your introductory paragraph.
• Read widely on the topic before you start writing, or even planning. This is the phase which should take the longest. It is really, really hard to write or plan an essay until you are totally familiar with the topic. By developing an opinion before you start writing, you can be consistent through the entire essay and really drive your point home.
• Read from a variety of reliable sources. Read any and all sources put on moodle by your teacher, check out books from the MMC, use JSTOR. This will set you apart from other candidates.
• You don’t need to mention every event in a period of time, or a person’s life.  Decide what is most important and what adds substance to your argument.
• Keep your ‘background information’ concise. The assessor is a History teacher – just assume they already know the details of the Weimar constitution, or the state of Germany at the time. The point of this essay is not to say what happened, but to evaluate events and develop your own argument.
• Keep referencing the question! You literally cannot use the keyword of the question, in our case, ‘significance’, too many times.  You defined your criteria at the start of the essay, you should use these criteria and explain how information fits into it.
• Don’t just organize chronologically. Organise chronologically and, within that, thematically. Reference events that happen later or earlier if it backs up an assertion that you have made.
• Compare and contrast similar events. What was different about the handling of situation A and situation B? What was the significance of each event? How much did each event impact the following years?
• Acknowledge both sides of the story, the role played by other figures and surrounding circumstances.
• Listen to your teacher’s advice. Like in English it is your teacher who will be assessing it and they have your best interests at heart.

Geography coursework is worth 27.5% of your overall geography grade. You will be taken on a field day to collect data and, after that, you have the summer to write it all up.

2017’s topic: “ An Investigation Into the Impact of Skiing on the Natural Environment” , carried out at Col de la Faucille.

2016’s topic: “ An investigation into River Processes on La Promenthouse”, carried out at La Promenthouse river.

Before going on the field trip, you will be given class time to prepare your investigation. You will come up with a research question, hypotheses to test and you will write out justifications for these hypotheses. The data collection will occur in groups and you can share results with students from other classes. But, you will be on your own when it comes to writing up your final report.

• Don’t leave it all to the end of summer, or the night before it is due! Especially if you did not finish your introductory work at the end of the year. It was a lot more time consuming than anyone expected.
• Focus on the analytical part of the coursework – this is what you should spend the most time and effort on. Any analysis or assertion you make is fine, as long as you can back it up with data and/or geographical theory.
• Use at least 4 types of graphs. Don’t just use the same scatter graphs or bar charts over and over again. Your teachers will have suggestions for other types. Building a GE graph may be more time-consuming, but it is more interesting than an excel column graph and will help you stand out from the other candidates.  
• Make your draft count. This is your only chance to get feedback, so make it as good as it can be. Your teacher is there to help.
• Don’t stress about the word count. Even our teacher admitted it would be very difficult to get an A* in 2000 words. You shouldn’t write a thesis, but it’s totally ok if you end up with 4000.
• Follow any checklist or rubric you are given. Make sure you are fulfilling every requirement. Don’t miss out on easy marks!

You will complete up to 8 prep sheets; it is preferable you make 8 to the best of your ability, as this will show the examiners you have a wide variety of skills. You will then do a final piece of work based on 2 of your prep sheets. You do have the option to do two exams, rather than coursework and one exam. While the coursework is more work overall, you will be under less time pressure than if you were taking an additional exam.

To score highly, you will need to perfect your technical skill. It is also crucial to demonstrate your artistic development – you can do this by including small mind maps based on a theme/unit, and by doing small ‘test’ sketches exploring various arrangements for a more detailed piece. In addition, your prep sheets should be aesthetically pleasing, as presentation does count. Bluetack your pieces of work to the sheet when you first hand it in, so you can rearrange the layout, or remove/add/improve any work. Use a variety of mediums to show versatility. Fortunately, the course will force you to create large projects and use different media (batik, lino, still life, collage).

It is okay if you feel that you need to redo almost every prep sheet that you handed in during year 10 – with time and patience, you will improve. When you have time away from the art class, during the holidays, reflect on the work that you have finished and try to perfect it. This way, when the deadline comes around in year 11, you will have finished and will be ready to focus all your artistic energy on the exam!

The most daunting thing about coursework is how many weeks you have to complete it! The themes are open ended and you have a lot of freedom. Unfortunately, this can paralyze rather than inspire. Art is time-consuming, and you are juggling it with 8 other subjects which each have their own homework and tests. You might push art to the side in order to tackle more imminent deadlines, dreaming of the great work you will produce when you have the time to sit down and devote yourself to it… but this will not happen. There is never going to be a ‘good time’ to do it. I ended up spending 6 days solid over the Christmas break drawing my final piece, and by day 3 I had started to despair, but I am so glad I finished it.

You should be prepared to fail: allocate time to hate your work, feel frustrated by your work and then pick yourself up and start again. Grab a black sharpie and title all of the documents that you are given by the department, such as, “ Year 11 coursework requirements” and, “Art unit planner”, with PLAN TO FAIL. This will remind you to get your head out of the clouds and make you start work immediately. Coursework is composed of prep sheets and a final piece (that has its own prep sheet as well): it is a lot of physical work to produce.

• Plan to fail! It will go wrong, take a direction you did not intend or even want! You must factor in time to start over.
• C ommit to ideas. Brainstorm your theme exhaustively in the first week of the assignment to find an idea you really love, then commit. Don’t start over halfway through.
• Don’t start year 11 with incomplete prep sheets. Finish them all before the coursework final is due.
• Finish every drawing. You may hate it, but if you don’t finish it, you won’t learn anything from it.
• Use the guidelines the art department gives you. Pin them up on a notice board and share them with your parents – keep those deadlines firmly in sight.
• Use the Art room at lunchtime , consult your teachers regularly for advice and guidance.

You need to complete*:

• Two stylistically different compositions
• Two solo performances
• A group performance

*There is also set work covering the work of one artist (for us, Felix Mendelssohn), World Music, and the music of one particular region (for us, Latin America). These are not part of the coursework component but are part of the syllabus.

It is ok if you have never played an instrument or studied music theory – as long as you love the subject. It may be wise to take private lessons in music theory and an instrument from the beginning of year 10. If you already play an instrument and know some music theory, you are ahead of the game!

In year 10 you are informed about the coursework, but class time is not devoted to it until year 11. Because the deadline is so far away, it is rare anyone starts working on it. Many of my peers decided to take the internal exam after realising they wouldn’t have the time to acquire the skills needed. Get started immediately. Record your performance to the best of your ability in year 10, even if you find it disappointing. In year 11 you will have the opportunity to listen to it again and re-record, challenging yourself further on the content. Same for compositions – experiment with melodies and sounds even if you are not confident. When Year 11 begins you will have a starting point to build from.

For compositions, as they have to be very different, listen to music from a variety of genres. In doing this you will find out what you like and it will be easier to create something you enjoy. If you find using Garageband difficult, talk to Mr. Aram. He always makes himself available to help, so don’t be shy or insecure about your work. He is not expecting you to be a musical prodigy!

When you are happy with your compositions in Garageband you then have to transpose everything into note form, using software like Sibelius. This is time-consuming  and challenging, especially if you are not confident with musical notation. So, plan to learn and ask for help before it’s too late. Go to the music department at lunch or work on your score with your classmates so that you all struggle together and can help each other.

Music is such an enriching subject that allows insight into different cultures and can lead to global understanding and communication. You want your compositions to reflect this exposure – which is very challenging because you need a certain level of skill. You can acquire these with help from teachers and extracurricular lessons but it all takes time as you still have 8 other subjects with equal demands. Ultimately, plan to fail and to experiment so that you have the time to achieve your best.

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Published by Rebecca Lally

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