Essay skills
Key skills
The exam requires two essays written in a well-structured manner. Your essay should include:
Introduction (Historical context)
The ‘essay introduction’ is worth 3 marks.
You need to write at least two sentences explaining two relevent pieces of context. Set the essay around the time, place and historical events around the question e.g.
- What? - What was happening...
- When? - around this time...
- Where? - and place in history...
- How? - that sets the essay question in context
The introduction should also have a line of argument. In your opinion what is the most important factor in answering the question or explaining the success or failure of an important historical development.
Make sure you refer to the exam question in making your line of argument. The additional skill requires you to show balance by listing other factors or analysing the other side of the argument, linked to the question.
Essay paragraphs
A Higher History essay must have at least 3 paragraphs but 4 paragraphs is good practice. Overall there is a total of 16 marks available across the essay paragraphs.
Try to use the same technique/structure for each paragraph.
- Identify a factor and link it to the question. A simple comment is NOT enough.
- Show you understand the factor - Make points that show detailed knowledge of this factor and link back to the question (Worth up to 6 marks)
- Analyse the factor NOT the knowledge. You need to show WHY the factor is important in answering the question.
- Show balance - Use a counter argument or limitation on the factors' relative importance. There are other ways such as debating the importance of one factor against another. (Overall analysis is worth up to 6 marks)
Evaluate for top marks!
This is NOT a summary. You need to assess how the factor played a part in the impact of the historical development/topic:
- Use a relative judgement e.g. most important.
- Use new evidence OR discuss the historical interpretations OR quote a historian to support the judgement.
- To access the ‘full’ evaluation marks you need to bring in your line of argument e.g. How important is the factor you are discussing in comparison to your line of argument?
(worth up to 4 marks)
Conclusion
The conclusion is the last part of your essay but still plays a significant part in your overall answer.
- Refer to the exam question.
- Show you are answering the question.
- Introduce your line of argument.
- Confirm your line of argument, and the answer to the question, in your opinion.
- Support your opinion - This MUST be supported by a relative judgement and by evidence from your essay e.g. use the analytical comment in your essay paragraph.
It is important to show balance in your answer by discussing the other factors. This will require you to make a relative judgement with supporting evidence on the other factors e.g. use a counter analytical point from the essay paragraph. (The However…argument)
The conclusion is worth up to 3 marks.
To gain all 3 marks in the conclusion you MUST make a relative overall judgement between the different factors.