New GCEs for 2008



GCE History (2040)

Introducing AQA's new course specification for History for AS and A Level. This new redrafted specification has been designed to:

  • allow maximum flexibility to centres to judge what is most appropriate for their students and the expertise that is available to them
  • promote a study of History at A Level which is coherent and one which requires the study of a substantial element of British history
  • promote an understanding of change and development over time, an understanding of change over a short period studied in depth and a study of change over 100 years.

The following information and specification outline will enable both practising Teachers and Subject Heads to be better informed and supported in the teaching of this subject, particularly if attending one of AQA's Teacher Support meetings.


Classification Codes

Every specification is assigned a national classification code indicating the subject area to which it belongs. The classification code for this specification is 4010.

Centres should be aware that candidates who enter for more than one GCE AS/A level qualification with the same classification code will have only one grade (the highest) counted for the purpose of the School and College Performance Tables.

Centres may wish to advise candidates that, if they take two specifications with the same classification code, universities and employers are very likely to take the view that they have achieved only one of the two GCE AS/A levels. The same view may be taken if candidates take two GCE AS/A level specifications that have different classification codes but have significant overlap of content. Candidates who have any doubts about their subject combinations should check with the university to which they wish to progress or company they wish to join, before embarking on their programmes.

Assessment Objectives

The Assessment objectives.

AO1 - recall, select and deploy historical knowledge appropriately, and communicate knowledge and understanding of history in a clear and effective manner. Demonstrate their understanding of the past though explanation, analysis and arriving at substantiated judgements of: key concepts such as causation, consequence, continuity, change and significance within an historical context; the relationships between key features and characteristics of the periods studied.

AO2 - as part of an historical enquiry, analyse and evaluate a range of appropriate source material with discrimination; analyse and evaluate, in relation to the historical context, how aspects of the past have been interpreted and represented in different ways.





Key documents


Launch Meetings

Further information

Quick links

External links