How to Answer a 12-Mark 'Examine' Question (Edexcel A Level Politics): Revision Note
Exam code: 9PL0
What is a 12-mark 'Examine' question?
Section A of Paper 3 opens with a choice of two 12-mark "Examine…" questions, and you answer one
You compare two things, and the stem tells you what to compare
This is usually their similarities or their differences, but sometimes a feature they share, such as the weaknesses of both
Paper 3A (USA)
Every Section A question compares the USA and the UK on one topic, such as the Supreme Courts or Congress and Parliament
Paper 3B (Global Politics)
Section A questions compare two things from Global Politics, such as two institutions, two types of power or two schools of thought
The question at a glance
Marks | 12 |
|---|---|
Where it appears | Paper 3 (3A or 3B), Section A, question 1(a) or 1(b) |
Assessment objectives | AO1 6 marks AO2 6 marks |
Suggested time | About 17 minutes |
Suggested length | About 300–350 words |
Command words and assessment objectives
Every Section A question starts “Examine…”, then names the two things you compare and what to look for, usually similarities or differences
No instructions are printed under the question, so the stem is all you have to go on
Examples from recent papers:
"Examine the differences in the powers held by the Supreme Courts in the USA and the UK." (Paper 3A, June 2025 (opens in a new tab))
"Examine the differences in how rights are protected in the US and the UK." (Paper 3A, June 2024)
"Examine the differences between great powers and superpowers." (Paper 3B, June 2025 (opens in a new tab))
"Examine the weaknesses of both the IMF and the World Bank." (Paper 3B, June 2024)
The two assessment objectives carry equal marks:
AO1 (knowledge and understanding): accurate facts, examples and definitions for both things you are comparing
AO2 (analysis): explaining how the two things are similar or different, and why that matters
There is no AO3, so a judgement about which is stronger or better earns nothing
How is a 12-mark 'Examine' question marked?
The examiner reads the whole answer and places it in one of four levels
Your knowledge (AO1) is rewarded for how well it supports your comparison (AO2), so every fact needs to feed a point of comparison
Level | Marks |
|---|---|
4 | 10–12 |
3 | 7–9 |
2 | 4–6 |
1 | 1–3 |
Level cap on Paper 3A
An answer about only the USA or only the UK cannot go above Level 1 (3 marks)
The mark scheme states: "Candidates who refer to only one country cannot achieve beyond Level 1." (mark scheme 9PL0/3A, June 2025 (opens in a new tab))
Level cap on Paper 3B
An answer about only one of the two things in the stem cannot go above Level 1 (3 marks)
The mark scheme states: "Candidates who refer to only one institution cannot achieve beyond Level 1." (mark scheme 9PL0/3B, June 2025 (opens in a new tab))
The cap applies to whichever two things the stem names, such as the IMF and the World Bank, or great powers and superpowers
What separates the top levels
Level 3 (7–9 marks) answers contain mostly accurate knowledge and mostly focused comparison, with logical chains of reasoning
Level 4 (10–12 marks) answers contain accurate knowledge that is carefully selected, and consistent comparison with coherent chains of reasoning
The difference is mostly in the comparison
Level 4 answers compare in every paragraph and back each point with evidence from both sides
How to answer a 12-mark 'Examine' question
Step 1: Find the focus of the question
Underline the two things you are comparing and what the stem asks for: differences, similarities or a feature they share
If the stem asks for differences, similarities earn no marks, and the reverse
Example: in “Examine the similarities in the legislative powers of the US Congress and the UK Parliament." (Paper 3A, June 2025), you need similarities in legislative powers, not everything about the two legislatures
Prepare both similarities and differences for every topic, because the specification does not say which a topic will get
Step 2: Plan three points
Spend about 2 minutes choosing three points that fit the focus exactly
Make each point a point of comparison, so that every paragraph has evidence for both things in the stem
Check that every point answers the stem’s focus, not just the topic
Example: in "Examine the differences in the powers held by the Supreme Courts in the USA and the UK.", how judges are appointed only earns credit if you link it to the courts’ powers
Step 3: Write three paragraphs, with no introduction or conclusion
Start each paragraph with your point of comparison, and define any key term in that first sentence
Leave out an introduction and a conclusion, because they earn no marks on a 12-mark question
On Paper 3A, leave out the comparative theories, which you only need in the Section B “Analyse…” question
Step 4: Develop every point
Give evidence for both sides of the comparison, then explain why the similarity or difference matters
Use comparative words such as “whereas”, “in contrast” or “in both countries”
Stating the point
“Both Congress and Parliament can propose legislation.”
Developing the point
“Both Congress and Parliament must pass a bill before it becomes law, so each can block the executive’s programme. Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate in 2021, and the Commons defeated Margaret Thatcher’s Shops Bill at its second reading in 1986, despite her large majority.”
Describing each side
"The Senate confirms appointments and ratifies treaties. The House of Lords scrutinises and delays legislation."
Comparing and explaining
"This matters because the Senate can check the president directly, as when it rejected Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987, while the Lords can only scrutinise and delay legislation."
What if?
You can only think of two good points: develop both fully before adding a third
A point that is asserted and then dropped earns little AO2, however many of them you make
You know much more about one country than the other: still give evidence for both in every paragraph
Uneven evidence weakens your AO1, and a single-country answer is capped at Level 1
Worked Example
Examine the differences in the powers of the upper chambers and the lower chambers in the US and the UK.
[12 marks]
Model answer:
The upper chambers, the Senate in the US and the House of Lords in the UK, differ in their power to check the other branches. [AO1] The Senate must confirm presidential appointments, including Supreme Court justices, by a simple majority, and must ratify treaties by a two-thirds majority. [AO1] The House of Lords has no power to confirm appointments, and it cannot block a treaty. [AO1] This matters because the Senate can check the president directly, as when it rejected Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987, while the Lords can only scrutinise and delay legislation. [AO2] This reflects the codified US Constitution, which gives the Senate a formal role in checking the president, whereas the UK’s uncodified constitution gives the unelected Lords no such role. [AO2]
The lower chambers, the House of Representatives and the House of Commons, differ in their power over the executive. [AO1] The Commons can remove a government through a vote of no confidence, as it did to James Callaghan's government in 1979. [AO1] The House of Representatives cannot do this, because the president is elected separately and removed only by impeachment and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate. [AO1] As a result, the Commons can bring down a government on a single vote, whereas the House can only begin a process that the Senate must complete, as the two impeachments of Donald Trump, both ending in acquittal, show. [AO2] This reflects the fusion of powers in the UK, where the government sits in Parliament and depends on its confidence. [AO2]
The two systems also differ in bicameral balance, meaning how equal the two chambers are in making law. [AO1] In the US, both chambers must pass a bill in identical form, so each holds an absolute veto over legislation. [AO1] In the UK, the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 limit the Lords to delaying most bills by about a year, and the Hunting Act 2004 became law without the Lords' consent. [AO1] Congress is therefore close to equal in its two chambers, whereas Parliament concentrates legislative power in the Commons. [AO2] This comes from the codified US Constitution, which protects each chamber's powers, whereas the uncodified UK constitution has let the elected Commons assert its supremacy over the Lords. [AO2]
Mark allocation:
[AO1] knowledge and understanding, [AO2] analysis
This answer reaches Level 4 (10–12 marks) because:
every paragraph compares the US and the UK, with evidence from both
each fact is followed by an explanation of why the difference matters
it stays on powers throughout and makes no judgement, because there is no AO3
Common errors:
Writing about something linked to the topic but outside the stem, such as how members are chosen rather than what powers they hold
Opening with an introduction or ending with a conclusion, which earns no marks
Listing a difference and moving on without explaining it
Giving detailed evidence for one country and very little for the other
Writing about similarities when the question asks for differences
Alternative content:
The Senate's power to try impeachments, compared with the Lords, which lost its judicial role to the UK Supreme Court in 2009
The House of Representatives' power to start revenue bills, compared with the financial privilege of the Commons
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Write three comparative paragraphs and stop. There are no marks for an introduction, a conclusion or a judgement, so spend that time putting evidence from both countries into every paragraph.
Unlock more, it's free!
Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams
the (exam) results speak for themselves:
Was this revision note helpful?
