The 16 Mark "How Far do you Agree" Question (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note
Exam code: 1HI0
Summary of Question 3 or 4
You will choose between Question 3 or Question 4
Answering either question requires you to:
Make a clear, sustained judgement about a historical statement
Use second-order concepts like cause, change, significance, or consequence
Compare the given reason with other valid reasons
Reach a well-structured conclusion
Unlike for the 16-mark question in Paper One, you are not awarded marks for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)
Amount of marks | 16 |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | 5 minutes of planning 20 minutes of writing |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in Henry VIII and His Ministers:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Wolsey’s personality and his rise to power Question 4: Cromwell's changes to government |
2019 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Cromwell’s fall from power in 1540 Question 4: Reasons for the dissolution of the monasteries |
2020 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Wolsey’s foreign policy and the Treaty of London Question 4: Reasons for Anne Boleyn's execution |
2021 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Did Henry VIII achieve all his aims as a monarch by 1529? Question 4: Henry VIII’s religious changes and the Pilgrimage of Grace |
2022 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Reasons for Wolsey's fall from power Question 4: Thomas More and opposition to the Reformation in England |
2023 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Wolsey's reforms and the Eltham Ordinances Question 4: The importance of Wolsey in Cromwell's rise to power |
2024 | Question 3: The annulment causing Henry VIII's break from Rome Question 4: Cromwell’s most significant achievement being improving the government of England |
Making judgements in history
The 16-mark question requires you to weigh all the evidence and make a decision
Students often find this part the hardest to do
Common mistakes in judgement questions
Explaining that all of the reasons are the most important
Avoiding a clear decision by using phrases like “kind of” or “maybe”
Giving no opinion
Changing your argument halfway through
In the example question, you may state in the introduction that the main reason why Cromwell came to power was his experience in Parliament
However, in the conclusion, you state that it was his loyalty
Doing this means that there is not a sustained judgement and you can not access Level 4 (13–16 marks)
What makes a good judgement?
Clearly answer the question using second-order concepts
Acknowledge other sides of the argument
Have a consistent judgement from start to finish
Use your best evidence to back up your decision
There is no "right" or "wrong" answer in history
Consider other reasons
Even if you fully believe a reason is the most important, you still need to present evidence for other reasons
What makes a great conclusion in GCSE History?
Conclusions are usually where most of your judgement marks will be awarded
All great conclusions have these three elements:
Judgement – State your opinion using words from the question
Counter – Mention a reason from the other side
Support – Use your strongest evidence to explain why your side is more convincing
How to answer a "How far do you agree?" question
In the exam, only answer either Question 3 or Question 4
You should put an "X" in the box next to the question you have chosen to answer
You will receive two stimulus points
These are areas of knowledge to discuss in your question
If you only discuss these two stimulus points, you are limited to a maximum of 11 marks
You can choose not to use any of the suggestions
You can still achieve full marks by not using the two stimulus points
You must discuss three areas of knowledge in your answer to access Level 4
To answer this question successfully you should
Read the answer carefully and multiple times
Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question
Plan your answer, including:
What your judgement is
The key knowledge you wish to use v
![A revision table titled "Planning a question using a table" for the GCSE History 16-mark question:
‘Cromwell’s experience in Parliament was the main reason for his rise to power.’
The table is divided into sections:
Header row (pink):
States the topic of the table.
Introduction (top row, black background, faded text):
"I disagree with the statement."
"The main reason was Cromwell’s display of loyalty."
PEEL 1 (left label: "Peel 1", right content cell):
Main point: Cromwell’s experience in Parliament was not the main reason.
Supporting details:
Cromwell was a member of Wolsey’s council in 1519 and MP for Taunton in 1519.
He helped pass reforms such as the Act in Restraint of Appeals after 1530.
He showed effectiveness as a minister, but others also had similar skills.
PEEL 2 (middle row, blacked out with blue lightning bolt graphic):
[This section is obscured, presumably refers to Cromwell’s loyalty.]
PEEL 3 (left label: "Peel 3", right content cell):
Main point: Cromwell’s personality was not the main reason.
Supporting details:
He was charming, witty, and ruthless.
Well liked in court and gained many supporters, including the King.
These traits made him trustworthy for the King in controversial matters.
Conclusion (bottom row, black background, faded text):
“Overall, I disagree with the statement.”](https://cdn.savemyexams.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto,width=3840/https://cdn.savemyexams.com/uploads/2025/06/22995_edexcel-exam-skills-images---new-henry-viii-and-his-ministers-16-marker-plan-2.png)
"How far do you agree?" question structure
Your answer should include:
A logical structure
A range of specific and relevant knowledge
An explanation of the second-order concept outlined in the question
A clear and sustained judgement throughout the answer
A conclusion
If you want to include an introduction you can, but it is not necessary
Your answers could be written in PEEL paragraphs:
P - Make a point about the question
This should include your judgement
E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made (K)
Evidence needs to be relevant and specific to the question
E - Explain why this evidence supports your point
Your explanation should be focused on the second-order concept outlined in the question (SOC)
L - Link your explanation back to the question to help sustain your argument and show your understanding of the question
The question is out of 16 marks:
6 marks for a wide range of specific knowledge of the period and the topic stated in the question (K)
10 marks for the analysis of the key second-order concepts of cause and consequence, similarities and differences and importance (SOC)
Worked example of a "How far do you agree?" question
Worked Example
'Cromwell's experience in Parliament was the main reason for his rise to power.'
How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
(16)
You may use the following in your answer:
You must also use information of your own. |
Answer:
I disagree with the statement that Cromwell's experience in Parliament was the main reason for his rise to power (SOC). Although it was an important factor, it was not the main one as his loyalty was the main reason.
Cromwell became the king's chief minister in 1534 due to his experience in Parliament. Cromwell was a member of Wolsey's council in 1519 and an MP for Taunton in 1519. In 1531, he became a member of the Privy Council. After 1530, Cromwell was also heavily involved in Parliament and was important in the passing of many significant reforms which were important to Henry VIII. These reforms included the Act in Restraint of Appeals which gave Henry VIII the power to grant annulments and became the head of the Church of England (K). Cromwell's experience in Parliament helped him to rise to power because Cromwell showed how effective and quickly he was at carrying out the instructions and wishes of the king (SOC).
The main reason why Cromwell rose to power was due to his display of loyalty. During Wolsey's time as the king's chief minister and during his fall from power, Cromwell continued to show his loyalty to him. In Parliament and even with audiences with the king, Cromwell remained loyal to Wolsey (K). Therefore, this was the main reason for Cromwell's rise to power because this impressed Henry. Henry wanted to promote Cromwell to the king's chief minister if he would be as loyal to Henry, as he was to Wolsey (SOC). This was the main reason because there were many other ministers who had similar experiences in Parliament to Cromwell but were not chosen (SOC).
Another reason why Cromwell rose to power was due to his personality. Cromwell was well-liked in the Royal Court as he was charming, witty and ruthless. This resulted in his rise to power because he gained many supporters in the Royal Court, including the King. In addition, his ruthlessness meant that the king could rely on Cromwell to undertake controversial and immoral acts (K). This allowed him to rise to power because this characteristic of his personality prevented his consideration as the first minister from being challenged as other ministers did not have this ability (SOC).
Overall, the main reason why Cromwell rose to power was not because of his experience in Parliament but was due to his loyalty. Although his experience in Parliament helped him to rise to power, it shows how effective he was as a minister (K). His loyalty to Wolsey won the king's approval because his level of loyalty impressed him so much (SOC).
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