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First teaching 2024

First exams 2026

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The 16 Mark "How Far Do You Agree with Interpretation 2" Question (Edexcel GCSE History)

Revision Note

Test yourself

Summary of Question 3 (d)

  • Question 3 (d) requires you to:

    • Evaluate the topic outlined in the question

    • Use both Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2

      • This will help you to have a balanced argument

    • Come to an overall judgement on how far you agree with the topic outlined in the question

  • You should use Sources B and C in your answer

    • This is highly encouraged as each source is linked to an interpretation and it will act as your own knowledge for this question

  • The interpretations used in Questions 3 (b) and 3 (c) will be the same ones used in this question

  • Like the 16-mark question in Paper 1, you are awarded marks for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)

Amount of marks 

16 marks + 4 SPaG marks

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:

Exam question about German recovery from 1924-1929, requiring analysis of Interpretation 2 and historical context. Spelling and grammar will be assessed. Worth 16 marks.
An example of Question 3 (d) for Paper 3

Making judgements in history

  • The 16-mark question relies on your ability to weigh all the evidence from the interpretations and sources and state your opinion

    • Students often find this part the hardest to do 

  • There are some common mistakes students make when making a judgement, they include: 

    • Not giving a clear judgement. Students do this by: 

      • Explaining which interpretation you find more convincing

      • Failing to decide how far they agree with the interpretation outlined in the question

      • Using language in their answer which is not decisive e.g. “kind of” or “maybe” 

  • Contradicting your judgements

    • Students sometimes haven’t planned their answers properly. They start to write their answer with one judgement and then change their opinion halfway through 

      • For example, in the example question, you state in the introduction that you fully agree with Interpretation 2. However, in the conclusion you state that you partially agree with Interpretation 2

    • Doing this means that there is not a sustained judgement and you can not access Level 4 (13–16 marks) 

  • Good judgements will:

    • Explain how convincing you find Interpretation 2

      • There is no "right" or "wrong" answer in history

    • Consider the other interpretation

      • Even if you fully agree with Interpretation 2, you must also evaluate Interpretation 1

    • Be sustained throughout your answer 

      • They should be used to structure your answer and help you explain 

      • The highest-awarded answers sustain their argument throughout the answer

What makes a great conclusion in GCSE History?

  • Conclusions are usually where most of your judgement marks will be awarded

  • Students often rush their conclusions so they are not as developed as they could be

  • All great conclusions have these three elements:

    • Judgement – Start with your opinion. Try to include the words from the question and state how far you agree with Interpretation 2

    • Counter – Give a brief overview of your evaluation from Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2

    • Support – Explain why, after considering all the evidence, you have reached your judgement. Use the core of your argument to support your answer

How to get SPaG marks

  • In Paper 3, students have access to an additional four marks for answering Question 3 (d)

  • This is awarded for SPaG ( Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)

  • SPaG marks are allocated in the following categories:

SPaG mark

Reason for this mark

0

  • The student writes nothing

  • The student's response does not relate to the question

  • The student has included too many errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar which have greatly affected the answers meaning

1

  • The student's spelling and punctuation have some accuracy

  • The student uses rules of grammar, any errors do not significantly hinder the overall meaning of their answer

  • The student uses a limited range of specialist terms in their answer

2-3

  • The student's spelling and punctuation have considerable accuracy

  • The student uses rules of grammar with good control

  • The student uses a good range of specialist terms appropriately

4

  • The student's spelling and punctuation are consistently accurate

  • The student uses the rules of grammar effectively

  • The student uses a wide range of specialist terms

  • You can boost your SPaG marks by:

    • Ensuring key terms mentioned in the question are spelt correctly in your answer

    • Making sure that you use paragraphs in your answer

    • Allowing yourself an appropriate amount of time to re-read your answer to check for mistakes

    • Reading the answer in your head as if you were speaking it. Where you would take a breath, make sure there is a comma or full stop

How to answer a "How far do you agree with Interpretation 2" question

  • The "How far do you agree" question in Paper 3 will present you ask you to explain how far you agree with one of the interpretations against a topic outlined in the question

    • This interpretation and topic will be the same as the one that you have written about in Questions 3 (b) and (c)

      • You must not repeat what you have said in Questions 3 (b) and (c)

    • In the example question, this topic is 'German recovery in the years 1924-29'

  • To answer this question successfully you should

    • Read the answer carefully and multiple times (if you have the time)

    • Annotate the question, interpretations and sources

      • Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question

      • Annotate the interpretations to come to a judgement

      • Annotate the sources and select what information you can use to help support your judgement

    • Plan your answer

      • In your plan, include what parts of the interpretations and sources you wish to use and an outline of your argument

      • This will help you to create a sustained judgement

      AWAITING IMAGE

"How far do you agree with Interpretation 2" question structure

  • Your answer should consist of:

    • A logical structure e.g. PEEL paragraphs

    • Both Interpretation 1 and Interpretation 2

    • You should use Source B and Source C

      • Do not use Source A as you will not be rewarded any marks for your comments

    • An explanation based on the demands of 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

      • Evidence can come from Source B and Source C

    • E - Explain why this evidence supports your point (In)

      • Your explanation should be focused on to what extent you agree with Interpretation 2

    • L - Link your explanation back to the question to help sustain your argument and show your understanding of the question (In)

  • The question is out of 20 marks:

    • 16 marks are awarded for analysis and evaluation of the interpretations (In)

    • 4 marks are awarded for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)

      • This is an overall mark, not awarded in specific areas of your answer

Worked example of a "How far do you agree with Interpretation 2" question

Worked Example

3 (d) How far do you agree with Interpretation 2 about German recovery in the years 1924-29?

Explain your answer, using both interpretations and your own knowledge of the historical context.

(16)

Two contrasting interpretations from different authors about the Weimar Republic, noting economic conditions and political stability from 1924 to 1929.
Text from two historical sources about Germany's post-Versailles recovery. Source B: 1930 German journalist notes surprising progress. Source C: 1929 Gustav Stresemann speech warning economic fragility.

Answer

I mostly agree with Interpretation 2 that Germany's recovery from 1924 to 1929 was fragile, meaning it had not truly recovered from the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles (In).

Interpretation 2 states that Germany's recovery was built on 'quicksand foundations' which were 'dependant upon high-interest American loans'. The Dawes and Young Plans reduced reparations but also gave a significant amount of money to rebuild Germany's industry. Altogether, the USA gave $25 billion to German industry from 1924-30 (In). As shown in Source C, Stresemann himself acknowledged the risk that he was taking by tying Germany's economic success to the USA. The source states that 'If the short-term loans are called in by America, a large section of our economy would collapse.' I mainly agree with Interpretation 2 as tying Germany's economy to the USA's was a risk that Stresemann knew the implications for. Instead of focusing on Germany developing an independent, stable economy, Stresemann relied on US loans to pay reparations and fund German industry. Therefore, this shows that Germany hadn't properly recovered. Its economy was just being supported by foreign loans (In).

Interpretation 1 claims that Germany was financially and politically stable in 1929. The interpretation states that 'the Weimar Republic was much stronger than it had been just after the war' (In). There is some truth to this statement. On the surface, Weimar Germany looked like it had recovered. The support for extreme parties had dropped in this period. For example, the Nazi Party only won 3% of the votes in 1928. This shows that the majority of people were happy with the Weimar Republic and trusted Stresemann's government. Source C also shows this support and optimism for Weimar Germany's recovery. It states that Germany had recovered 'in a way we would never have thought possible' and comments on the speed at which this took place. Therefore, Interpretation 1 uses some convincing evidence to argue that Weimar Germany had recovered by 1929. However, it is not as convincing as Interpretation 2 because it must be acknowledged that, if Weimar Germany was truly stable and recovered, it would have been able to survive the collapse of the USA's economy after the Wall Street Crash (In).

Overall, I mostly agree with Interpretation 2 about how far Germany had recovered in 1924-1929. I agree with Interpretation 2 as it emphasises Germany's reliance on US loans to stabilise the government and society. However, this interpretation does not consider that, if the US did not experience the Wall Street Crash, Weimar Germany would not have collapsed. It was a gamble that unfortunately did not pay off for Germany (In). Additionally, Interpretation 1 highlights the feeling that people had in 1929 that Germany had recovered. People generally felt happy in Weimar Germany and optimistic for its future. However, the main reason why I agree with Interpretation 2 is that German stability was based on the success of another country rather than Germany's independent success. This made it unstable as Germany was not in charge of its own destiny (In).

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