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 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:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: William's victory at the Battle of Hastings Question 4: Consequences of the Harrying of the North |
2019 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Reasons for the failure of the Revolt of the Earls (1075) Question 4: Consequences of the Domesday Book |
2020 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: The House of Godwin's power Question 4: Causes of Anglo-Saxon resistance to Norman rule |
2021 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Reasons for the Revolt of Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068 Question 4: Changes to society and economy of Anglo-Saxon England |
2022 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: How did William I establish control over England Question 4: Similarities and differences between Norman and Anglo-Saxon government |
2023 (opens in a new tab) | Question 3: Reasons why King Harold was defeated at the Battle of Hastings Question 4: The consequences of William I introducing the "forest" |
2024 | Question 3: Edgar the Aethling had the strongest claim to the throne Question 4: Robert’s ambition causing the difficult relationship between William I and his son, Robert |
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 state in the introduction that Harold Godwinson did have the strongest claim
However, in the conclusion you state that William Duke of Normandy had the strongest claim
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
"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
'In 1066, William Duke of Normandy had the strongest claim to the English throne.'
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, in 1066, William Duke of Normandy had the strongest claim to the throne. The person who had the strongest claim to the throne was Harold Godwinson.
Although William Duke of Normandy had a claim to the throne, it was not the strongest claim. William Duke of Normandy was related to Edward; they were cousins (K). However, this claim is weakened as this is a very distant blood relation and it did very little to strengthen his claim (SOC). Additionally, William claimed that Edward the Confessor named him heir to the English throne in 1056. William was also a successful ruler of Normandy and his claim was supported by the Pope (K). Although he had a claim to the throne, it was not the strongest because there is very little historical evidence that Edward had named William heir in 1056. Additionally, many people in England did not want a foreign ruler and despite his experience in ruling, did not want William to be king (SOC).
Harold Godwinson's claim to the throne was the strongest in 1066. Godwinson had a family connection, although it was not as strong as Edgar the Atheling's as he was not a blood relative. Godwinson was married to Edward's sister - Edith. Godwinson was also the most powerful earl in England and he was promised the throne on his deathbed, which was witnessed by others (K). Therefore, Godwinson has the strongest claim to the throne because he had a family connection and he was also a very powerful and well-experienced claim. His experience gave him a strong influence over other earls and thegns. This would help Godwinson govern England and protect the country from foreign threats of invasion (SOC).
Others had a claim to the throne such as Edgar the Atheling, however his claim was not the strongest. Edgar the Aethling was the closest blood relative to Edward the Confessor when he died in 1066. Edgar was Edward's nephew and Edward took care of Edgar when his father died (K). Although this shows that Edgar the Aethling did have a claim to the throne, his claim was not the strongest as he was very young and inexperienced (SOC). Edgar was 15 when Edward died and lacked any political connections and had no experience of ruling (K). Therefore, Edgar's claim was not the strongest when Edward the Confessor died because of his lack of experience and age. The Witan did not believe that he was strong enough to rule England and protect it from foreign threats of invasion (SOC).
Overall, I disagree with the statement in the question that William Duke of Normandy had the strongest claim to the throne. Although William was a well-experienced ruler and had a weak family connection, there is no evidence to support his claim that Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne (K). This resulted in the Witan supporting Godwinson's claim as he had a family connection, and vast amount of experience and was promised the throne by Edward. Although other people had claims to the throne, such as Edgar the Atheling, their claims were not as strong as Godwinson's because Godwinson had evidence and support to strengthen his claim, which the others did not (SOC).
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