1. Question Analysis
2. Examiner Code ISECO
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1. Question Analysis
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Question Stems /Question Types
Questions in the Higher History
Paper 1 fall into four main types:
1. The Direct Question
2. Evaluating a trend
3. The Isolated Factor
4. The Quotation &
instruction question
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1. The Direct Question:
" Why did something happen?"
It is an invitation to show understanding of
the different factors and discuss why the
event happened.
Exemplar:
Why did Russia fail to establish a
democracy in 1917?
What is the question asking you to do?
Clearly, there is more than one reason why
Russia failed to become a democracy
(needs to be defined). You are expected to
present a number of reasons and discuss
each in turn e.g.
•
•
•
•
•
Absence of a democratic tradition in
Tsarist Russia
The effects of the First World War
The collapse of the economy
The weakness of the Provisional
Government
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The determination and organisation of the
Bolsheviks
Other examples of Direct Questions from
Past Paper 1
Why did the Tsar's authority collapse so quickly
in February 1917?
Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War in
Russia?
For what reasons did the economy of the USA
suffer depression in the early 1930s?
Why did the revolution of 1905 fail to
topple the Tsar from power?
Why were revolutionary movements in Russia
unable to challenge Tsarist authority
successfully in the years before 1905?
Why were the Bolsheviks successful in
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establishing their authority over Russia between
1917 and 1921?
2. Evaluating a trend
Whereas the direct question on Russia asked
for an explanation centring around one year
(1917), this type of question asks for an
evaluation of changes taking place over a
number of years.
Exemplar:
"To what extent had democracy
been achieved by 1914?"
This is one of the most difficult to answer.
N.B. The question does not give the beginning
date, but you must always assume this is 1850
as the overall title of the Scottish and British
unit is Britain 1850 - 1979
Suggested approach to this type of question
is:
•what changed between 1850-1914
•when each change took place,
•why each change took place and then
•what had not changed and
•why these things had not changed
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Changes/Reasons
No Changes/Reasons
* Set scene by defining * still 13 million men
how democratic Britain could not vote
was in 1850 (refer to
* women could not
1832 Reform Act)
vote
* Outline changes in
* still ‘first past the
1867 Reform Act and
post’ electoral
reasons why this
system – arguably
advanced democracy
unfair.
* As above for 1872
Ballot Act
* Corrupt and Illegal
Practices Act (1883)
* 1884 Representation
of the People Act
* Redistribution of
Seats Act (1885)
* Parliament Act (1911)
* Payment of MPs
(1911)
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Other examples of Questions Evaluating
a Trend from Past Paper 1
Explain the varying electoral fortunes of
the Scottish National Party during the
period 1945-1979.
Why did support for the Scottish
National Party vary so much during the
period 1945-1979?
How democratic was Britain by 1911?
Did Scottish attitudes towards the Union
change significantly between 1880 and
1939?
How effectively did successive federal
governments deal with problems of racial
discrimination in the period 1918-1939? 8
3. The Isolated Factor Question
These questions can mostly be summarised in
the following way:
"How important was X in the rise of the Y?"
"To what extent did X cause Y?“
“How far was X made possible by Y?“
Suggested approach to this type of question
is:
•Put the isolated factor into context with
what you know to be other important factors
in this issue
•Compare the role /influence of the isolated
factor to the others you know are also
important or even more important than this
isolated factor.
•Tell the examiner you know why the isolated
factor is important
•Add the other factors you know
•Make a balanced judgement between the 9
factors and reach a conclusion.
Other examples of Isolated Factor
Questions from Past Paper 1
How important was the growth in federal
powers in the development of the civil
rights movement between 1954 and 1963?
How significant was the Wall Street
Crash in causing the economic depression
of the 1930s?
How important was resentment over the
Treaty of Versailles in explaining the rise
to power of the Nazis in Germany between
1919 and 1933?
To what extent was the granting of the
right to vote to women due to their role
during the First World War?
How important was the role played by
political pressure groups in the growth of
democracy in Britain between 1860 and
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1914?
Breaking down the Isolated Factor Questions
into a direct question + instruction:
Example
How significant was the Wall Street Crash in
causing the economic depression of the 1930s?
Direct question:
What caused the economic
depression of the 1930s?
Instruction:
Pay special attention to the
Wall Street Crash.
Example
To what extent was the granting of the right
to vote to women due to their role during the
First World War?
Direct question:
Why were women granted
the vote?
Instruction:
Pay special attention to the
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First World War.
4. The Quotation and Instruction Question
This type of question always starts with
a quotation followed by a question.
The follow up question stems used are
mostly:
How far do you agree with this view
How far would you agree with reference
to X
How well deserved is this description of
How adequate is this explanation for
Discuss.
How far do you accept this view of
How well does this explain X
Do you agree?
Is this an accurate analysis of X
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Making a Judgement
The Quotation and Instruction Question is
really asking you to balance up all the evidence
and then come to a conclusion somewhere
along a line between extremes e.g.
In a ‘How far do you agree’ question, you are
expected to come down on the line somewhere
between Totally Agree (Y) and Totally
Disagree (Z). This can be visualised as:
Totally
agree
Y
Totally
disagree
Z
X
Your answer
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Other examples of Quotation and
Instruction from Past Paper 1
"The power of the Tsarist state remained
largely unchanged." How far do you agree
with this view of Russia between 1906 and
1914?
"Hitler's domestic policies between 1933 and
1939 enjoyed widespread popularity among the
German people." How far would you agree?
"The creator of the Welfare State." How well
deserved is this description of the Labour
government of 1945-1951?
"Simply a response to the growth of the
Labour movement." How adequate is this
explanation for the social reforms of the
Liberal government between 1906 and 1914?
"The New Deal was vital to the economic
recovery of the USA from the depression 14of
the 1930s." Discuss.
Quotation + Instruction Question which is
really an Isolated Factor Question!
"The Wall Street Crash was the key factor in
causing the economic depression of the
1930s." How far do you agree with this
assessment?
This is really an Isolated factor in disguise.
Let’s turn it into an Isolated Factor question:
How important was the Wall Street Crash in
causing the economic depression of the 1930s?
We can now turn this into a direct question
and instruction
Direct question:
What were the causes of
the economic depression
of the 1930s?
Instruction:
Pay special attention to
the Wall Street Crash.15
Questions which don’t state the start date
Why did revolutionary movements grow in late
nineteenth-century Russia?
Time period = 1881 – 1899 because Russian
topic is 1881-1921.
Explain the failure of federal governments to
deal with racial discrimination in the USA up
to 1939.
Time period = 1918 – 1939 because American
topic is 1918 - 1939.
How important a part did events during the
First World War play in the decision to grant
votes to women?
Time period = 1890s – 1918, not 1914 – 1918.
Remember, this is an Isolated Factor question
asking about the reasons why women got the
vote. Apart from the First World War, you
should be discussing the role of the
Suffragist and Suffragette movements. These
had been political factors since the 1890s.16
Examples of questions which need to have
terms defined early on in your answer
"The creator of the Welfare State."
How well deserved is this description of
the Labour government of 1945-1951?
How beneficial was the impact of
urbanisation on Scottish society between
1880 and 1939?
Explain the lack of success of the
movements for women's suffrage in
achieving their aims by 1914.
"Simply a response to the growth of the
Labour movement." How adequate is this
explanation for the social reforms of the
Liberal government between 1906 and
1914?
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2. Examiner Code
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
ISECO
18
19
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Introduction
Does the introduction set the
scene for the essay or set it in
context?
Does the question require you
to give a definition in the
introduction?
Does the introduction discuss
what the candidate is going
to write about?
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Structure
•Is the essay mainly narrative?
•Does the essay analyse the
question?
•Are the important points
dealt with first?
•Does the essay analyse the
points as it goes along? (Do not
leave the analysis to the end!)
•Is there a conclusion which
leads from the points made in
the body of the essay?
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Evidence
•Is there a good body of
evidence which supports the
points you have made?
•Are there quotations which
support the points you have
made?
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Conclusion
•Does the conclusion actually
answer the question set?
•Does the conclusion pull the
essay together?
•Does the conclusion summarise
your key points and explain how
they help to answer the
question?
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Overall
•Does the essay read well?
•Is the essay balanced discussing both sides of the
question?
e.g. Was Britain a democracy by 1918?
Balance:
•Many democratic institutions were
present
•Much still to be done
ARGUE BOTH SIDES BEFORE YOU
COME TO A CONCLUSION BACKED BY
PRESENTED EVIDENCE.
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tructure
vidence
onclusion
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