As I mentioned before I have just completed the AS level Edexcel course in history. The course was split into two sections. One was 'Henry VIII: Authority, Nation and Religion, 1509-40'-basically the majority of Henry VIII's reign including the whole palava of the divorce and the reformation etc. This course got more interesting as it progressed, I enjoyed studying the divorce and the reformation but found the parts about Wolsey and his government boring to be honest. This exam was a few weeks ago now, on the 22nd of May. This side of the course was source based, we had to answer 1 question out of 20 on just the sources and then an answer out of 40 using knowledge as well.
Our exam was 1 hour 20 mins long. (just give us the extra 10 mins at least!)
These are the questions that were in my paper (or similar to, I can't really remember)
1. The one with just sources and no knowlegde was on the Pilgrimage of Grace and the question was how far do the sources show that the rebellion of 1536-37 was motivated mainly by religious grievances?
I thought the question was fine really. The sources were good and offered quite of lot to write about. It also helps to revise well even for this question as when you know what the sources are referring to, you are more able to make so-called 'inferences' about what the sources describe. ;)
2. This is where the paper went down hill for me.
You get a choice of two essay titles for this section. The choices were a question on the Break with Rome or Wolsey and his foreign policies. As I've mentioned I disliked the Wolsey section and so saw the Break with Rome and thought YES. But then I got a bit 'trigger' or 'pen' happy and rambled my face off (which is exactly what you shouldn't do).
In hindsight I should have taken the Wolsey question into consideration but I had already gone into the suggested time (50 mins) for section B.
If I remember correctly the question I attempted to answer was; How far was Henry VIII's decision to break with Rome motivated by his desire for a male heir? Use the sources and your knowledge to reach a judgement.
A nice enough question, but in these questions you are supposed to lead with the sources and bring in relevant knowledge. The sources were pants. They made no exclusive mention of a male heir on that Anne Boleyn was pregnant! So then I started spewing whatever I could remember and ugh.
I think I split my answer into;
male heir was main reason
religion was main reason
want of power was main reason
Or at least that's how I wanted to structure it. Basically I found it difficult to lead with the sources and it panicked me. Sad times. But the worst was my conclusion.
You know the saying 'sitting on the fence'? Well I love to sit on the fence in conclusions, but I do it quite well so it looks like I haven't sat on the fence.
In this exam my conclusion was way too long and I sat on the fence, jumped back over the fence, got back on the fence, jumped off the other side and then burnt the fence down. I might as well have built a brick wall.
So the exam wasn't great but as I am predicted to get 4 A's at AS I think my expections are really high and I want an A in history. I wish a percentage of the mark was based on effort and attainment over time because I try so very hard =D. Haha.
However having ranted on for yonkidoodles I cannot judge what I have got in this exam. For when I think I've done badly I tend to do better than expected and vice versa. Anyhoo roll on results day August 16th. =(
So top tips for this exam;
Read the section B questions carefully and consider what you could write for each (maybe do a little plan).
Control your timing and practise with past papers.
Bring in no outside knowledge for section A, but sneak it in as an inference using the sources.
Lead with the source content in section B and come to a PRECISE CONCLUSION.
How I wish I could say I'd done all these.
Ooh finally I found this revision guide helpful.> 'My Revision Notes: Edexcel AS History Henry VIII: Authority, Nation and Religion, 1509-40'
It's not all relevant knowledge but it's all useful and is very source focused. It also had a handy timeline at the back. Plus it was only a few quid on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Revision-Notes-Authority-Religion/dp/1444152165)
Hope something has been of some use to someone!!
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