Revision Checklist for IGCSE
History 0470
Guide for Students
Revision Checklist for IGCSE History 0470
A Guide for Students
How to use this guide
The guide describes what you need to know about your IGCSE History examination. It will help
you to plan your revision programme for the examination and will explain what the examiners are
looking for in the answers you write. It can also be used to help you to revise by using the tick
boxes in Section 3, ‘What you should be able to’ to check what you know and which topic areas
of History you have covered.
The guide contains the following sections:
Section 1 - How will you be tested?
This section will give you information on the different examination papers that are available.
Section 2 - What will you be tested on?
This section describes the areas of knowledge, understanding and skills that the examiners will
test you on.
Section 3 - What you should know
This shows the syllabus content in a simple way so that you can check:
• which topics you need to know
• details about each topic in the syllabus
• how much of the syllabus you have covered
Section 4: Appendices
This section covers other things you need to know such as:
• useful web sites
• important command words that Examiners use in the examination Papers
Not all the information will be relevant to you. You will have to select what you need to cover in
Sections (1) and (3) by finding out from your teacher whether you are doing Coursework or the
alternative Paper to coursework.
Section 1 - How will you be tested?
1.1 About the examinations you will take
You will sit three Papers: i.e. Paper 1 and Paper 2, and either Paper 3 (coursework) or Paper 4
(alternative to coursework).
Your teacher will be able to tell you whether you are doing coursework (Paper 3) or taking Paper
4.
If you are doing coursework, you will complete two assignments and just take Paper 1 and Paper
2 in the examination. However, if you are not doing coursework, you will take three Papers in the
examination, i.e. Paper1, Paper 2 and Paper 4.
1.2 About the written Papers
The table below gives you information about the written Papers
Paper How long and how What’s in the paper? What’s the % of
number many marks? the total marks?
Paper 1 2 hours (60 marks) You must answer a total of three 40%
questions, two from Section A and
one from
Section B.
Paper 2 2 hours (50 marks) You must answer all of the 33%
questions from either the
Nineteenth or Twentieth Century
option.
Here is some more detail about each of the Papers:
(i) Paper 1
You have to answer three of the questions available, so take your time to choose your questions
carefully at the start of the examination.
There will be two Sections – A and B.
Section A (Core Content) will contain eight questions, four on the 19th century Core and four on
the 20th century Core. You must answer any two questions.
Section B (Depth Studies) will contain two questions on each of the Depth Studies. You must
answer one question.
[Note: three questions will be set on Depth Study E, Southern Africa].
Each question on Paper 1 will have three parts and will be based on stimulus material which will
help your understanding of the questions but you do not have to use the source in your answer.
The stimulus material may be a photograph, cartoon, written information, sketch map, diagram,
graph table of information etc.
You will be tested on your understanding of both the Core Content and Depth Study by showing
in your answer the selection of relevant knowledge and your ability to write your response in an
appropriate manner.
(ii) Paper 2
This paper will have two options: a 19th-century topic and a 20th-century topic. Candidates
answer the questions on one option.
The topics will be prescribed by the Examination Board (CIE) each year and will be taken from
the Core Content. Each option will include a collection of source material relating to the
prescribed topic, and a series of questions based on the material.
For the examination in 2009 the topics will be:
19th century core: The modernisation of Japan (May/June examination) OR
The causes of the First World War (November examination)
20th century core: German involvement in the Spanish Civil War (May/June 2009 examination)
OR the decline and collapse of Soviet control over Eastern Europe (November 2009 examination)
1.3 About the coursework/alternative written paper
The remaining examinations for IGCSE History are either in the form of coursework or another
written paper, Paper 3 (two coursework assignments written in your own time) or the alternative
to coursework, Paper 4, which tests the same skills and knowledge as Papers 1 and 2 in a timed
written examination. Your teacher will be able to tell you which Paper you will be entered for.
Paper How long and how What’s involved? What’s the % of the
number many marks? total marks
Paper 3 No fixed time You will complete two 27%
(40 marks) coursework assignments of (you do either
about 1500 words in total. Paper 3 or
Your teacher will design each Paper 4)
assignment which will be
based on any one or two of
the Depth Studies you have
been taught.
Paper 4 1 hour You will answer one 27%
(40 marks) question only based upon one of (you do either Paper
the Depth Studies you have 3 or
been taught. Paper 4)
Here is some more detail about these Papers:
(i) Paper 3 (coursework)
You will carry out two assignments during your History course, which will be assessed by your
teacher. One piece of work must target Objectives 1/2, and the other must target Objective 3 (see
Section 2 below). Each assignment will be worth up to 20 marks.
(ii) Paper 4 (alternative to coursework Paper)
In this written paper you will answer one question on one of the Depth Studies. Each question
has a part (a) and a part (b). Questions set in part (a) are designed to test your ability to use
source evaluation as in Paper 2 and questions set in part (b) are based on your ability to recall
knowledge of the subject content being questioned as in Paper 1.
Section 2 - What will you be tested on?
The examiners take account of the following skill areas in your examination Papers:
• knowledge (what you remember, select and use)
• understanding of some key concepts
• evaluation of sources
These skills are called assessment objectives. They are explained in the table below. Your
teacher will be able to give you more information about how each of these is tested in the
examination Papers.
Assessment What the objective What you need to be able to do
objective means
1: Remembering and recall, select, organise and deploy knowledge of the
Recall of selecting relevant facts syllabus content
Knowledge and applying these
appropriately in your
answers
2: Demonstrating an demonstrate an understanding of:
Understanding understanding of key (a) change and continuity, cause and
historical historical ideas and the consequence, similarity and difference;
concepts reasons why people (b) the motives, emotions, intentions and
made decisions in the beliefs of people in the past.
past
3: Understanding and comprehend, interpret, evaluate and use a range of
Evaluation of assessing the meaning of sources as evidence in their historical context.
sources sources and using them
as evidence of how
people in the past made
judgements and acted the
way they did.
Section 3 - What you need to know
The tables below describe the topics you may be tested on in the examination. It is arranged in
two Options (19th and 20th Century) and eight Depth Studies with several topic areas within each
Option or Depth Study. Each topic area is divided up into sections, which contain the detail that
you need to know.
How to use the tables
You can use the tables throughout your course to check the topic areas you have covered. You
can also use it as a revision aid. When you think you have a good knowledge of a topic, you can
tick the appropriate box in the checklist column.
Test yourself as follows:
• cover up the details with a piece of paper
• try to remember the details using the prompts
• when you have remembered the details correctly, put a tick in the appropriate box. If you use
a pencil to tick the boxes, you can retest yourself whenever you want by simply rubbing out
the ticks. If you are using the table as a checklist of which topics you have covered, you can
put a tick in the topic column next to the appropriate point.
The column headed ‘Comments’ can be used to:
• add further information about the details for each bullet point
• note relevant page numbers from your text book
• add learning aids e.g. BIG THREE AT VERSAILLES (Lloyd George, Clemenceau and
Wilson), ENABLING ACT (summary of details)
• highlight areas of difficulty/ things which you need to ask your teacher about.
Option A: 19th century, The Development of Modern Nation States, 1848-1914
1.1 Were the Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
Revolutions of
1848 Why were there Describe the nature of revolutions in 1848 and the
important? so many influence of liberalism and nationalism.
revolutions in
1848? Describe the causes and events of revolutions in
France, Italy, Germany and the Austrian Empire.
Did the As above
revolutions have
anything in
common?
Why did most of Describe the reasons for the failure of the revolutions.
the revolutions
fail?
Did the As above
revolutions
change anything?
1.2 How was Why was Italy not Describe Austrian influence over Italy, Italian
Italy unified? unified in 1848- nationalism and the role of Mazzini.
1850?
How important Describe the work of Garibaldi and the invasion of Sicily
was Garibaldi's and Naples and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy and
contribution to the completion of unification by 1870.
unifying Italy?
Did Cavour help Outline the events of 1848-9 and the work of Victor
or hinder the Emmanuel II and Cavour, Plombieres and the war with
unification of Austria in 1859.
Italy?
How important for
As above
other European
countries were
moves towards
Italian
unification?
Option A: 19th century, The Development of Modern Nation States, 1848-1914
1.3 How was Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
Germany
unified? Why was Describe the nature of German nationalism, the work of
Germany not the Zollverein, the 1848 revolution in Prussia and the
unified in 1848- setting up and eventual failure of the Frankfurt
50? Parliament. Outline the re-establishment of Austrian
influence in Germany by 1850.
How did Describe the work of Bismarck as Prussian Minister-
Bismarck bring President, his foreign policy to 1871 including
about Austria's Schleswig-Holstein, the Austro-Prussian War and its
defeat of 1866? consequences.
How did As above
Bismarck bring
about France's
defeat of 1870?
How far was As above
Bismarck
responsible for
the unification of
Germany?
Option A: 19th century, The Development of Modern Nation States, 1848-1914
1.4 Why was Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
there a civil
war in the How far did Describe the causes and consequences of the American
United States? slavery cause the Civil War, 1820-77: differences between North and
Civil War? South; slavery, slave states and free states;
abolitionism; the 1860 election and secession of the
Southern states;
What was the Describe the reasons for the North's victory, the role of
significance of Lincoln; reconstruction. (Coverage of the events of the
Lincoln's election war is not required except insofar as they help to explain
as President? the North's victory.)
Why was the As above
North able to win
the war?
Did the war As above
change anything?
Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
1.5 How
effectively had What was the Describe Perry's missions and the unequal treaties.
Japan impact of Perry's Japan's relations with her neighbours to 1914.
modernised missions on
itself by 1914? Japan?
Why did the Meiji Describe the Meiji Restoration and modernisation.
Restoration
occur?
How westernised As above
was Japan by
1914?
Was Japan a As above
Great Power by
1914?
Option A: 19th century, The Development of Modern Nation States, 1848-1914
1.6 What Did the Alliance
caused the System make Describe the origins of the First World War, 1890-1914
First World war more likely or and the Alliance System
War? less likely?
How far did
colonial problems
create tensions
between the Outline the colonial rivalries that existed at the time
Great Powers?
Why were
problems in the
Balkans so
difficult for the Outline the developments in the Balkans between 1890
Great Powers to and 1914 which led to tension in the area
solve?
How did the
assassination of
Franz Ferdinand Describe the crisis of June-July 1914 and the outbreak
lead to war? of war.
Depth Study C: The USA, 1919-41
1.1 How far Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
did the US
economy On what factors Describe the expansion of the US economy during the
boom in the was the 1920s
1920s? economic boom
based?
Why did some Describe mass production in the car and consumer
industries durables industries, the fortunes of older industries, the
prosper while development of credit and hire purchase
others did not?
Why did Describe the decline of agriculture during the 1920s.
agriculture not
share in the
prosperity?
Did all Americans Describe the weaknesses in the economy by the late
benefit from the 1920s.
boom?
Depth Study C: The USA, 1919-41
1.2 How far Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
did US society
change in the What were the Describe society in the 1920s: the 'Roaring Twenties',
1920s? ‘Roaring 20s’? film and other media, prohibition and gangsterism, race
relations, discrimination against black Americans, the Ku
Klux Klan
How widespread As above
was intolerance
in US society?
Why was As above
prohibition
introduced, and
then later
repealed?
How far did the Describe the changing roles of women in the 1920s.
roles of women
change during
the 1920s?
Depth Study C: The USA, 1919-41
1.3 What were Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
the causes
and How far was Describe the Wall Street Crash and its financial,
consequences speculation economic and social effects. What was the reaction of
of the Wall responsible for President Hoover to the Crash?
Street Crash? the Wall Street
Crash?
What impact did As above
the Crash have
on the economy?
What were the As above
social
consequences of
the Crash?
Why did The Presidential election of 1932: Hoover's and
Roosevelt win the Roosevelt's programmes.
election of 1932?
Depth Study C: The USA, 1919-41
1.4 How Topic outline You should be able to: Checklist Comments
successful
was the New What was the Describe Roosevelt's inauguration and the 'Hundred
Deal? New Deal as Days'.
introduced in Describe the New Deal legislation, the 'alphabetic
1933? agencies' and their work, and the economic and social
changes they caused.
How far did the As above
character of the
New Deal change
after 1933?
Why did the New Describe the opposition to the New Deal: the
Deal encounter Republicans, the rich, business interests, the Supreme
opposition? Court, radical critics like Huey Long.
Why did Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the New
unemployment Deal programme in dealing with unemployment and the
persist despite Depression
the New Deal?
Did the fact that As above
the New Deal did
not solve
unemployment
mean that it was
a failure?
