How to Revise for A-Level History

A-Level History is a challenging subject that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Until 2020, less than 10% of all candidates achieved an A* grade, and whilst this increased from 2020, only around 15% of students achieve the top grade.

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The key to success in A-Level History is effective revision. Whilst in Maths or Physics you might be able to rely on your reasoning skills, History is very content-heavy. This blog post is aimed at providing you with practical tips and advice on how to revise for A-Level History in the best possible way. Whether you're deep into your revision or you’re starting out, this guide will help you get the most out of your revision and boost your chances of success.

Preparation

The first step to effective revision is preparation. This is a step which a lot of students overlook, just diving into revision before planning and identifying what they need to revise. You need to understand the specification and the exam format so that you know exactly what to revise.

The first step is to make sure you have a copy of the specification and go through it thoroughly. Whilst the specification can seem like a very boring document, it tells you exactly what the examiners expect you to learn, so take note of the topics you will be tested on and what kind of questions you can expect. We also recommend making a bank of past paper questions from previous years – whilst you cannot expect to predict the question, you can see the style of questions asked and see themes which recur over the years, this way you can make sure your revision covers all of these key areas.

Once you have a good understanding of the syllabus, it's time to create a revision timetable. This should initially be quite broad, for instance, if you are studying for 3 A-Levels, and you have two History papers, then you can work out how many weeks you have to revise for each paper between now and your exams. Following this you can then break this time up into smaller chunks for each topic within the paper. This will help you to stay on track and make sure you allocate enough time for each topic and don't overload yourself with too much work.

Remember to leave some time before your exams for practice papers and recapping all content, you don’t want to not look over the things you first revised. For instance, if you are revising the Tudors, you don’t just want to begin with Henry VI in March and not look back at this work again.

You should also include regular breaks in your timetable to avoid burnout and to give your mind a chance to rest. In the long term, this will include weekends without doing any work at all. In the short term you want to take regular breaks throughout the day. One good way of doing this is using a Pomodoro timer which breaks your work day into manageable chunks and tasks. See our article on A-Level Revision techniques for more detail on the Pomodoro technique and some more methods you might not have come across before.

Gathering the necessary materials is also an important part of the preparation process. Make sure you have a good set of notes, textbooks, and any other relevant materials. Flashcards are also useful for learning key dates and facts – Quizlet is a great website to make your own flashcards or look up others which other students have already made.

Whilst your textbooks provide you with core content, to get an A* in History, you need to go beyond the textbooks. Whether this is using podcasts, documentaries or reading academic articles, this will really show the examiners the depth of knowledge they are looking for. Have a look at this A-Level history podcast as a good starting place, BBC’s In Our Time also covers a range of history topics and you can also look at university-level lectures on YouTube.

Effective revision techniques

Now that you're prepared, it's time to start revising. There are many different revision techniques that you can use, and it's important to find the ones that work best for you. If you’re looking for the full guide on this, have a look at our article on A-Level Revision techniques. But we will give you a quick rundown here, focusing specifically on techniques that will be useful for A-Level History.

Active revision methods

Active revision methods involve actively engaging with the material you're revising. So rather than just reading about the topics, you need to condense this information into some form which is useful for you. You could try flashcards, mindmaps, timelines or short summaries of each topic. These methods will help you to retain the information and make the revision process more enjoyable.

Past papers and constructing arguments

Past papers are a key stage in your revision process, but don’t try them all out straight away. You want to focus on learning the content first before trying to apply it to exam questions. But if you take one point away from this article it should be this: exam technique and constructing a good argument is a different skill to learning content. A-Level History is not just about content, it is about interpreting the work of others and arguing a particular point of view. For example, you don’t just want to say that Henry VIII had six wives, you want to tell the examiner the significance of this – why does it matter?

You should also construct arguments during your revision, not just during the exam. For example, in your practice essays come to a conclusion about whether Henry VIII’s foreign policy was a success. Don’t just revise a timeline of his foreign policy but also some evaluation for each of these policies, were they successful or not? And then also evaluate those evaluation points, perhaps he was very successful in a particular war but he was always expected to win it, so that success doesn’t really tell us much about his overall diplomatic or military skill. These are the sorts of judgements, that when backed up with evidence from the content you have learned and discussed in reference to the views of other historians, will really impress the examiner.

Group revision and peer-to-peer learning

Revision is often more effective when you work with others. Talk to your friends who are also studying history and discuss points and arguments together. Test each other on timelines and key facts. If you aren’t good friends with the people in your course, then have a look at online resources such as The Student Room, start a debate there about a particular point of view or ask questions to fellow students. Remember, over 40,000 students take History A-Level each year, so you are not alone and should look to work with others.

Getting best grades

Revising for A-Level History can be a long and difficult process, and there will be a lot of ups and downs. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated and avoid burnout:

Identifying areas of weakness

Regularly assess your progress and identify the areas where you need to improve. Focus your efforts on these areas and make sure you understand the material fully.

Help from tutoring

An A-Level History tutor can make a big difference for students. They can explain historical events and ideas in a way that's easy to understand. This helps students remember important facts and understand why things happened the way they did. The tutor can also help students get better at writing essays and answering exam questions. With a tutor's help, students can feel more confident about History and do well in their exams. It's a great way to learn more and get good grades.

Regular breaks

Regular breaks are essential to avoid burnout. Take short breaks every hour or so to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and give your mind a chance to rest.

Staying motivated

Staying motivated can be difficult, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed. Try to set achievable goals for each revision session and reward yourself when you reach them. You

Last minute tips

As the exam day approaches, it's important to keep up your revision and make the most of your time, but remember to give yourself some downtime and get enough sleep.

Time management during the exam

Time management is key during the exam – you have several essays to write, so make sure you read the questions carefully and allocate your time effectively. Don't spend too much time on one question and leave the last one in a huge rush. It’s better to have two slightly shorter essays than one very long one and another very short one.

Revise your arguments

You can’t predict the questions and you shouldn’t try to, but you can prepare arguments for specific areas that come up. Instead of just revising facts, revise them alongside your arguments. It’s much easier to remember something which you have already constructed into a point of view in your mind rather than just a series of ungrounded facts.

Final thoughts

Revising for A-Level History can be a challenging process, but with the right preparation, techniques, and motivation, you can achieve great results. You may even take help from A-Level tutors for expert advice and tips. Make sure you understand the syllabus and exam format, allocate enough time for each topic, and use effective revision techniques to help you prepare. Stay focused, stay motivated, and stay calm, and you'll be on your way to success. Good luck!