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Key Facts: A-Level History Exam

A*-E

Grading scale

Ofqual

May-June

Exam series

AQA, Edexcel, OCR timetable

3 boards

Specifications available

AQA, Edexcel, OCR

100

Free practice questions here

OpenExamPrep

AQA, Edexcel, OCR A-Level History is assessed through linear end-of-course exam papers (Year 13). Coverage spans british period study, non-british period study, thematic study, and grading uses the A*-E scale on 2026 specifications.

Sample A-Level History Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the A-Level History exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which battle in 1485 ended the Wars of the Roses and brought Henry VII to the throne?
A.Battle of Towton
B.Battle of Bosworth
C.Battle of Tewkesbury
D.Battle of Stoke
Explanation: Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485, founding the Tudor dynasty. Richard was killed in the fighting, and Henry was crowned Henry VII.
2Which Act of 1534 declared Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England?
A.Act of Supremacy
B.Act of Succession
C.Act in Restraint of Appeals
D.Act of Six Articles
Explanation: The Act of Supremacy (1534) declared Henry VIII the 'only supreme head in earth of the Church of England', breaking with papal authority and completing the legislative break from Rome.
3Who was Henry VIII's chief minister responsible for the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1540?
A.Cardinal Wolsey
B.Thomas More
C.Thomas Cromwell
D.Stephen Gardiner
Explanation: Thomas Cromwell, as Vicegerent in Spirituals, directed the Valor Ecclesiasticus survey and the suppression of monasteries by the Acts of 1536 and 1539, transferring monastic wealth to the Crown.
4Which 1549 prayer book, introduced under Edward VI, helped trigger the Western Rebellion?
A.The Book of Common Prayer (1549)
B.The Great Bible (1539)
C.The Bishops' Book (1537)
D.The King's Book (1543)
Explanation: Cranmer's first Book of Common Prayer, imposed by the Act of Uniformity in 1549, replaced the Latin Mass with English services and sparked the Prayer Book (Western) Rebellion in Devon and Cornwall.
5Mary I's marriage in 1554 was to which European monarch?
A.Charles V of Spain
B.Philip II of Spain
C.Henry II of France
D.Ferdinand I of Austria
Explanation: Mary I married Philip of Spain (later Philip II) at Winchester Cathedral on 25 July 1554. The match was deeply unpopular and contributed to Wyatt's Rebellion earlier that year.
6Elizabeth I's 1559 Religious Settlement is best described as which compromise?
A.A return to Catholic doctrine with Protestant clergy
B.Protestant doctrine with traditional ceremonial features
C.Lutheran theology imposed by parliamentary statute
D.Calvinist worship with episcopal hierarchy abolished
Explanation: The 1559 Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity restored royal supremacy and a revised Protestant Book of Common Prayer while retaining bishops, vestments and traditional ornaments — a 'middle way' that disappointed both Catholics and stricter Protestants.
7The Spanish Armada was defeated in which year?
A.1585
B.1588
C.1596
D.1601
Explanation: Philip II's Armada sailed in summer 1588 and was scattered after the fireship attack at Calais and the Battle of Gravelines on 8 August. Storms wrecked many ships on the journey home around Scotland and Ireland.
8What was the main aim of the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536?
A.To depose Henry VIII
B.To resist the dissolution of the monasteries and religious change
C.To replace Cromwell with Wolsey
D.To restore the Plantagenet line
Explanation: Led by Robert Aske, the Pilgrimage of Grace gathered around 30,000 rebels in the north protesting against the dissolution of the smaller monasteries, the new religious policies and the influence of Cromwell.
9Which historian is most associated with the 'Tudor Revolution in Government' thesis?
A.A.F. Pollard
B.G.R. Elton
C.David Starkey
D.John Guy
Explanation: G.R. Elton's 'The Tudor Revolution in Government' (1953) argued that Thomas Cromwell transformed medieval household government into a modern bureaucratic state in the 1530s. Later historians like Starkey and Guy have qualified or challenged this view.
10The 1572 St Bartholomew's Day Massacre affected English foreign policy because it
A.Forced Elizabeth into immediate war with France
B.Heightened Protestant fears of a Catholic international conspiracy
C.Ended negotiations for a Spanish marriage
D.Triggered the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
Explanation: The mass killing of French Huguenots in August 1572 shocked Protestant Europe and confirmed Elizabethan ministers' fears of a coordinated Catholic threat, hardening attitudes towards Spain, the papacy and Mary, Queen of Scots.

About the A-Level History Exam

A-Level History is offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR as part of the UK A-Level qualification framework. The course covers british period study, non-british period study, thematic study, historical interpretations and is assessed primarily through written exam papers at the end of the two-year course.

Exam sponsor: AQA, Edexcel, OCR. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

100 questions

Time Limit

5-7 hours total across multiple papers

Passing Score

Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)

Exam / Certification Fees

£75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Core

British Period Study

Tudors 1485-1603, Stuart Britain 1603-1714, Industrial Britain 1783-1885, Britain 1930-97

Core

Non-British Period Study

The American Dream, France 1774-1815, Russia 1855-1964, Mao's China

Core

Thematic Study

Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964, Civil Rights and Race Relations in the USA, the British Empire

Core

Historical Interpretations

Critical engagement with three different historian interpretations on a specified issue

Core

Historical Investigation (NEA)

Personal study of c.4500 words on a chronologically and methodologically broad topic

Preparing for the A-Level History Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Grade E is the minimum pass, Grades A*-E count as a pass (A*-A-B-C-D-E)
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 5-7 hours total across multiple papers
  • Exam / certification fees: £75-£130 per subject (school-set entry fee) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

A-Level History: Suggested Study Strategy

1Use past papers from your specific exam board — questions follow the same style year on year
2Time yourself on full papers to build pacing for the long extended-response questions
3Build a clear understanding of mark schemes — examiners reward specific assessment objectives
4Review examiner reports each summer; common errors repeat

Frequently Asked Questions

What exam boards offer A-Level History?

A-Level History is offered by AQA, Edexcel, OCR. All boards follow Ofqual subject content but vary in the choice of set texts, optional topics, and paper structure.

When is the A-Level History exam taken?

Exams are written in the May-June series at the end of the two-year linear A-Level course. Most students sit the papers in Year 13.

How is A-Level History graded?

A-Levels are graded A*-E. A* is the highest grade and E is the minimum pass. UCAS tariff points are awarded for A-Level grades on most university applications.

How many papers does A-Level History have?

Most A-Level subjects have 3 written papers. The exact number, timing, and weighting depend on the chosen exam board. Some subjects also include a non-examined assessment (NEA) coursework component.