Assessment overview
Students must take one unit from each of unit groups 1 to 3 as well as the mandatory non-exam assessment Y100 topic-based essay to be awarded the OCR A Level in History A.
Content overview
Students select a total of three topics in British and non-British history to study in three units, creating a qualification that is both broad and coherent. The topics selected must have a chronological range of at least 200 years.
Unit group 1
Study is source-based and develops different historical approaches. One topic is selected from 13 options available:
- Alfred and the making of England 871—1016
- Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035—1107
- England 1199—1272
- England 1377—1455
- England 1445—1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII
- England 1485—1558: the early Tudors
- England 1547—1603: the late Tudors
- The early Stuarts and the origins of the Civil War 1603—1660
- The making of Georgian Britain 1678 — c. 1760
- From Pitt to Peel: Britain 1783—1853
- Liberals, Conservatives and the rise of Labour 1846—1918
- Britain 1900—1951
- Britain 1930—1997
Unit group 2
The 24 topics available in this group focus on non-British history, from the rise of Islam to the end of apartheid in South Africa, emphasising the application of historical knowledge, understanding and judgement. Students select one topic to study:
- The rise of Islam c. 550 — 750
- Charlemagne 768—814
- The Crusades and the crusader states 1095—1192
- Genghis Khan and the explosion from the Steppes c. 1167 — 1405
- Exploration, Encounters and Empire 1445—1570
- Spain 1469—1556
- The German Reformation and the rule of Charles V 1500—1559
- Philip II 1556—1598
- African kingdoms c. 1400 — c. 1800: four case studies
- Russia 1645—1741
- The rise and decline of the Mughal Empire in India 1526—1739
- The American Revolution 1740—1796
- The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon 1774—1815
- France 1814—1870
- Italy and unification 1789—1896
- The USA in the 19th Century: Westward expansion and Civil War 1803 — c. 1890
- Japan 1853—1937
- International relations 1890—1941
- Russia 1894—1941
- Italy 1896—1943
- Democracy and dictatorships in Germany 1919—1963
- The Cold War in Asia 1945—1993
- The Cold War in Europe 1941—1995
- Apartheid and reconciliation: South African politics 1948—1999
Unit group 3
The topics in this group allow study of change and continuity over a substantial period of time, with in-depth studies focusing on interpretations of significant individuals, events, developments etc. The 21 topic options cover both British and non-British history over a period from the early Anglo-Saxons to the Arab Spring.
- The early Anglo-Saxons c. 400 — 800
- The Viking age c. 790 — 1066
- English government and the Church 1066—1216
- The Church and medieval heresy c. 1100 — 1437
- The Renaissance c. 1400 — c. 1600
- Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors 1485—1603
- Tudor foreign policy 1485—1603
- The Catholic Reformation 1492—1610
- The ascendancy of the Ottoman Empire 1453—1606
- The development of the nation state: France 1498—1610
- The origins and growth of the British Empire 1558—1783
- Popular culture and the witchcraze of the 16th and 17th centuries
- The ascendancy of France 1610—1715
- The challenge of German nationalism 1789—1919
- The changing nature of warfare 1792—1945
- Britain and Ireland 1791—1921
- China and its rulers 1839—1989
- Russia and its rulers 1855—1964
- Civil Rights in the USA 1865—1992
- From colonialism to independence: The British Empire 1857—1965
- The Middle East 1908—2011: Ottomans to Arab Spring
Topic based essay
This is an opportunity for students to bring together many of the skills developed through their work on the topics to an independently researched enquiry of their own choosing.