AQA GCSE History Paper 2 practice questions

What is on Paper 2?

• Paper 2 covers shaping the nation: a thematic study and a British depth study.
• It is a written paper of 2 hours, worth 84 marks including spelling, punctuation and grammar — 50% of the GCSE.
• Source and extended essay questions, plus a historic environment question.
• Always check the latest specification on your exam board's website, as details can change between exam years.

Paper 2 practice questions with answers

8 original questions across the 4 Paper 2 topics. Try each one before reading the answer.

1. AQA option: Britain — Health and the People, c1000 to present

   1. Whose ideas dominated medieval medicine?

   • • Pasteur
   • • Galen
   • • Lister
   • • Koch

   Answer: Galen

   Galen's theories were protected by the Church for centuries.

2. AQA option: Britain — Health and the People, c1000 to present

   2. Miasma theory claimed disease was caused by:

   • • Microbes
   • • Bad air
   • • The humours
   • • Contaminated water only

   Answer: Bad air

   It persisted until germ theory replaced it.

3. AQA option: Elizabethan England, c1568-1603

   3. Who was Elizabeth's leading advisor for most of her reign?

   • • Robert Devereux
   • • William Cecil
   • • Francis Drake
   • • Thomas Cromwell

   Answer: William Cecil

   Cecil, Lord Burghley, dominated the Privy Council.

4. AQA option: Elizabethan England, c1568-1603

   4. What was the purpose of the 1559 Religious Settlement?

   Answer: To create a Protestant church acceptable to most people and reduce religious conflict

   Compromise aimed at stability.

5. Using sources: utility, provenance and inference

   5. What does the 'P' in NOP stand for?

   • • Place
   • • Purpose
   • • Popularity
   • • Politics

   Answer: Purpose

   Nature, Origin, Purpose form provenance.

6. Using sources: utility, provenance and inference

   6. Explain why a propaganda poster can still be useful to a historian.

   Answer: It shows what the government wanted people to believe and the attitudes it tried to create

   Bias is itself historical evidence.

7. Second-order concepts and essay technique

   7. Which concept asks 'why did this happen?'

   • • Significance
   • • Causation
   • • Continuity
   • • Similarity

   Answer: Causation

   Causation explains reasons for events.

8. Second-order concepts and essay technique

   8. What does the 'E' pair in PEEL stand for?

   Answer: Evidence and Explain

   Evidence supports; explanation links it to the question.

Where Paper 2 marks are usually lost

• Describing events without explaining their causes, consequences or significance.
• Judging a source's usefulness on content alone, without provenance — who made it, when and why.
• Writing narrative rather than an argument that answers the question.
• Missing a supported final judgement in 'how far' and 'how important' essays.
• Using general knowledge instead of precise dates, names and events.

How to pick up the extended-answer marks

• Underline the command word and the focus of the question before writing — most dropped marks come from answering a different question.
• Plan for one or two minutes: three or four points, each backed by evidence and explained.
• Keep linking back to the question in every paragraph, not just the conclusion.
• For 'evaluate' or 'how far do you agree' questions, weigh both sides and finish with a clear judgement.

Timing that works under pressure

• Check the marks per question and give each one time in proportion, keeping spare minutes for checking at the end.
• Bank the short questions first, then return to the longer answers with your remaining time.
• If a question stalls for more than two minutes, write down what you know and move on — partial marks still count.
• Leave five minutes to check spelling of key terms, units and whether any question part was skipped over a page break.

Revise each Paper 2 topic

• AQA option: Britain — Health and the People, c1000 to present (74 questions)
• AQA option: Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 (74 questions)
• Using sources: utility, provenance and inference (74 questions)
• Second-order concepts and essay technique (72 questions)

AQA History Paper 2 FAQs

What topics are on AQA GCSE History Paper 2?

Paper 2 assesses a thematic study such as Health and the People and a British depth study such as Elizabethan England, including the historic environment.

How long is AQA GCSE History Paper 2?

It is a 2 hours written exam worth 84 marks including spelling, punctuation and grammar, which is 50% of the GCSE. Check your board's latest specification for any changes.

How should I revise for History Paper 2?

Practise answering questions rather than rereading notes. Short daily sets of five questions per topic, marked straight away, expose weak areas faster than a long passive revision session.