The 16 Mark "How Far do you Agree" Question (Edexcel GCSE History)

Summary of Question 5 or 6

• Questions 5 or 6 require you to:

  • Evaluate the statement in the question

  • To use second-order concepts in your answer

• You need to evaluate the statement given in the question against other reasons

  • Two possible reasons are provided for you in the stimulus box under the question

• You only need to answer either Question 5 or 6

  • Do not answer both questions as you will not have time and will not be awarded more marks

• This question has changed the time coverage for this question

  • Previously, the question focused on a period of at least 200 years

  • For the 2025 exams, the question will cover either a complete period or at least 200 years

• An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

• In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics in Medicine in Britain:

  Year of Exam	Question Topic
  2018	Question 5: Understanding the cause of disease Question 6: Advancements in surgery
  2019	Question 5: Galen and his impact on the progress in medical care and treatment Question 6: The role of the government in the development of care and treatment
  2020	Question 5: The work of Florence Nightingale and the development of care and treatment in hospitals Question 6: The improvements in dealing with infectious disease
  2021	Question 5: The role of the church in the progress of care and treatment Question 6: The significance of the printing press
  2022	Question 5: The role of the physician in providing care and treatment Question 6: The work of Pasteur in understanding the causes of illness
  2023	Question 5: The work of Thomas Sydenham Question 6: People's attitudes towards medicine

Making judgements in history

• The 16-mark question relies on your ability to weigh all the evidence and state your opinion

  • Students often find this part the hardest to do 

• There are some common mistakes students make when making a judgement, they include: 

  • Not giving a clear judgement. Students do this by: 

    • Explaining that all of the reasons are the most important 

    • Failing to decide which factor is the most important 

    • Using language in their answer which is not decisive e.g. “kind of” or “maybe” 

• Contradicting your judgements

  • Students sometimes haven’t planned their answers properly. They start to write their answer with one judgement and then change their opinion halfway through 

    • For example, in the example question, you state in the introduction that John Snow was a key turning point in the prevention of infectious disease. However, in the conclusion you state that it was not a key turning point

  • Doing this means that there is not a sustained judgement and you can not access Level 4 (13–16 marks) 

• Good judgements will:

  • Explain the second-order concept outlined in the question in full

    • There is no "right" or "wrong" answer in history

    • If you are unsure of your opinion, pick the side of the argument that you have better or more evidence to support

  • Consider other reasons

    • Even if you fully believe a reason is the most important, you still need to present evidence for other reasons

  • Be sustained throughout your answer 

    • They should be used to structure your answer and help you explain 

    • This is why planning your answer is important

What makes a great conclusion in GCSE history?

• Conclusions are usually where most of your judgement marks will be awarded

• Students often rush their conclusions so they are not as developed as they could be

• All great conclusions have these three elements:

  • Judgement – Start with your opinion. Try to include the words from the question. Consider including a reference to the second-order concept mentioned in the question

  • Counter – Give an example from the other side of the argument to show your awareness of this

  • Support – Explain why, after considering all the evidence, you have reached your judgement. Use your best piece of evidence to show your opinion

How to get SPaG marks

• In Paper 1, students have access to an additional four marks for answering either Question 5 or 6

• This is awarded for SPaG ( Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)

• SPaG marks are allocated in the following categories:

• You can boost your SPaG marks by:

  • Ensuring key terms mentioned in the question are spelt correctly in your answer

  • Making sure that you use paragraphs in your answer

  • Allowing yourself an appropriate amount of time to re-read your answer to check for mistakes

  • Reading the answer in your head as if you were speaking it. Where you would take a breath, make sure there is a comma or full stop

How to answer a "How far do you agree" question

• In the exam, you will be given the option of two questions to answer

  • You only need to answer one question

    • You will not receive more marks for writing both questions

  • You should put an "X" in the box next to the question you have chosen to answer

• The "How far do you agree" question will present you with a statement which you have to create a sustained judgement around

  • For example, in Question 6, this is:

    • ‘Government action is the most important reason why there were improvements in care and treatment in hospitals during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.’

• Underneath both Questions 5 and 6, you will have a stimulus box with two key knowledge suggestions

  • If you only use these suggestions in your answer, you are limited to a maximum of 13 marks

  • You can choose not to use any of the suggestions

    • You can still achieve full marks by not using the two stimulus points

• To answer this question successfully you should

  • Read the answer carefully and multiple times (if you have the time)

  • Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question

  • Plan your answer

    • In your plan, include what key knowledge you wish to use and an outline of your argument

    • This will help you to create a sustained judgement

      AWAITING IMAGE

"How far do you agree" question structure

• Your answer should consist of:

  • A logical structure e.g. PEEL paragraphs

  • Specific and relevant knowledge

  • A range of knowledge

  • An explanation of the second-order concept outlined in the question

  • A clear and sustained judgement throughout the answer

  • A conclusion

• If you want to include an introduction you can, but it is not necessary 

• Your answers could be written in PEEL paragraphs: 

  • P - Make a point about the question

    • This should include your judgement 

  • E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made (K)

    • Evidence needs to be relevant and specific to the question

  • E - Explain why this evidence supports your point

    • Your explanation should be focused on the second-order concept outlined in the question (SOC)

  • L - Link your explanation back to the question to help sustain your argument and show your understanding of the question

• The question is out of 20 marks:

  • 6 marks for a wide range of specific knowledge of the period and the topic stated in the question (K)

  • 10 marks for the analysis of the key second-order concepts of cause and consequence, similarities and differences and importance (SOC)

  • 4 marks are awarded for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)

    • This is an overall mark, not awarded in specific areas of your answer

Worked example of a "How far do you agree" question