Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The 16 Mark "How Far do you Agree" Question (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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
Amount of marks | 16 + 4 SPaG marks |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | 5 minutes of planning 20 minutes of writing |
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 Crime and Punishment in Britain:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
Question 5: The work of the Fielding brothers and the improvement in law enforcement in the years c1500- c1900 Question 6: The establishment of Pentonville prison and the use of prisons in the years c1700- present day | |
Question 5: The Norman Conquest and changes in law enforcement in medieval England Question 6: Changes in criminal activity in the period c1500-c1900 | |
Question 5: The attitude of the authorities and the changes in the use of the death penalty Question 6: Specialisation and the development of police work since the creation of the Metropolitan Police | |
Question 5: The role of religion and the increase of crime against authority Question 6: Progress in dealing with the crime of smuggling in the years c1700-present day | |
Question 5: The idea of retribution and methods of punishment during the medieval period Question 6: The impact of transportation and the Bloody Code on crime | |
2023 | Question 5: Changes in criminal activity in the period c100- c1700 Question 6: The work of Robert Peel and changes in law enforcement in the years c1700-c1900 |
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 that poverty was the main reason for the increase in crime. However, in the conclusion, you state that the main reason for the increase in crime was the role of the government
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 referring 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:
SPaG mark | Reason for this mark |
|---|---|
0 |
|
1 |
|
2-3 |
|
4 |
|
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 5, this is:
'The role of poverty was the main reason for the increase in crime in the years c1500-c1700’
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 16 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)
Worked example of a "How far do you agree" question
Worked Example
'The role of poverty was the main reason for the increase in crime in the years c1500-c1700’.
How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
(16)
You may use the following in your answer:
You must also use information of your own. |
Answer
I agree with the statement that poverty was the main reason for the increase in crime in the years c1500-c1700. However, other factors like population growth and religious changes did contribute significantly to the increase in crime during the years c1500-c1700.
Poverty was the main reason for the increase in crime in the years c1500-c1700. poverty during this period increased due to many different reasons such as the effects of enclosed land, food price increases and poor harvests. During the years c1500- c1700, farming became more efficient and land enclosure increased. By 1700, most of the country's land was enclosed. As poorer people could not afford to buy the land, they were forced into poverty (K). Furthermore, with less land to farm, there was a decrease in food production and consequently, a rise in food prices. This caused an increase in crime because people were forced into illegal activities to survive such as poaching and petty crimes (SOC).
There were other reasons for the increase in crime during the years c1500-c1700, such as the growth in population during this period. Between c1500-c1700, England's population nearly doubled from approximately 2.5 million to 5 million. This population increase put pressure on resources and led to higher levels of unemployment. The increased population caused overcrowding in towns and cities as people moved from the countryside to urban areas to find work (K). This caused an increase in crime as more people committed crimes such as theft, vagrancy and begging due to the lack of food and unemployment due to the increase in population (SOC).
Another reason for the increase in crime during the years c1500-c1700 was due to religious changes in this period. From the beginning of the English Reformation through to c1700, England's religion changed several times between Catholicism and Protestantism. Laws were introduced to support and protect the religion chosen by the monarch, such as the Act of Parliament in 1585 (K). Due to religious instability, extremism and unrest, crime increased. People were committing religious criminal acts such as not attending church services or refusing to follow the monarch's religion (SOC).
Overall, the main reason for the increase in crime in the years c1500-c1700 was poverty because this was the root cause of crime. Poverty was the root cause of crimes such as theft and poaching. People were forced to commit crimes to survive because issues such as land enclosure resulted in a loss of jobs and high food prices (SOC). Additionally, factors such as religion were a contributing factor however they were usually only committed by a small population of the country. Whereas poverty was a widespread issue affecting all of England (SOC).
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