Back to subject papers

HISTORY-9HI0 · Pearson Edexcel A Level

HISTORY-9HI0/11

Breadth study with interpretations (Option 1A)

History · 2024 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 4.0/5

Analysis source: Pearson Edexcel

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

4.0 / 5

Total marks

160

Duration

360 min

Most tested topic

Thematic analysis of administrative authority, political consolidation, and military/diplomatic planning across medieval and early modern reigns.

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

160

Duration

360 min

Session difficulty

4.0 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

2

This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided.

3

In Paper 1 (Option 1A: The Crusades), Section C demands a highly sophisticated synthesis of historians' interpretations, requiring candidates to debate individual versus collective responsibility for the failure of the Fourth Crusade.

4

In Paper 2, the source utility tasks (investigating the investiture conflict and the role of the Chancellor) rely on deep contextual integration, penalizing superficial reading.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

Thematic5
EssAO2:4
Primary3
SourAO3:2
Historical I1

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

ThematicThematicEssAO2:EssAO2:PrimaryPrimarySourAO3:SourAO3:Historical IHistorical I
SkillWeightShare
  • Thematic

    Weight: 5100%
  • EssAO2:

    Weight: 480%
  • Primary

    Weight: 360%
  • SourAO3:

    Weight: 240%
  • Historical I

    Weight: 120%

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Report type

Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary

Level A*

Approx. 88% of maximum mark

Level A

Approx. 80% of maximum mark

Level B

Approx. 68% of maximum mark

Level C

Approx. 56% of maximum mark

Level D

Approx. 45% of maximum mark

Level E

Approx. 33% of maximum mark

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

Command words

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

Paper 1 Section A (20m / 10 marks

Min per mark: 2

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

The crusades, c1095–1204

60 marks this session

Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509

60 marks this session

England and the Angevin Empire in the reign of Henry II, 1154–89

40 marks this session

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2022
2023
2024
Σ

The crusades, c1095–1204

60
60
60
180

Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509

60
60
120

England and the Angevin Empire in the reign of Henry II, 1154–89

40
40
40
120

Anglo-Saxon England and the Anglo-Norman Kingdom, c1053–1106

40
40
80

Britain, 1399–1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII

60
60

Germany and West Germany, 1918–89

0
0

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations (Option 1A):

60 marks135 min

Paper 2: Depth study (Option 2A):

40 marks90 min

Paper 3: Themes in breadth with aspects in depth (Option 30):

60 marks135 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

  • 2Message

    This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided.

  • 3Message

    In Paper 1 (Option 1A: The Crusades), Section C demands a highly sophisticated synthesis of historians' interpretations, requiring candidates to debate individual versus collective responsibility for the failure of the Fourth Crusade.

  • 4Message

    In Paper 2, the source utility tasks (investigating the investiture conflict and the role of the Chancellor) rely on deep contextual integration, penalizing superficial reading.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2024 2024

History

The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided. In Paper 1 (Option 1A

  • The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

  • This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided.

  • In Paper 1 (Option 1A: The Crusades), Section C demands a highly sophisticated synthesis of historians' interpretations, requiring candidates to debate individual versus collective responsibility for the failure of the Fourth Crusade.

Total marks
160
Duration
360 min
Session difficulty
4.0 / 5

Session analysis

The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided. In Paper 1 (Option 1A: The Crusades), Section C demands a highly sophisticated synthesis of historians' interpretations, requiring candidates to debate individual versus collective responsibility for the failure of the Fourth Crusade. In Paper 2, the source utility tasks (investigating the investiture conflict and the role of the Chancellor) rely on deep contextual integration, penalizing superficial reading. Paper 3 (Option 30) tested candidates on complex administrative and political themes, including Henry VII's power projection and the long-term financial security of the late medieval monarchy.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations (Option 1A):

60 marks135 min

Paper 2: Depth study (Option 2A):

40 marks90 min

Paper 3: Themes in breadth with aspects in depth (Option 30):

60 marks135 min

Top chapters

The crusades, c1095–120460 marks
Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–150960 marks
England and the Angevin Empire in the reign of Henry II, 1154–8940 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

The crusades, c1095–120460 marks
Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henr60 marks
England and the Angevin Empire40 marks
Anglo-Saxon England and the Ang40 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

69% within easy or medium reach

30
80
50
Easy: 30 marksMedium: 80 marksHard: 50 marks

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

160Marks
  • Thematic Depth Essay

    (AO1)

    100·5·63%

  • Source Evaluation Essay

    (AO2)

    40·2·25%

  • Interpretation Essay

    (AO3)

    20·1·13%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Lancastrians, York…The Crusades (Inte…England and the An…Anglo-Saxon and An…

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

420223.8202342024

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

Paper 1 Section A (

0.50 m/min
10
20

Total marks

10

Total time

20 min

Avg pace

0.50

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

04080120160A* estimatedA estimatedB estimatedC estimatedD estimatedE estimatedU estimated20406080100120140160

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Crusader States and Military Orders

85%

85%

Early Reign of Henry IV and Rebellion

80%

80%

Examiner Verdict & Difficulty Analysis

The Summer 2024 series represents a robust and conceptually challenging set of GCE History papers, earning a difficulty rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This rating reflects the highly nuanced nature of the source materials and the interpretive extracts provided. In Paper 1 (Option 1A: The Crusades), Section C demands a highly sophisticated synthesis of historians' interpretations, requiring candidates to debate individual versus collective responsibility for the failure of the Fourth Crusade. In Paper 2, the source utility tasks (investigating the investiture conflict and the role of the Chancellor) rely on deep contextual integration, penalizing superficial reading. Paper 3 (Option 30) tested candidates on complex administrative and political themes, including Henry VII's power projection and the long-term financial security of the late medieval monarchy.

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
2h 15min
Total marks
60
Weighting
37.5%
Question types
AO1 Thematic Depth Essay, AO3 Historiographical Interpretation Essay

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

HISTORY-9HI0/11 — Pearson Edexcel A Level History (2024) | Revui