Reminder of GCSE History Paper 2 assessment arrangements for Summer 2025
This update is to remind teachers and exams officers of the exam arrangements for Edexcel GCSE History Paper 2 in Summer 2025, to ensure there is a clear understanding of how the paper will be assessed on the day of the exam.
Paper 2 assessment arrangements
The Paper 2 Period Study and British Depth Study will be assessed on the same day in the same sitting. See the exam timetable below:
The Paper 2 Period Study and British Depth study will be assessed in two separate booklets and students will only receive questions on the specific topics they have been entered for. It is therefore important that centres ensure they have the correct combination of Paper 2 topics before the exam starts.
The total exam time for Paper 2 in Summer 2025 will now be 1 hr 50 minutes. Centres must give students both booklets at the start of the examination and students have a total of 1 hr 50 minutes to answer both booklets. It is up to students which they answer first and how much time they allocate to each paper, however they will be advised to split their time evenly across both topics (55 minutes per topic).
In addition to the separate question paper booklets for the Paper 2 Period Study and British Depth study, centres will also receive a cover sheet which will explain how the papers are to be assessed on the day.
Examples of the Paper 2 cover sheets for all topic combinations can be found in the set of mock papers which were created by adapting the Summer 2024 papers to reflect the assessment model in place from 2025 (cover sheets have the new time of 1 hr 50 minutes):
Assessment changes from Summer 2025
For GCSE History exams in Summer 2025 and beyond, we have made some minor amendments to the assessment model to improve the ramping on opening questions and to add a bit more time in exams for reading and planning responses.
Additional time in exams
The extra time in Paper 2 is intended to provide a better time split of 55 minutes per paper.
Paper | Exam time up to 2024 | New exam time from 2025 | Time added |
Paper 1 | 1 hr 15 minutes | 1 hr 20 minutes | + 5 minutes |
Paper 2 | 1 hr 45 minutes | 1 hr 50 minutes | + 5 minutes |
Paper 3 | 1 hr 20 minutes | 1 hr 30 minutes | + 10 minutes |
Changes to opening questions
The changes to assessment will help ensure opening questions on exam papers are as accessible as possible to a wide range of students; give students more opportunity to show their knowledge; and improve the overall balance of content assessed on each paper.
Paper | Exams up to 2024 | Exams from 2025 |
Paper 1 | Q1 two features of... (4 marks) | Q1a one feature of... (2 marks) Q1b one feature of... (2 marks) |
Paper 2B | Q1 two features of... (4 marks) | Q1a one feature of... (2 marks) Q1b one feature of... (2 marks) |
Paper 2P | Q1 two consequences of... (8 marks) | Q1a one consequence of... (4 marks) Q1b one consequence of... (4 marks) |
Paper 3 | Q2 explain why... (12 marks) | Q2a or Q2b explain why... (12 marks) |
Paper 2B simplified question numbering
The change to the question structure of Paper 2B (British depth study) provided an opportunity to apply more consistent question numbering on this paper.
Paper 2B exams up to 2024 | Paper 2B exams from 2025 |
Q1a - describe two key features (4 marks) | Q1a and Q1b - describe one key feature (2 x 2 marks) |
Q1b - explain why (12 marks) | Q2 - explain why (12 marks) |
Q1ci/cii - judgment essay (16 marks) | Q3/4 - judgment essay (16 marks) |
Updated sample assessment materials to reflect 2025 changes
Specification language changes
We are also updating some of the language used in our specification to replace terms which are now considered outdated. The most significant changes concern the terms ‘slaves’ and ‘Plains Indians’, which appear in Period study options P1, P2 and P3.
The term Indigenous peoples will be glossed in live exam series from 2025:
Example from P3 The American West, c1835-c1895
Q2: Write a narrative account analysing the destruction of the traditional ways of Indigenous peoples of the Plains (Plains Indians) in the years 1876-c1895.
You may use the following in your answer:
- Battle of Little Big Horn (1876)
- Dawes Act (1887)
You must also use information of your own.
In any exam series, students are credited for any relevant and appropriate terms that they use.
Find out more about the assessment and language changes for Summer 2025 and beyond
Writing answers in the correct space in GCSE History exams
It is important to write answers in the correct space and continue on a separate piece of paper if extra space is needed. This is to ensure that the full answer is seen by the examiner before a mark is awarded. The extra sheets of paper should not be attached so tightly that the answer booklet cannot be opened without ripping the papers.
Students should be made aware of these instructions by their subject teacher but also reminded of them by invigilators at the start of the examination and if they ask for extra paper during the examination.
Answers should be written in the correct answer space for each question.
If candidates need additional space for an answer, they should use a fresh sheet of paper, instead of continuing an answer elsewhere in the exam paper.
Candidates should also state in the answer space, that the answer has been continued on an additional sheet of paper.
Every additional sheet used should include the following details:
- Centre number
- Candidate number
- Candidate name
- Qualification and Paper code
- Question number
The Paper 2 British Depth Study and Period Study should be treated as discrete units as they will be marked by different examiners. If additional paper is taken for either of these papers, please ensure it is attached to the correct booklet. If additional paper is taken for the British Depth Study and Period Study, separate pieces of paper should be used for each unit, and they should be attached to the correct answer booklet. Please do not merge answers for the British Depth and Period Study on the same additional piece of paper.
If candidates are using a word processor for Paper 2, please remind them to record their answers for the British Depth Study and Period Study on two separate word documents, clearly detailing centre/candidate/ paper details.
Subject advisor
Mark Battye
History
