Starting an OCR History A-Level coursework journey is like a smart adventure where you plan carefully, think critically, and write skillfully. In 2023, a whopping 48,378 students chose History as their A-level subject in OCR, as per its official website. This coursework serves as a stage for students to showcase their understanding and analytical abilities as they delve into historical domains.
However, achieving A+ grades in these coursework and exams is not everyone’s cup of tea, as only 26.5% of students in England got A grades in them. That’s why most of the students turn to professional coursework writers for help. These experts provide excellent support, refining and polishing students’ writing to ensure academic success.
Here, we will reveal in-depth details of A grade-worthy OCR history A-level coursework writing. We will let you know how you can achieve excellence by following our expert guide. But before going to those tips and strategies, let’s explore the topic itself first.
Table of Contents
What is OCR History A-Level coursework?
OCR history coursework A-level is part of a qualification provided by OCR, a major examination board in the UK. In simple terms, it means that students studying history at the A-Level (advanced level) are required to do a piece of coursework. This involves researching and analysing historical topics chosen by the students, all while being guided by their teachers.
The goal is to assess the student’s ability to do historical research, critically look at sources and put together well-supported historical arguments. The specific coursework requirements may vary, but it’s generally a way for students to show what they’ve learned in their history studies.
OCR History A-Level Coursework Mark Scheme
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a top UK organisation that offers various qualifications for people of different ages and abilities. They create new specifications to meet national standards and the needs of students and teachers. As a non-profit, any extra funds they generate are put back into the organisation to improve qualifications and support, keeping up with today’s changing society.
This mark scheme helps teachers and students by outlining exam requirements and showing how examiners awarded marks. It doesn’t detail the examiner’s discussions before marking. Examiners are told to give fair marks for correct answers and unexpected approaches that demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills.
Make sure to read mark schemes alongside the published question papers and the examination report for a complete understanding.
OCR History A-Level Coursework Topics for 2024
Explore these A-Level History topics to understand what you’re learning and how your course is structured for assessments.
- Overview of Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany (Y221)
- Hitler’s Responsibility for the Holocaust
- Reasons for the Outbreak of the First World War in 1914
- Making of Georgian Britain (1678 — c. 1760)
- The Early Stuarts and the Civil War Origins (1603—1660)
- The Emergence of Islam (c. 550 — 750)
- English Government and the Church (1066—1216)
How to Do OCR A-Level History Coursework?
Wondering how to start writing your OCR history A-Level coursework? Don’t worry; we are here to make this process easy for you. You just have to follow a planned strategy and the proper structure to guarantee success. The following is the step-by-step easy guide that you should follow to write your coursework on OCR history A-level well.
Understanding the OCR A-Level History Curriculum
Before starting writing, you should spend enough time to understand the basic concepts of your essay or exams. For that, you should have a deep comprehension of the course material that you have to study and write about. You have to find out the criteria for checking your coursework, like what they like and don’t. It will help you customise your OCR A-level history coursework accordingly.
Selecting the Appropriate Topic
Topic selection is very important during your OCR history A-level coursework as it directly impacts your grades. You should carefully choose an interesting and relevant topic from the subject of history.
- Take this opportunity to study the history of a different continent, such as South America, Asia, Africa, or Australasia.
- Choose a manageable topic that allows you to control research and fit within the 3000–4000-word limit.
- Avoid topics that require extensive research suitable for a PhD thesis; keep it practical and accessible.
- Don’t feel pressured to use a university library or specialised sources; the focus is on thoughtful exploration.
Do Extensive Research
History is all about researching previously existing data and studying and understanding it. So, to write your OCR history A-level coursework well, you should mainly focus on this step as it will help you explore and find relevant content. The sources that you can use for this purpose are:
- Online Databases and Libraries: Using these sources helps you to dive deeply into your topic. In this digitally developing age, you can find everything on the Internet. So, what are you waiting for? Go to reliable online sites like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, JSTOR, and many other journals.
- Combination of Primary and Secondary Sources: You should use both kinds of sources in your OCR history A-level coursework writing. Primary sources provide direct knowledge from various resources while secondary sources give you a chance to analyse everything critically. You should ideally mix both if these to improve your research and writing process. It will also help you to increase the authenticity and durability of your work.
Take Notes During Research
As you find and read the relevant content, you should make your notes side by side. It will not only help you have a record of everything but also create an awesome A-level OCR history coursework. Along with this, you should also make a reference list with proper citations for after-use. It allows students to do extensive research and also remember everything at their fingertips.
Structuring Your Coursework
To properly organise everything, you should develop a clear framework and then work accordingly. Follow a typical structure given by Swansea University for your essay coursework writing:
- Introduction
- Main Body Sections
- Conclusion
Introduction
This is the beginning where you have to engage the reader with your work as much as you can. Consider it as the trailer of the whole movie so, try to cover everything shortly in it. Here, you should add a clear thesis statement and show what you are going to discuss further.
Body
This is the central and the longest part of your OCR history A-level coursework. In this section, you should divide the whole information into some easy parts and arrange them by creating different paragraphs. Keep in mind that, you should discuss one argument in one paragraph and also relate them all to one another. It will help you to demonstrate the whole story in an interesting way.
Conclusion
In the end, you should summarise everything that you have discussed earlier. Avoid stating in similar words rather you should present the whole story short here. You should not add any new information at this point but yes, you can show your own points of view here.
Developing Analytical Skills
A-grade OCR History A-Level coursework demands a sharp analysis of history in your own way. Yes, you have to discuss the whole history of your topic, but what separates your work from others is your customisation and critical analysis. That’s why, students should mainly focus on developing these skills to understand the hidden circumstances of a given history well. It also shows your grip over the subject and shows how dedicated you are towards your coursework writing!
Using Visual Assistance
To convert your boring writing into an awesome and captivating way, you should add some images, charts, graphs and tables to your coursework. This step will help you improve the clarity of your work and increase its aesthetic appeal. We have students getting help from such things and then scoring A+ grades on their projects. So, try this strategy to convert your dull writing into a colourful pattern.
References and Citations
Just like any other kind of academic writing, OCR history A-level coursework also requires proper citation of the sources used. This is the subject that demands more and more research from literature. So, if you copy-paste as it is from other places, it will lead you towards plagiarism. So, if you want to avoid such a critical situation, note down references of all the information side by side and then make a proper reference list at the end. It increases the credibility of your work and prevents you from failure.
Polishing Your Writing
After the writing process, here comes the revision and editing phase. Experts suggest that students should take some rest and then come again with their fresh minds to edit and proofread their work. To make your OCR history A-level coursework perfect, you should check it again and again to remove all the grammar, typos, and spelling mistakes, as well as make everything clear.
Keep in mind that your tone and style should be completely academic and formal, and avoid using too many difficult words and terms. All these efforts will make sure that your coursework is polished and ready to submit.
Seeking Feedback
You should consult your professors, classmates, or mentors for comments prior to turning in your coursework writing. It gives you a chance to learn from their constructive criticism and use it to pinpoint your areas of weakness. Think about things from several angles, and be willing to make changes to your work in response to criticism.
Most students seek OCR history A-level coursework help from experts during this stage due to their years of experience in this field. They provide instant advice and valuable suggestions to the students and ensure ultimate success.
How many Words is OCR A-Level History Coursework?
For OCR A-Level history coursework, students need to write an essay of 3000–4000 words on a topic they choose. This essay, internally assessed, contributes 20% to the overall A-Level grade.
Is OCR harder than AQA A level?
Deciding if OCR (Oxford, Cambridge, and RSA Examinations) or AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) A level is harder depends on different things, like what you like, how you learn, and the subject you’re studying. Both OCR and AQA are good exam boards, and each has its own way of doing things.
But, if you’re studying pure Psychology, Biology, Sociology, or similar subjects, AQA might feel easier. On the other hand, if you’re into Maths, Physics, Chemistry, or related courses, you might find OCR more to your liking. However, students who face issues in attempting this task mostly acquire coursework writing services online from a credible source. These writing companies offer reliable solutions to your problems and help students to achieve their desired grades.
OCR History A-Level Coursework Example
Let’s take “The Cold War, 1945–1991” as an example of history coursework writing.
This course explores the intense global relations between communist and capitalist powers during the Cold War, a period marked by the threat of nuclear conflict. Divided into two parts:
Part One: To the Brink of Nuclear War, c1945–1963
- Examines the origins of the Cold War, tensions among major powers, and key events like the Berlin Blockade.
- Covers the widening of the Cold War from 1949 to 1955, including the Korean War and McCarthyism in the USA.
- Investigates the global impact of the Cold War from 1955 to 1963, touching on events like the space race and the Berlin Crisis.
Part Two: From Détente to the End of the Cold War, c1963–1991 (A-level only)
- Focuses on the Vietnam War, Nixon’s policies, and cooperation between major powers.
- Explores the Brezhnev era from 1972 to 1985, discussing events in SE Asia, Détente up to 1979, and the Second Cold War.
- Examines the ending of the Cold War from 1985 to 1991, covering Gorbachev’s role, summits between the USA and USSR, and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
Conclusion
Indeed, writing an excellent OCR history A-level coursework demands a lot of research, planning and writing. Students attempting this kind of project need to follow a proper guide from the topic selection to writing and editing. That’s why, we have presented a comprehensive guide for you that will help you to tackle this difficult journey. Always keep in mind that, trying to make your route clear and making efforts during the process is as important as your final goals.