A level History: Exam Structure by Board
Your Teacher Information Pack for A level History: how it is assessed for each board, key dates for summer 2027, and links to specifications, past papers and grade boundaries.
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- Qualification
- A level (linear, two years)
- Years
- Year 12 and Year 13
- Ages
- 16–18
- Boards covered
- AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR
- Entries 2026 (England)
- 43,150 (no. 7 A level by entries)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Entries: Ofqual provisional entries, summer 2026 (rounded to the nearest 5).
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Exam structure by board
Pick your board to see every paper with its length, marks and weighting, plus practicals, booklets and links.
AQA A-level History (7042)
First taught 2015
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1: Breadth study | 2 h 30 min | 80 | 40% |
| Component 2: Depth study | 2 h 30 min | 80 | 40% |
| Component 3: Historical investigation Non-exam assessment | not stated | 40 | 20% |
Pearson Edexcel A level History (9HI0)
First taught 2015 · first exams 2017
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations | 2 h 15 min | 60 | 30% |
| Paper 2: Depth study | 1 h 30 min | 40 | 20% |
| Paper 3: Themes in breadth with aspects in depth | 2 h 15 min | 60 | 30% |
| Coursework: Historical enquiry Non-exam assessment | not stated | – | 20% |
Full Pearson Edexcel pack · specification on the Pearson Edexcel website
OCR A Level History A (H505)
First taught 2015 · first exams 2017
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit group 1: British period study and enquiry | 1 h 30 min | 50 | 25% |
| Unit group 2: Non-British period study | 1 h | 30 | 15% |
| Unit group 3: Thematic study and historical interpretations | 2 h 30 min | 80 | 40% |
| Non-exam assessment: Topic based essay Non-exam assessment | not stated | 40 | 20% |
Not in this pack yet: WJEC Eduqas (we could not check the official specification in time). Check the board's website.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- First exam (GCSE and A level): Mon, 10 May 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- Special consideration deadline: Wed, 30 June 2027
A levels are linear: all exams are sat at the end of the two-year course. Source: JCQ key dates June 2027. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates and results day.
Official documents
- Grade boundaries: AQA
- Grade boundaries: Pearson Edexcel
- Grade boundaries: OCR
- Past papers: AQA
- Past papers: Pearson Edexcel
- Past papers: OCR
More packs
Before this: GCSE History exam structure. Other Level 3 packs: A level Mathematics, A level Psychology, A level Biology, A level Chemistry, A level Economics, A level Business, A level Physics, A level Sociology, A level Art and design, A level English literature, A level Geography, A level Politics, A level Media, film and TV studies, A level Further mathematics, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), Core Maths (Level 3). Find another TIP
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, codes) are taken from each awarding body's own specification and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers, mark schemes or booklets are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How many exam papers are there in A level History?
AQA 7042: 2 exam papers plus non-exam assessment; Pearson Edexcel 9HI0: 3 exam papers plus non-exam assessment; OCR H505: 3 exam papers plus non-exam assessment. Check the specification for options.