Examiner’s Specific Advice

This synoptic question is testing your ability to deal with history in breadth as well as depth. The key words are ‘throughout the period 1951 to 2007’, ‘missed opportunities’, and ‘continuous failure’. It is important to cover the topic as a whole, with selected specific evidence, but it is not enough just to describe events – that might take much too long and in any case will earn relatively few marks. You need to provide a balanced argument which is a direct response to the question – perhaps strongly agreeing with the key quotation, perhaps refuting it conclusively, or perhaps offering a differentiated argument along the lines of ‘up to a point but’. Make sure your answer is complete and controlled, reaching a focused conclusion.

Exemplar Question

‘Throughout the years from 1951 to 2007, under both Conservative and Labour governments, Britain’s policies towards European integration were a record of missed opportunities and continuous failure.’

Assess the validity of this view. [45 marks]

Plan

• Introduction – make clear what the issues to be debated are and how the overall argument of your answer will respond to the demands of the question.
• Organised paragraphs to support your argument with precisely selected evidence, arranged either chronologically or thematically, carefully linked to the question.
• Conclusion that is the logical outcome of what has gone before, not tacked on at the end as an afterthought. It is important to make up your mind about the conclusion before starting out on the essay!

View Exemplar Answer 1

View Exemplar Answer 2