AQAAS Level159 resources

AQA AS History Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA AS History (7041) past papers and mark schemes. Component 1 breadth study + Component 2 depth study across 20+ topic options. 159 resources.

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159 of 159 resources — page 1 of 7

June 2023

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007 – June 2023

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918-1945 – June 2023

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953 – June 2023

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855-1964 – June 2023

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June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2R The Cold War, c1945-1991 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2Q The American Dream: reality and illusion, 1945-1980 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2P The Transformation of China, 1936-1997 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918-1945 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906-1957 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2L Italy and Fascism, c1900-1945 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845-1877 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2G The Birth of the USA, 1760-1801 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2E The English Revolution, 1625-1660 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450-1499 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154-1216 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1L The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871-1991 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1K The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1J The British Empire, c1857-1967 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855-1964 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1G Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851-1964 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1F Industrialisation and the people: Britain, c1783-1885 – June 2022

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603-1702 – June 2022

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November 2020

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AS History – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS) : Component 2R The Cold War, c1945-1991 – November 2020

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Breadth and Depth: Two Complementary Historical Perspectives Across 20+ Topics

AQA AS History (specification 7041) pairs a breadth study spanning approximately a century with a shorter depth study that examines a pivotal period in forensic detail. With 159 resources covering over 20 different topic combinations, this is one of the largest AS-level past paper collections available. Component 1: Breadth Study (1 hour 30 minutes, 50 marks, 50%) offers nine topic options spanning British, European, American, and global history. Topics include The Age of the Crusades (c1071–1204), The Tudors (1485–1603), Stuart Britain (1603–1702), Industrialisation and the People (c1783–1885), Challenge and Transformation in Britain (c1851–1964), Tsarist and Communist Russia (1855–1964), The British Empire (c1857–1967), The Making of a Superpower: USA (1865–1975), and Germany's Quest for Political Stability (1871–1991). Questions require students to identify and explain change, continuity, causation, and consequence across the full chronological range. Component 2: Depth Study (1 hour 30 minutes, 50 marks, 50%) offers a parallel set of options examining a shorter period of approximately 25–50 years. Topics include Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings (1154–1216), The Wars of the Roses (1450–1499), The English Revolution (1625–1660), The Birth of the USA (1760–1801), America: A Nation Divided (c1845–1877), Italy and Fascism (c1900–1945), Wars and Welfare in Britain (1906–1957), Revolution and Dictatorship in Russia (1917–1953), Democracy and Nazism in Germany (1918–1945), The Transformation of China (1936–1997), The American Dream (1945–1980), The Cold War (c1945–1991), and The Making of Modern Britain (1951–2007). Questions test ability to use primary source material, evaluate significance, and construct sustained analytical arguments. Students take one Component 1 topic and one Component 2 topic from different historical periods, ensuring breadth of historical knowledge alongside depth of critical engagement.

Exam Paper Structure

Component 1No calculator

Breadth Study (choice of 9 topics)

1 hour 30 minutes🎯 50 marks📊 50% of grade
Change and continuity across approximately one centuryCausation and consequence in long-term historical developmentsExtract analysis and extended essay
Component 2No calculator

Depth Study (choice of 13 topics)

1 hour 30 minutes🎯 50 marks📊 50% of grade
Primary source analysis and evaluationSignificance and turning points in shorter historical periodsSustained analytical essay with specific evidence

Key Information

Exam BoardAQA
Specification Code7041
QualificationAS Level
Grading ScaleA–E
Assessment Type2 written papers
Component 1Breadth Study (1 hr 30 min, 50 marks, 50%)
Component 2Depth Study (1 hr 30 min, 50 marks, 50%)
Topic Options9 breadth + 13 depth options
Source AnalysisPrimary source evaluation in Component 2
Chronological RangeMedieval (c1071) to modern (2007)
Exam SessionsJune only
Total Resources159

Key Topics in History

Topics you need to know

British political and social history (medieval to modern)European history (Russia, Germany, Italy)American history (revolution to Cold War)Empire, decolonisation, and global historySource analysis and evaluation of historical evidenceChange, continuity, causation, and consequenceHistorical significance and turning pointsAnalytical essay writing with specific evidence

Exam Command Words

Command wordWhat the examiner expects
With reference to the extract and your understandingUse the source material and your own historical knowledge together — do not rely on one alone
How far do you agreeEvaluate the statement by arguing both for and against it, reaching a substantiated judgement
Assess the significance ofJudge the importance of a factor, event, or individual — compare with other factors and provide a reasoned conclusion
To what extentEvaluate the degree to which a statement is valid, considering both supporting and challenging evidence
Explain whyIdentify and analyse the reasons for a historical development, providing causal explanations
How successful wasEvaluate outcomes against stated or implied objectives, using specific evidence

Typical Grade Boundaries

GradeApproximate mark needed
A65–75%
B54–64%
C43–53%
D32–42%
E22–31%

⚠️ AS History uses 100 raw marks (50 per component). Boundaries vary between topic options — AQA adjusts thresholds to ensure comparable standards across different topics.

Analytical Essay Structure, Source Evaluation, and Sustaining Argument Across a Century

The breadth study tests your ability to sustain an argument across a long chronological period without degenerating into narrative. The temptation is to tell the story — this happened, then this happened, then this. Resist it. Each paragraph should open with an analytical point (a claim about causation, significance, or the extent of change), support it with specific evidence from within the period, and connect it back to the question. A breadth study paragraph on the causes of the English Civil War should not narrate events from 1625 to 1642 in order; it should make an argument about, say, the relative importance of religious versus constitutional grievances, drawing on specific examples from across the period. For source evaluation in Component 2, avoid the stock phrases that examiners see thousands of times: 'this source is biased because...', 'this source is limited because it only shows one perspective'. Instead, evaluate sources by considering their provenance in relation to the specific question. A speech by Stalin to the Supreme Soviet in 1936 is not simply 'biased'; its significance lies in what it reveals about how the regime chose to present collectivisation to the political elite at a specific moment, which may differ from what private correspondence from the same period suggests. Specific historical knowledge wins marks. Don't write 'the economy grew rapidly during this period' when you can write 'industrial output increased by 250% between 1928 and 1937, though official Soviet statistics likely overstated genuine productivity gains'. Dates, statistics, names of individuals, specific legislation, treaty terms, and election results all constitute the evidence that transforms general claims into persuasive historical argument. Time management across 90 minutes with 50 marks means roughly 1.5–2 minutes per mark. The Component 1 paper typically includes a shorter extract question (approximately 25 minutes) and a longer essay question (approximately 45 minutes). Plan the essay before writing — five minutes of planning consistently produces a more coherent argument than five extra minutes of unplanned writing.

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