CCEA GCSE · Analysis & Prediction

2022 CCEA GCSE History 4010 Past Paper: Analysis & Answers

The 2022 CCEA GCSE History examination series (Unit 1 GHR11 and Unit 2 GHR21) presented a balanced assessment across modern depth studies, local Irish history, and international relations. Unit 1 offered standard, accessible matching and recall stems alongside rigorous 16-mark evaluative essays requiring balanced, substantiated arguments. Unit 2 tested core Cold War source skills (utility, reliability, comparing interpretations, and synthesising views) centered on the Berlin crises, paired with a 22-mark structured essay in Section B.

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 3.2/5

Total marks

140

Duration

180 mins

Most tested

Cold War European Flashpoints & Division of Germany (1945–1968)

Paper breakdown

Unit 1: Modern World Studies in Depth and Local Study (GHR11): 80 marks · 105 minsUnit 2: Outline Study - International Relations, 1945–2003 (GHR21): 60 marks · 75 mins

Top chapters

Flashpoints in Europe and the impact on international relations · 34 marksLife in Nazi Germany, 1933–45 · 40 marksChanging Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1965–98 · 40 marksFlashpoints outside Europe and the impact on international relations · 22 marks

Overall Exam Performance and Difficulty Verdict

The 2022 CCEA GCSE History series comprised Unit 1 (GHR11: Modern World Studies in Depth and Local Study) and Unit 2 (GHR21: Outline Study), carrying a total of 140 sat marks over 3 hours. Overall, the examination maintained a moderate difficulty rating (3.2 / 5.0). The papers were structured with predictable scaffolding: rapid low-tariff entry questions (matching exercises and single-mark identifications) progressed into source evaluation (utility, reliability, and interpretation synthesis) and extended evaluative essays (16 and 22 marks).

Where the Marks Were Won and Lost

High-scoring candidates excelled by showing strong disciplinary literacy—specifically distinguishing between source utility (strengths, contemporary value, and limitations) and source reliability (author motive, date, nature, and inherent bias). In Unit 2 Section A, candidates who integrated direct source cross-referencing with crisp contextual knowledge scored heavily in Level 4 for the 16-mark interpretation question.

Conversely, marks were lost on extended writing when candidates produced one-sided narratives rather than evaluating competing factors. In Unit 1 Section A 16-mark essays (such as the impact of Nazi economic policies or reasons for the 1920s US economic boom), answers remaining in Level 2 or low Level 3 frequently described the prompt factor without evaluating counter-arguments or reaching a substantiated final judgement.

Key Pitfalls and Examiner Nuances

Conflating Utility and Reliability: Evaluating a source's reliability purely on the basis of whether it is 'useful' or ignoring the provenance (author status, intended audience, and historical motive).
Neglecting Essay Guidelines: In the 22-mark Unit 2 essays, failing to address all three bulleted prompts capped scripts below Level 3.
Superficial Explanation in Section B (Unit 1): In the 9-mark explanation questions, writing descriptive chronological narratives rather than identifying and explaining historical consequences or significance.

Preparation and Revision Strategy

To maximise marks in future series, students should focus on structured essay planning that embeds explicit counter-arguments before drafting. For source work, practice the CCEA-specific source routines: extract content, evaluate provenance (origin, purpose, audience), cross-reference with contextual knowledge, and deliver a nuanced assessment of credibility and weight.

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Charts

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

Short Answer & Recall13 marks · 6 questions
Source Analysis & Evaluation23 marks · 5 questions
Structured Explanation26 marks · 3 questions
Extended Evaluative Essay78 marks · 3 questions

Mark accessibility

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66%within easy or medium reach

easy: 28 marksmedium: 64 markshard: 48 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

Cold War Flashpoints (Berlin, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Cuba, Vietnam)

56 marks · Difficulty 3.3 · recurrence 95%

Northern Ireland Local Study (1920–49 or 1965–98)

40 marks · Difficulty 3.1 · recurrence 100%

Nazi Germany / US Boom & Bust Depth Studies

40 marks · Difficulty 3 · recurrence 100%

Post-Cold War Tensions & Iraq Invasion 2003

4 marks · Difficulty 2.2 · recurrence 70%

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

marksmins

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

The end of the Cold War, 1985–91 (Gorbachev, Reagan, Fall of Berlin Wall)88%

This topic was untouched in the 2022 Unit 2 high-tariff questions, making it a prime candidate for future Section B essays or interpretation units.

Youth and Education in Nazi Germany / Religion & Terror82%

2022 focused on women and workers/unemployment. Hitler Youth, education, and church persecution are classic rotational topics in Section A Option 1.

Sunningdale Agreement, 1973–74 and Ulster Workers' Council Strike79%

Tested only as a short 2-mark part in 2022; prime for higher-mark explanation (9 marks) in upcoming local study papers.

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Treating source utility and reliability as identical exercises rather than addressing distinct criteria (utility = value/content/context; reliability = trustworthiness/motive/bias).
Writing purely one-sided descriptive accounts on 16-mark 'Do you agree?' essays without evaluating alternative factors or qualifying the degree of agreement.
Failing to systematically cover all bullet-pointed guidelines in the 22-mark Unit 2 essay, which restricts the candidate from achieving Level 4.

Misconceptions

Believing that a biased or subjective source has zero utility for an historian, rather than explaining how subjective viewpoints reveal official attitudes and contemporary propaganda.
Assuming that unemployment under the Nazi regime was reduced purely through genuine economic revival, ignoring invisible unemployment, conscription, and the removal of women/Jews from official statistics.

Where marks are lost

Losing marks on 2-mark and 3-mark recall/description questions by giving only a single point without illustrative factual development.
Failing to provide clear cross-referencing between Source B, C, and D in Question 4 of Unit 2 Section A.
Weak synthesis and lack of sustained substantiated judgements at the conclusion of extended responses.

Estimated grade cut-off

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Source: CCEA

Level	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Official grade boundaries published by CCEA.

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Level	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Level	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Level	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%