CCEA GCSE · Analysis & Prediction

2024 CCEA GCSE History 4010 Past Paper: Analysis & Answers

The 2024 CCEA GCSE History examination covers Unit 1 (80 marks, 1h 45m) and Unit 2 (60 marks, 1h 15m), combining structured short-answer recall, source evaluation (utility, reliability, and convincingly assessed interpretations), and high-tariff extended analytical essays.

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 3.4/5

Total marks

140

Duration

180 mins

Most tested

Post-Cold War Tensions & International Relations (1991–2003) & In-Depth Studies

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

New tensions emerge, 1991–2003 · 34 marksFlashpoints outside Europe and the impact on international relations · 26 marksChanging Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1965–98 · 40 marksLife in Nazi Germany, 1933–45 · 40 marks

CCEA GCSE History 2024 Examination Overview

The 2024 CCEA GCSE History series tests a rigorous blend of factual recall, second-order historical concepts, and sophisticated source and interpretation analysis across two written papers: Unit 1: Modern World Studies in Depth and Local Study (80 marks sat by candidates) and Unit 2: Outline Study - International Relations, 1945–2003 (60 marks sat by candidates).

Where the Marks Are Won

High-tariff questions represent over 55% of the total available marks. In Unit 1, the 16-mark judgment essays in Section A and the twin 9-mark explanations in Section B demand precise chronological range, structured thematic balance, and sustained focus on key historical concepts such as causation and consequence. In Unit 2, the 16-mark interpretation synthesis (Question 4) and the 22-mark structured essay (Question 6) decide the top grades. Candidates who seamlessly weave specific contextual evidence (dates, legislation, statistical facts) into structured arguments score at Level 4.

Key Pitfalls & Source Evaluation Traps

Generic Source Critique: In Unit 1 (Questions 3, 4, 9, 10) and Unit 2 (Questions 1–3), weak candidates often dismiss sources as simply 'biased' without evaluating specific authorship, date, and historical context.
Neglecting Counter-Arguments: In the 16-mark essay questions (e.g., Nazi youth policies or Prohibition), failing to evaluate the alternative viewpoint caps responses at Level 2.
Unequal Focus on Guidelines: In the Unit 2 22-mark essay, failing to give balanced coverage to all three provided bullet points prevents progression to Level 4.

Strategic Revision Advice

Mastering core definitions and terminology provides an easy 15–20% mark base at the start of each section. Prioritise practicing 16-mark interpretation syntheses using provenance analysis and structured comparative language. When answering 22-mark essays, allocate around 25 minutes and dedicate structured, substantive paragraphs to each guideline bullet point before drawing a nuanced overall conclusion.

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Charts

Marks by chapter

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Question type mix

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Matching & Short Recall9 marks · 6 questions
Short Description / Comprehension14 marks · 4 questions
Source Utility & Reliability Evaluation23 marks · 4 questions
Medium Structured Explanation (6 to 9 marks)32 marks · 4 questions
Extended Essays & Synthesis (16 to 22 marks)54 marks · 3 questions
SPaG / QWC Embedded Criteria8 marks · 8 questions

Mark accessibility

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66%within easy or medium reach

easy: 34 marksmedium: 58 markshard: 48 marks

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

Command word frequency

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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.

Unit 2: 1991–2003 Iraq & War on Terror Interpretations (Q1–Q4)

34 marks · Difficulty 3.5 · recurrence 100%

Unit 1: Section B Structured Explanations & Source Analysis

40 marks · Difficulty 3.3 · recurrence 100%

Unit 1: Section A In-Depth Extended Essay & Explanation

40 marks · Difficulty 3.2 · recurrence 100%

Unit 2: Cold War Flashpoints Essay (Korea, Vietnam, Berlin, Hungary)

22 marks · Difficulty 3.6 · recurrence 90%

Time vs marks

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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, INF, Fall of the Wall)88%

Unit 2 Section B focused on Asia (Korea/Vietnam) and Early Cold War (1945–56) in 2024, making late Cold War collapse and Soviet disintegration prime targets for the next exam cycle.

Life in the United States: Women, Black Americans & Immigration Quotas in the 1920s82%

The 2024 USA option centered on the Economic Boom, Native Americans, and Prohibition; social changes for women and racial tensions (KKK, Jim Crow) are highly likely in subsequent series.

Sunningdale Agreement and Ulster Workers' Council Strike (1973–74)78%

Core NI peace initiatives alternate frequently in Section B 9-mark explanations and source utility questions.

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

Topic-year heatmap

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Jun 2022

Jun 2023

Jun 2024

Life in Nazi Germany, 1933–45

Life in the United States of America, 1920–33

Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1920–49

Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1965–98

Flashpoints in Europe and the impact on international relations

Flashpoints outside Europe and the impact on international relations

New tensions emerge, 1991–2003

Unit 1 Section A: Modern World Studies in Depth (Nazi Germany / USA)

Unit 1 Section B: Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours

Unit 2 Section A: Flashpoints in Europe, 1956–68

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Describing source contents rather than evaluating provenance, purpose, and historical reliability.
Treating the 16-mark essay as a one-sided descriptive narrative without evaluating the counter-proposition to reach a balanced Level 4 conclusion.
Omitting one of the three compulsory bullet point guidelines in the Unit 2 22-mark outline essay.

Misconceptions

Believing that utility and reliability are identical: utility values what a source reveals from a specific perspective, whereas reliability scrutinises potential bias, purpose, and factual accuracy.
Assuming that a primary source is automatically more reliable than a secondary historical interpretation.

Where marks are lost

Failing to integrate own contextual knowledge alongside explicit source quotes in Unit 2 Questions 3 and 4.
Superficial 2-mark and 4-mark short answers lacking specific factual historical evidence to qualify points.
Poor time management leading to truncated answers on the final 22-mark and 18-mark essay questions.

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%