History is a fascinating subject that brings the past to life. But if you’re picking your A Level options, you might be wondering ‘is History A Level hard?’
Well, yes. At least, it’s relatively hard to reach the top grades. But it can definitely be a challenge worth taking. Here’s the lowdown.
Psst! Finding a History A Level tutor is a great way to make sure you can keep up with your class and reach your full potential in the exams.
Is A Level History hard?
Yes, History A Level is an academically challenging subject.
Not only is there a lot of content to memorise, but you’ll also need to hone your essay-writing skills and understand how to craft complex arguments.
However, don’t forget that A Levels are supposed to be tricky and no subject will be easy.
After all, ‘A Level’ stands for ‘Advanced Level’!
So, don’t let the difficulty aspect put you off. Instead, if studying the past excites you, take the challenge by the gauntlet – with hard work, perseverance and the right support, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed in this subject.
How hard is History A Level?
It’s impossible to say for sure exactly how hard you’d find History A Level.
This is because every learner is different. So, it will all come down to your interests, skills, learning style and work ethic.
That said, there are a few aspects that learners tend to find particularly difficult when it comes to History A Level. Here are the main ones.
Quantity of content
One of the most challenging aspects of this A Level course is the quantity of content.
You’ll need to memorise details like facts and dates across a range of historical periods, events and themes.
Depth of content
It won’t be enough to just memorise the content – you’ll also need to understand it deeply.
This includes becoming familiar with the perspectives of various historians and showing an understanding of this subject’s interdisciplinary nature – for instance, recognising the political, cultural, social and economic aspects of the events you study.
Critical thinking
A Level History also requires strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
You’ll face various historical sources and interpretations, and will need to assess their reliability and historical significance – as well as identifying bias.
In this way, you won’t be given all the answers. Instead, you’ll need to be able to look at the information in front of you and use it to craft your own arguments.
Essay writing skills
Let’s say you’ve memorised the content, understand it deeply and are confident analysing the material in front of you.
Well, you’ll still need to be able to present your arguments clearly in writing – backing them up with evidence and showing that you understand the different perspectives at play.
Every question in your A Level History exams will rely on essay writing to some extent. So, this is a skill that’s essential to master.
Independent study
A Level History requires a decent amount of independent study and research.
Most exam boards will require you to complete coursework where you do your own independent research on a historical topic. This will include finding relevant historians to comment on and getting your head around referencing sources.
Time management
Last but not least, History A Level will put your time management skills to the test.
This applies to both coursework and exams, which are completed under timed conditions.
In particular, many students find it challenging to split their time between coursework, exam prep and independent study – these are all aspects that are important to help you thrive in this subject.
What History A Level topics will you study?
Exactly what you’ll cover will vary depending on your exam board and sixth form or college.
However, you’ll generally cover topics across modern history, British history, European and world history, and themes such as religion, science and trade.
To give you some idea, here are the 10 most popular History A Level topics chosen by schools that use the exam board OCR (according to Cambridge Assessment):
- Civil Rights in the USA 1865–1992
- Russia and its Rulers 1855–1964
- Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919–1963
- England 1485–1558: The Early Tudors
- Britain 1930–1997
- Russia 1894–1941
- The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon 1774–1815
- England 1547–1603: The Later Tudors
- The Early Stuarts and the Origins of the Civil War 1603–1660
- England 1445–1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII
How hard is it to get an A at A level History?
A Level History typically has a higher-than-average pass rate. In 2024, 98.8% of students got a grade E or above (according to FFT Education Datalab).
However, it’s a little more difficult to reach the top grades.
In 2024, 24.4% of History A Level students got a grade A or above – compared to an average of 27.8% across all subjects.
Meanwhile, just 5.7% received an A*, while the average across all subjects is 9.3%.
Here’s how the grades have been distributed in recent years.
| 2019 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| E or above | 98.9% | 98.6% | 98.8% |
| C or above | 81% | 80.8% | 81.5% |
| A or above | 22.6% | 24.7% | 24.4% |
| A* | 4.9% | 5.7% | 5.7% |
Wondering how this compares to other A Level options?
Take a look at our guide to A Level pass rates by subject. Or, head over to our guides on how difficult other popular A Levels are:
- Politics A Level
- Economics A Level
- English Literature A Level
- English Language A Level
- Psychology A Level
- Maths A Level
- Further Maths A Level
- Chemistry A Level
- Physics A Level
- Biology A Level
Is history a good A Level?
Yes! History may be challenging, but it’s certainly a good A Level to have.
Here are some of the main benefits.
Develop valuable skills
Studying history will help you to develop valuable skills like critical thinking, analytical skills, and communication skills.
These skills can be massively helpful in your further studies and career.
Gateway to higher education
History is seen as a facilitating subject, which means it’s highly regarded by universities.
Even if you’re looking to study an unrelated subject at university, an A Level in history could help you stand out and add another dimension to your CV.
Career opportunities
History can be a useful stepping stone when it comes to career opportunities.
It’s not just useful for those who want to become historians. Rather, it can help you to access careers in law, journalism, education and policy making to name a few.
Complement other subjects
History perfectly complements other A Level choices such as English literature, politics, geography and economics.
However, it can also add another string to your bow if you want to study more science-based subjects. After all, pairing these with a subject that relies on strong essay-writing and communication skills will show that you’re a well-rounded individual with diverse talents.
Enjoy your studies!
Last but not least, don’t forget to think about what you enjoy!
If you love learning about the past and analysing information to craft your own arguments, History A Level is likely to be right up your street.
How to revise History A Level
Although History A Level can be a challenge, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed in this subject with hard work and the right approach to revision.
Here are our top seven tips for revising ahead of your History A Level exams.
1. Know what to expect
First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your History A Level exams.
This way, you can make sure to cover every element in your preparation.
Plus, you can lower your exam stress knowing that there won’t be any unexpected surprises on the big day.
Each exam board will work a bit differently. However, regardless of which exam board you’re with, you’ll usually have to complete a piece of coursework.
Plus, there’ll typically be three exams at the end of the course – although students with the exam board AQA will only sit two.
2. Start revision early
It can be tempting to leave your History A Level revision until just a few months – or even weeks – before the exams.
But you’ll get the best results if you start early.
After all, there’s a lot to learn. And this way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.
Taking 10 minutes to review what you’ve learned after each lesson can also help to keep everything at the front of your mind and save you a lot of formal revision time!
3. Use tricks to help facts stick
You’ll need to memorise a lot of information ahead of your A Level History exams.
We’re talking facts, dates, events and even historical interpretations.
Make sure to try several different revision techniques and resources to find what helps you to retain all that content the best.
For instance, you could try mind maps, flashcards or even recording yourself reading your revision notes and listening to it back.
Take a look at our guide to different learning styles to help understand which methods might suit you best.
4. Get the help of a tutor
Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the History A Level exams, nothing beats one-to-one attention.
A History A Level tutor is an experienced professional who’ll know how to help you fulfill your potential. In fact, many are trained teachers and examiners too!
Your tutor will create tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style.
In this way, they’ll help to prepare you fully for the exams and will be able to guide you to the best marks possible. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
5. Make the most of History A Level past papers
Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your A Level History exams.
Not only will they familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing.
But when you answer them under timed conditions, they’re also an opportunity to practise managing your time and dealing with exam pressure – which can boost your confidence and reduce exam fear when the big day rolls around.
Just bear in mind that marking your own answers to essay questions can be a challenge.
That’s why we’d always recommend getting a teacher or tutor to mark your practice papers for you. This will give you a real understanding of the areas you need to work on most before the real thing.
6. Decide how you’ll use your time
Lots of A Level History students find time management difficult.
Make sure to make a plan for how you’ll use your study time throughout the course, so that you give a fair weighting to coursework, exam preparation and independent study.
Plus, remember to keep your eye on the clock in the exam room, as time can be tight.
As a general rule, you’ll want to spend the most time on the essay questions that are worth the most, and vice versa.
This will give you the best chance of unlocking all available marks and getting the highest grade possible.
7. Don’t panic!
Last but not least, don’t panic.
Work through the exam paper calmly and methodically, and read each question twice to be absolutely certain you’ve understood it properly. The last thing you need is to make any silly mistakes.
With hard work and the right support, we believe you can achieve anything!
Find a History A Level tutor to bring the subject to life
To give yourself the best chance of passing your History A Level with flying colours, why not find an A Level tutor to support you every step of the way?
A History A Level tutor will give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, to help you hone your skills and practise applying your knowledge in an exam situation.
From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, and help you reach your full potential.
FAQs
Is History one of the hardest A Levels?
Yes, history is often seen as one of the hardest A Levels. Much of this comes down to the sheer amount of content you’ll need to memorise – as well as the need for excellent critical thinking and essay writing skills.
However, remember that every learner is different. So, just because it’s one of the hardest A Levels for some students, that doesn’t mean it would be for you too.
Is A level History harder than GCSE?
Yes, A Level History is significantly harder than GCSE. But don’t forget, it’s meant to be!
A Level stands for ‘Advanced Level.’ So, these courses are designed to stretch you and give you a much deeper understanding of a subject.
Is history good for A Levels?
Yes, history is a great A Level option. It will help you develop valuable skills like critical thinking, communication and time management. Plus, it can lead to many interesting career paths, ranging from journalism to politics and policy making.
