News, Exam Tips & Revision Advice from Humanitas Learning
Boost your grades for English & the Humanities with our expert tips & advice. Explore exam strategies, revision techniques and insightful news from our expert tutors.
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How to Master AQA GCSE English: A step-by-step guide to Paper 2 Question 4
In this blog, ex-examiner and AQA Subject Adviser Steve Flook breaks down exactly how to conquer Paper 2, Question 4 of your GCSE English Language exam. Discover insider strategies for source comparison, master essential technical vocabulary, and learn how to secure all 16 marks in just 18 minutes.
Why am I losing marks in GCSE History? Avoid these common mistakes!
Struggling to turn your historical knowledge into top exam grades? You’re likely not losing marks because you don’t know enough history, but because you aren't showing the examiner what you know in the way the question demands. In this blog, written by an expert history tutor, we outline four key reasons for lower marks in GCSE History exams and explain how to fix them so you can secure the high grades you deserve.
How to Master the 12-Marker in Religious Studies (RS) GCSE
Learn how to ace 12-mark questions in GCSE RS with our expert tutor, Chris, a long-standing Head of Religious Studies at an award winning school.
The Role of the Narrator in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (GCSE English)
In this blog, our expert tutor and resident Christmas Carol enthusiast, Ben Huntley, explores how Charles Dickens uses the narrator’s voice to guide the reader through his timeless classic. Ben will teach you how to analyse narrator voice to demonstrate your understanding of the text and achieve top marks in your English Literature GCSE exam.
Elizabethan Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream (GCSE English)
In this blog, a Shakespeare specialist and expert tutor breaks down what the Elizabethans actually believed about fairies. By understanding this fascinating context, you can deepen your analysis and gain extra AO3 marks in your GCSE English Literature exam.
Shakespeare Context and The Great Chain of Being (GCSE English)
In this blog, an expert tutor and PhD student in Shakespeare at the University of Warwick provides a clear overview of Tillyard’s ideas and explains how they can help you analyse Shakespeare in your exams.
Shakespeare’s Problem Plays (GCSE English)
In this blog, a Shakespeare specialist explains what makes a play “problematic” and how The Merchant of Venice—alongside works like Measure for Measure—forces audiences to wrestle with issues of justice, mercy, prejudice, and power. By the end, you’ll see how recognising its “problem play” status can help you achieve higher marks by showing a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s ambiguous moral vision and subversion of Elizabethan values. Whether you are studying with AQA, Edexcel, OCR, or Eduqas, this blog will help you to impress your examiner with developed analysis and detailed subject knowledge.
Putting the Story Back in History: How to Master Cause, Consequence, and Narrative in GCSE History
In this piece, expert History tutor and PhD researcher, Ben, will guide you through the importance of narratives and causal chains in history, showing you how to sharpen your understanding of second-order concepts to boost your exam performance.
Oriental Orthodox Christianity (Religious Studies)
In this blog, expert tutors guide you through the fascinating world of Oriental Orthodoxy. We delve into its rich history, distinctive theology, colourful liturgy, diverse denominations, and ongoing global mission.
Pure Land Buddhism (GCSE Religious Studies)
Pure Land Buddhism represents a vibrant and ancient branch of Buddhist thought. This guide aims to demystify its core beliefs and practices, illuminating their direct relevance for your GCSE Religious Studies exam.
Catholic Christianity (GCSE Religious Studies)
In this blog, expert tutors delve into the core principles and key beliefs, teachings and practices of Catholic Christianity, including their basis in Catholic sources of wisdom and authority.
Using Primary Sources to Understand the 1917 Russian Revolution (GCSE History)
A key aspect of GCSE History courses is the ability to comprehend and analyse primary sources. Across all boards - AQA, Edexcel, OCR - answering questions based on primary sources is a substantial part of the exam.
Protestant Christianity (GCSE Religious Studies)
In this blog, expert tutors break down the core principles and key denominations of Protestantism, crucial for your GCSE Religious Studies exams.
Orthodox Christianity (GCSE Religious Studies)
In this blog, expert tutors breakdown the history, beliefs and practices of this fascinating denomination, comparing it to other forms of Christianity on the GCSE RS syllabus.
Theravada Buddhism (GCSE Religious Studies)
In this blog, expert tutors guide you through Theravada's core beliefs and practices and clarify its key distinctions from Mahayana Buddhism, ensuring you have all the essential knowledge to ace your exams.
Decoding the Trinity (GCSE Religious Studies)
For GCSE Religious Studies students, few concepts are as central, yet as initially puzzling, as the Trinity. This blog will equip you with a comprehensive understanding, ensuring you're ready to ace any related questions in your exams.
How-To Guide: GCSE Edexcel History - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88
This resource breaks down each question in the Edexcel GCSE exam on Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 (Paper 2, B4), past papers, and the best way to structure your answers in order to gain top marks.
Why GCSE Religious Studies Matters More Than Ever
GCSE Religious Studies (RS) frequently faces misconceptions. It's sometimes characterised as an 'easy' option, lacking concrete application. However, delving into the statistics and the subject's impact reveals a very different story.
Decoding the Numbers: Understanding the GCSE Grading System
GCSEs have seen many changes since their introduction in 1986. One of the most significant in recent years is the shift from the familiar A*-G grading system to the numerical 9-1 scale.
The Key to Success in GCSE and A-Level History
History continues to be an immensely popular subject at both GCSE and A-level. However, while history remains a respected and favoured subject, debates about how history should be taught, and the best way to assess students’ aptitude, are as old as the subject itself.