Why am I losing marks in GCSE History? Avoid these common mistakes!

Many GCSE students find that their historical knowledge and understanding do not always translate to high marks in history exams. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone. You’re likely not losing marks because you don’t know enough history, but because you're not showing the examiner what you know in the way the question requires. This blog, written by an expert history tutor, outlines four key reasons for lower marks in GCSE History exams and explains how to fix them.

1. Mistake: You’re telling the story, rather than answering the question.

Students often have a good knowledge of history and the relevant topics but don't always directly answer the question being asked. This mistake occurs when students tell the story of a particular event or series of events, rather than explaining the broader causes or significance.

For example, there is a key difference between questions that ask, ‘What happened?’ and ‘Why did it happen?’ or ‘Why was it significant?’. The first indicates a narrative approach or, in other words, telling the story. The second and third, however, are asking for a more critical and analytical approach. What were the reasons for the occurrence of the event/s? What were the long-term consequences or significance of the event/s? 

An easy way to ensure that you answer the question, rather than fall into the trap of simply telling the story, is to underline the key words in the question. The sentence starter is often a command word: who, what, where, when, why. These words indicate what you are being asked to do and what the examiner is looking for. 

Some key examples include:

• Explain → give reasons and develop them.

• How far do you agree? → reach and support a judgement.

• How useful? → evaluate usefulness in relation to the question.

• How convincing? → assess an interpretation using your own knowledge.

• Describe → focus on characteristics/features rather than turning it into an essay about causes.

The structure of your answer can also help to ensure that you answer the question. Each paragraph should contribute a new point, or further develop the previous point, rather than simply demonstrating knowledge. For example, in a ‘significance’ question, you will identify two or three different factors that demonstrate the significance of an event. Each paragraph may discuss a different factor, but they should all link back to the question - how does this factor demonstrate the significance of the event? Why is it important?

2. Mistake: You’re not explaining your points in enough detail

Linked to the previous mistake, another common trap is making a valid point and moving on too quickly. It is important to identify and contextualise a factor, but you must also explain why it was significant.

A useful approach can be to adopt the PEEL paragraph structure:

Point → Evidence → Explain → Link back to the question.

Students often find the first two (‘Point’ and ‘Evidence’) relatively straightforward, but the final two are more difficult. To successfully ‘Explain’ why the point is valid, think about the ‘so what?’ test. Why does this evidence matter? What does it tell us? You should ensure that you explain exactly how your evidence supports your argument. If you are using numbers or percentages to show the impact of a policy or event, e.g. “Between 2 and 3 million people in England died from the Black Death,” consider what this tells us. For example, “The high death rate, between one-third and one-half of the whole population, demonstrates that doctors didn’t understand what caused the Black Death and so couldn’t effectively treat it. Combined with the overcrowded and dirty conditions in England at the time, this enabled the disease to spread quickly.”

Finally, you need to ‘Link’ back to the question. Remember to end every paragraph with a sentence that incorporates wording from the original question to show the examiner that your paragraph provides sufficient evidence to answer it.

3. Mistake: You’re writing everything you know

More information does not necessarily result in more marks. Sometimes, students produce huge paragraphs full of facts that aren't relevant to the question. When you read an exam question, try to implement a filter in your mind that determines: What is the most relevant knowledge for this question? What evidence can I use to best support the argument that I am going to make? 

By adopting a more critical approach to your application of knowledge, you can avoid writing pages and pages of information that won’t provide relevant or helpful evidence in answering the question. Carefully select the key information, and use it purposefully.

4. Mistake: You’re not making a judgement, or your answer isn’t balanced

Judgement

This is particularly important for questions that ask students to assess significance, extent, or how far they agree. You need to make an argument for one side—don’t sit on the fence! 

When the question requires it, explain which factor/event was more or less important, and why. Your judgement should be supported by the evidence you have used in the answer, not just added as a final sentence at the end. 

Balance

For questions such as “How far do you agree?”, students need to consider arguments on both sides.

A ‘balanced’ answer doesn't necessarily mean giving every factor the same amount of space. Instead, consider what evidence can be used in support of each side before coming to a judgement. The strongest answers often compare factors, rather than discuss each one in isolation.

Five things to check in your exam answer before you move on:

• Have I answered the exact question?

• Have I addressed the command word?

• Have I used precise historical knowledge?

• Have I explained why my evidence matters?

• Have I made the judgement/comparison the question requires?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to the questions above, you have written a well-evidenced, analytical answer, which is exactly what the examiner is looking for!