GCSE History

Overview

For parents: AQA writes your child's History course and exams. AQA writes the specifications and exams for most GCSE subjects taught in English state schools. If your school uses AQA, every topic, paper and mark scheme follows AQA's specification.

Topics

History key terms

Original definitions for core course vocabulary, informed by the references below. Not an official or exhaustive board-specific glossary.

40 of 40 terms

Chronology

The arrangement of events in the order in which they happened.

Historical enquiry

Periodisation

Dividing the past into periods to organise study and interpretation.

Historical enquiry

Primary source

Evidence originating in the period or events being investigated, such as a contemporary letter or object.

Historical enquiry

Secondary source

An account produced later using evidence and interpretations of the past.

Historical enquiry

Provenance

A source's origin, including its creator, date, intended audience and circumstances of production.

Historical enquiry

Historical interpretation

An explanation or representation of the past constructed from selected evidence and perspectives.

Historical enquiry

Corroboration

Checking whether evidence from different sources supports the same claim.

Historical enquiry

Source utility

The usefulness of a source for a specific enquiry, judged through its content, provenance and context.

Historical enquiry

Bias

A viewpoint or preference that shapes how information is selected or presented.

Historical enquiry

Anachronism

Placing an idea, object or practice in a period where it does not belong.

Historical enquiry

Causation

The study of how and why events or developments occurred.

Explaining historical change

Consequence

An outcome resulting from an event, decision or process.

Explaining historical change

Continuity

The persistence of features of life or society across time.

Explaining historical change

Change

A development that alters conditions, institutions or experiences over time.

Explaining historical change

Historical significance

The importance assigned to an event or development using criteria such as impact, reach or lasting influence.

Explaining historical change

Turning point

An event or period associated with a substantial change in the direction of developments.

Explaining historical change

Long-term cause

An underlying condition developing over an extended period that helps produce an event.

Explaining historical change

Trigger

An immediate event that sets a wider process or crisis in motion.

Explaining historical change

Reform

A deliberate change to improve or alter an existing institution or practice without necessarily replacing the whole system.

Explaining historical change

Revolution

A fundamental transformation of political power or social organisation, often involving rapid upheaval.

Explaining historical change

Monarchy

A political system in which a monarch serves as head of state, with powers varying by constitution and period.

Power and political systems

Absolute monarchy

A system in which a monarch claims supreme authority with few effective constitutional limits.

Power and political systems

Constitutional monarchy

A monarchy whose powers are limited by laws and constitutional arrangements.

Power and political systems

Democracy

A system in which political authority rests with the people, exercised directly or through representatives.

Power and political systems

Dictatorship

A system concentrating political power in a ruler or small group with limited effective public accountability.

Power and political systems

Parliament

A representative assembly with functions such as making laws and scrutinising government.

Power and political systems

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Power and political systems

Nationalism

Identification with a nation and support for its unity, interests or self-government.

Power and political systems

Imperialism

The extension of a state's power over other territories or peoples through political, military or economic control.

Power and political systems

Communism

An ideology seeking a classless society with common ownership of productive resources; historical regimes varied in their practices.

Power and political systems

Alliance

An agreement between states or groups to cooperate, often for defence or diplomatic support.

Conflict and social transformation

Militarism

The promotion of military power and values as central to a state's priorities.

Conflict and social transformation

Propaganda

Communication designed to shape attitudes or behaviour in support of a cause or authority.

Conflict and social transformation

Censorship

The restriction or suppression of information or expression by an authority.

Conflict and social transformation

Appeasement

Making concessions to another power in an attempt to avoid conflict.

Conflict and social transformation

Total war

Warfare involving the extensive mobilisation of civilian society and the economy as well as armed forces.

Conflict and social transformation

Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting, which does not by itself establish a final peace settlement.

Conflict and social transformation

Treaty

A formal agreement between states establishing commitments or terms.

Conflict and social transformation

Industrialisation

The growth of machine-based production and factory industry within an economy.

Conflict and social transformation

Migration

The movement of people from one place to another to live temporarily or permanently.

Conflict and social transformation

Exams

Add your exam dates in My Exams and see a countdown for every paper on your dashboard.

Revision

Tell GCSE.es which History topics feel weak. Your dashboard then picks a short, timed next step — learn the key idea, check yourself, review mistakes.

Practice

• ✓ Key terms you tap to reveal
• ✓ Quick multiple-choice quizzes
• ✓ 3, 6, 9 and 12-mark exam-style questions
• ✓ Marking with feedback and a model answer

Available free inside your GCSE journey. Questions are written by GCSE.es, not taken from real past papers.

Resources

Short, focused tasks for the History topics you find hardest — learn the key idea, check yourself, then try a marked exam-style question.