1. Understanding the Page Layout
Example Question.
Assessment Criteria:
this is what is being
tested in the question.
Example Answer: the
blue text gives examples
of different levels of
an answer.
The black italicised text
shows the Edexcel mark
scheme used for the level.
The Top Tip gives pointers This button returns
Navigation Buttons on improving your answers. to the question menu. 1

2. There are a seven rules that apply to every single exam answer.
Answer the actual question. This may sound obvious, but if you don’t do this, you can’t get good marks.
Stop and think before you start writing an answer.
Planning exactly what you are writing about will help you to get the best marks.
Always use the words of the question at the beginning and in your answer. This will help you to focus an actually answering the set question.
Frequently check that you are still answering the set question how it actually asks you to.
Timing. Divide the minutes available by the total marks to find out how much time to spend on each answer.
Planning. This is essential for the 16 mark answer, as it involves writing an essay.
Answer the right number of questions.
In this exam, Question 1 has four compulsory parts. It carries 26 marks. Question 2 has two parts, of which you chose one to answer. It carries 8 marks. Question 3 has two parts, of which you chose one to answer. It carries 16 marks.
Menu

3. Click the links to access the example answers
Question 1(a)
What can you learn from the source about the US economy in the 1930s? 4 marks
Question 1(b) Describe Herbert Hoover’s attempts to end the Depression. 6 marks
Question 1(c) Explain why the US economy was so prosperous between 1922 and marks
Question 1(d) Explain the effects of the fall in value of shares on Wall Street during 1928 and marks
Question 2(a) Explain how the role of the Federal Government changed during the 1920’s and 1930’s. 8 marks Or
Question 2(b) Explain how the New Deal tackled the problems of the Depression. 8 marks
Question 3(a)
Was the main reason for Roosevelt’s election the failures of Herbert Hoover?
You may use the following in your answer: The effects of the Depression, Hoover’s attempts to
overcome the Depression, Roosevelt’s election campaign, The treatment of the Bonus Army marks
Question 3(b)
Was the New Deal successful in solving all of the problems of the Depression?
You may use the following to help you with your answer. The problems of the Depression.
What the New Deal did. How the New Deal succeeded. The failures of the New Deal marks
What should I revise?
Examination Hints and Techniques
Intro

4. What should I revise? Intro
Question 1(a) Is a source comprehension and inference question.
Tip: No factual revision is required, but review the example answer and make sure that you understand about inferences.
Question 1(b) Is a key features question. This requires brief explanations of three facts about the key feature.
Possible key features topics: isolationism, impact of WW1, the boom of the 1920s, new industries in the 1920s, problems of declining industries or
agriculture, consumerism, prohibition, organised crime, racism, the stock market boom of the 1920s, the Wall Street Crash, Hoover’s policies after
1929, the Dust Bowl, the “First Hundred Days of the New Deal”, the New Deal, the Second New Deal, opposition to the New Deal.
Tip: This question is testing that you have studied the whole syllabus, so it could be on almost anything.
Question 1(c) and Question 1(d) are cause or consequence questions. There will be one of each type. Answer both.
Possible causes topics: US entry into WW1, the economic boom of the 1920’s, Prohibition, organised crime, Racism, the Wall Street Crash,
the Depression, unemployment in the 1930s.
Possible consequence topics: WW1, the economic boom of the 1920s, problems of declining industries and agriculture, new forms of entertainment,
Prohibition, Isolationism, overproduction, the Wall Street Crash, the New Deal.
Tip: Make sure that you learn at least four causes or consequences and that you are able to explain, link and prioritise them.
Question 2(a) and Question 2(b) are a change question or a key features question. One of each and you answer one.
Possible change topics: WW1, women’s lives, the role of women, economic boom of the 1920s, consumerism, new industries of the 1920s,
prohibition, the policies of the New Deal.
Tip: Make sure that you learn at least four changes or key features and that you are able to explain about them in detail.
Question 3(a) and Question 3(b) are cause and consequence questions. There is one of each and you answer one.
These are the 16 mark questions. For the top marks you will be expected to:
Tip: this question will include a writing frame, but you will need to write a structured answer, or essay. To do this:
Plan a piece of structured writing that has an introduction, linked paragraphs and a conclusion.
Describe and explain causes or consequences,
Show how causes or consequences are linked together and make a case for a most important cause or consequence.
Intro

5. Question 1(a) What can you learn from the source about the US economy in the 1930s?
Target: Source comprehension, inference and inference support.
Level 1 1 Mark Students do no more than copy / paraphrase the source.
Level marks Makes unsupported inferences
An inference is a judgement that can be made by Studying the source, but is not directly stated by it.
2 marks for one unsupported inference
3 marks for two unsupported inferences
Level 3 4 marks Makes supported inferences
A supported inference is one that uses detail from the source to prove an inference.
In your answer to this question
you have to show that you can use an historical source to find out about the past.
Although this is a picture, you might be asked to use a written source instead.
Menu

6. I can see that there were a lot of poor people in the 1930’s.
Question 1(a) What can you learn from the source about the US economy in the 1930s?
Question 1a
Target: Source comprehension, inference and inference support.
Level 1 1 Mark Students do no more than copy / paraphrase the source.
Example Answer:
I can see that there were a lot of poor people in the 1930’s.
This answer would earn a level 1 mark because it shows “source comprehension”.
This means that It describes what can be seen in the picture.
Menu

7. Question 1(a) What can you learn from the source about the US economy in the 1930s?
Target: Source comprehension, inference and inference support.
Level marks Makes unsupported inferences
An inference is a judgement that can be made by Studying the source, but is not directly stated by it.
2 marks for one unsupported inference
3 marks for two unsupported inferences
Example Answer:
I can see that white and black people led different lives. African Americans were poor. White Americans were rich.
This answer would earn level 2,
3 marks, because it makes “a judgement...not directly stated in
the source” and does this more than once.
For example, the fact that the people in the car are white, infers or suggests, that they were rich, while everyone else is on foot.
Menu

8. Question 1(a) What can you learn from the source about the US economy in the 1930s?
Level 3 4 marks Makes supported inferences
A supported inference is one that uses detail from the source to prove an inference.
Example Answer:
I can see that white and black people led different lives. This is because the white people had the money to own a car, while African Americans were poor, because they could only queue in front of the advertisement for a car.
This answer would earn level 3,
4 marks, because it contains “inference support”.
Have a look to see how the level 2 answer (in blue) has become a
level 3 answer (in red).
Notice how the use of the “because” is followed by a supporting explanation.
Menu