How to Ace Edexcel IGCSE History Paper 2: Written Paper 2

Paper 2 is the half of your Edexcel IGCSE History exam that combines a historical investigation with a breadth study in change. It runs for 90 minutes, carries 60 marks, and tests a different set of skills from Paper 1.

Where Paper 1 asks you to go deep into specific events and periods, the edexcel igcse history paper 2 asks you to work with sources, evaluate interpretations and trace change across long stretches of time. The 90 minutes and 60 marks split between two sections: one historical investigation and one breadth study in change. You choose one from each group when you select your options at the start of the course, and those are the sections you answer in the exam.

This guide walks you through what the paper looks like, how the edexcel igcse history mark scheme rewards different types of answers, and how to manage your time so you give every question the attention it deserves.

What the paper covers

The Pearson Edexcel IGCSE History specification (4HI1) divides Paper 2 into two distinct types of content:

Section	Type	Marks	What it tests
Section A	Historical Investigation	30	Source analysis, inference, cross-referencing, utility, and a narrative account
Section B	Breadth Study in Change	30	Change and continuity over time, causation, consequence, significance

The investigation topics include areas like the origins of the First World War, Russia 1905-24, the USA 1918-41, the Vietnam Conflict, and East Germany. The breadth studies cover longer sweeps of history, such as America 1783-1877, changes in medicine, Japan in transformation, China 1900-89, international organisations, warfare, the Middle East, and diversity in Britain.

Section A: the historical investigation

Section A is source-based. You will be given a set of sources, typically three or four, and asked a sequence of questions that test progressively more sophisticated skills. The typical question sequence works like this:

Inference (4 marks): What can you learn from Source A about...? This is about reading between the lines, not just reading the source. State what the source says and then explain what it suggests.
Source analysis (6-8 marks): How useful is Source B for understanding...? You need to consider the content (what it says), the provenance (who wrote it, when, why) and the limitations (what it does not tell you).
Cross-referencing (8-10 marks): How far do Sources C and D agree about...? Compare what the sources say, identify points of agreement and disagreement, and consider why they might differ (different perspective, different date, different purpose).
Narrative account (8 marks): Write a narrative account of... This is not a story. It is a structured account that shows how events connected to each other. Start with a clear opening, move through events in a logical order, and show how each development led to the next.

Source analysis tip: When evaluating the utility of a source, never write "this source is biased so it is not useful." Every source is useful for something. A biased speech by a politician is useful for understanding what that politician wanted people to believe. A propaganda poster is useful for showing what messages a government wanted to spread. The question is what the source is useful for, not whether it is biased.

The narrative account question is unique to this paper and catches many students off guard. "Write a narrative account analysing the key events leading to..." requires you to do more than list events. You need to show the connections between them. Use linking phrases: "This meant that...", "As a result...", "This was significant because...". The edexcel history exam technique for narrative accounts is to think of each paragraph as a link in a chain: event, consequence, connection to the next event.

Section B: the breadth study in change

Section B tests your ability to handle long periods of history. Where a depth study might cover 20-30 years, a breadth study can span a century or more. The questions here are not source-based. They test knowledge, analysis and evaluation.

Typical question types include:

Explanation (8-10 marks): Explain two consequences of... or Explain why... These follow the same principles as Paper 1 explanation questions: name the factor, give specific evidence, explain how it led to the outcome.
Extended judgement (12-16 marks): How far do you agree that... was the main reason for change in the period...? This is the big-mark question and it demands a balanced, evidence-based argument with a clear conclusion.

The extended judgement question on the breadth study is where the edexcel igcse history mark scheme gives you the most opportunity to demonstrate high-level skills. You need to cover a range of the period, not just one part. If the breadth study covers 1783-1877 and your answer only discusses events from the 1850s, you are not demonstrating breadth. Plan your answer to draw on evidence from across the whole period.

Timing: how to split your 90 minutes

You have 90 minutes for 60 marks, giving you 1.5 minutes per mark. Here is a practical breakdown:

Task	Suggested time
Read all sources and questions (5 minutes)	0:00 - 0:05
Section A: inference question (5 minutes)	0:05 - 0:10
Section A: source analysis (10 minutes)	0:10 - 0:20
Section A: cross-referencing (12 minutes)	0:20 - 0:32
Section A: narrative account (10 minutes)	0:32 - 0:42
Section B: explanation question (12 minutes)	0:42 - 0:54
Section B: extended judgement (20 minutes)	0:54 - 1:14
Review (6 minutes)	1:14 - 1:20
Buffer (10 minutes)	1:20 - 1:30

This schedule builds in a buffer. You will almost certainly need to flex the timings as you work through the paper, but having a target for each question stops you from drifting. The most important thing is to protect time for the extended judgement question at the end of Section B. That question carries the most marks and demands the most thought.

The edexcel igcse history mark scheme: what examiners reward

The levels-based marking system used for higher-tariff questions rewards answers that go beyond description. Here is what each level looks like in practice for a cross-referencing question:

Level 1: You have summarised what each source says, but not compared them.
Level 2: You have identified similarities or differences in content, with some supporting quotation or detail.
Level 3: You have analysed both content and provenance to explain why the sources agree or differ, and you have considered how far they support each other.

For the extended judgement in Section B:

Level 1: Simple, generalised statements.
Level 2: Relevant points supported by specific knowledge, but without sustained analysis.
Level 3: Analysis of factors with explanation of their relative importance.
Level 4: A sustained, well-supported argument that reaches a substantiated conclusion and draws on evidence from across the period.

The transition from Level 2 to Level 3 is where most marks are won or lost. It requires you to move from "what" to "why" and from listing to evaluating.

Common mistake: In source questions, many candidates ignore provenance entirely or treat it as a bolt-on sentence at the end. Provenance should be woven into your analysis: "Source B was written by a government minister in 1938, which means it is likely to present the policy in the most favourable light. This limits its usefulness for understanding popular reaction to the policy, but makes it valuable for understanding what the government wanted the public to think."

Practice strategy

Work through edexcel igcse history past papers for Paper 2 systematically. Start by practising individual question types in isolation: do ten narrative account questions, then ten source utility questions, until the formats feel automatic. Then move to full timed papers.

After each practice paper, mark your work against the edexcel igcse history mark scheme and read the examiner report for that session if it is available. The reports are full of igcse 4hi1 paper 2 tips drawn from real candidate performance: what the strongest answers did well, what the weakest answers missed, and what the most common errors were.

Build a revision schedule that alternates between content revision and technique practice. Content revision means making sure you know the factual detail for your investigation and breadth study. Technique practice means making sure you can deploy that knowledge in the specific formats the exam demands. Both are essential; neither is sufficient on its own.

The edexcel igcse history exam tips that will serve you best on Paper 2 are these: always quote or reference the source directly in source questions; always show change over time in breadth study answers; always reach a conclusion in judgement questions; and always check your timing at the 45-minute mark. If you are still on Section A at that point, you need to speed up. Half the marks are in Section B, and leaving it short-changed is the single most common cause of underperformance on this paper.

Paper 2 rewards flexibility. You need to switch between source analysis and your own knowledge, between detailed explanation and broad-sweep evaluation, and between describing what happened and judging why it mattered. With regular practice on edexcel igcse history past papers and careful study of the mark scheme, these transitions become instinctive rather than effortful, and that is when your exam performance starts to match your actual understanding of the history.