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Free History Past Papers for every option you study

GCSE History papers are split into options, so this page lists every option separately: find the topics your school teaches and open the paper and mark scheme straight from the exam board. Covers AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC and Cambridge IGCSE.

AQAEdexcelOCREduqasWJECCambridge IGCSEHow to revise

First, find your board and your options

History varies more between boards than almost any other subject, and within each board schools choose different options. Before you start, check two things with your teacher: your exam board, and the exact options (for example "Germany 1890–1945" or "Elizabethan England") you'll be examined on.

EnglandUsually AQA, Edexcel, OCR (History A or History B) or Eduqas.
WalesWJEC, which introduced a new GCSE History from September 2025.
International and independent schoolsUsually Cambridge IGCSE History, code 0470.
TipEach option appears on its own row below, so you only need the rows for your topics.

History past papers by exam board

How each board's exams work, then every option's papers and mark schemes, opening straight from the board's own website.

AQA GCSE History

8145No tiers
PaperTimeMarksWeightingSections
Paper 1: Understanding the modern world2h8450%Section A: period study. Section B: wider world depth study
Paper 2: Shaping the nation2h8450%Section A: thematic study. Section B: British depth study, including the historic environment
AQA tip: AQA's source and interpretation questions follow the same patterns every year. Work through the same question number across several past papers to master each type.

AQA GCSE History past papers by option

Find the options your school studies, then open the paper, insert (sources) and mark scheme from AQA's website. Blank cells are papers AQA hasn't published yet.

Paper or optionJune 2025June 2024June 2023June 2022
Paper 1A: America, 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidationPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1A: Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorshipPaperPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1A: Russia, 1894–1945: Tsardom and communismInsert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1A: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequalityPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1B: Conflict and tension: The First World War, 1894–1918Paper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1B: Conflict and tension: The inter–war years, 1918–1939Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1B: Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972Paper·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1B: Conflict and tension in Asia, 1950–1975PaperInsert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 1B: Conflict and tension in the Gulf and Afghanistan, 1990–2009Paper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2A: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present dayPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2A: Britain: Power and the people: c1170 to the present dayPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2A: Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present dayPaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2B: Norman England, c1066–c1100Paper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2B: Medieval England: the reign of Edward I, 1272–1307Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2B: Elizabethan England, c1568–1603Paper·Insert·Mark schemeInsert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark schemePaper·Insert·Mark scheme
Paper 2B: Restoration England, 1660–1685Paper·Mark scheme
Older papers and examiner reports on AQA's site

Edexcel GCSE History

1HI0No tiers
PaperTimeMarksWeightingContent
Paper 11h 15m5230%Thematic study and historic environment
Paper 21h 45m6440%Period study (P options) and British depth study (B options), in two separate booklets
Paper 31h 20m5230%Modern depth study
Edexcel tip: Paper 2 comes as two booklets, one for your period study and one for your British depth study. Practise with both booklets for your options so the timing feels natural.

Edexcel GCSE History past papers by option

Every link opens the official PDF on Pearson's website. Pearson keeps the most recent year's papers for teachers only.

Paper or optionJune 2025June 2024June 2023
Paper 1: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present, and WhitechapelPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 1: Medicine in Britain, c1250–present, and the British sector of the Western FrontPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 1: Warfare and British society, c1250–present, and London and the Second World WarPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 1: Migrants in Britain, c800–present, and Notting HillPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 3: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917–41Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 3: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 3: Mao's China, 1945–76Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 3: The USA, 1954–75: conflict at home and abroadPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 P1: Spain and the 'New World', c1490–1555Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 P2: British America, 1713–83Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 P3: The American West, c1835–c1895Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 P4: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 P5: Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 B1: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 B2: The reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 B3: Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509–40Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Paper 2 B4: Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports on Pearson's site

OCR GCSE History A and B

J410 History AJ411 History BNo tiers

OCR offers two History courses. History A (Explaining the Modern World) and History B (Schools History Project) cover different topics, so check which one you're taking.

CoursePaperTimeWeighting
History APaper 1: International relations and a non-British depth study1h 45m50%
History APaper 2: Thematic study1h25%
History APaper 3: British depth study and historic environment1h 15m25%
History BBritish history: thematic and depth study1h 45m40%
History BHistory around us1h20%
History BWorld history: period and depth study1h 45m40%

OCR GCSE History A past papers by option

Every link opens the official PDF on OCR's website. Paper 1 options combine international relations with a non-British depth study; Paper 3 options combine a British depth study with a historic environment.

Paper or optionJune 2025June 2024June 2023June 2022
International relations with China 1950–1981: the people and the statePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
International relations with Germany 1925–1955: the people and the statePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
International relations with South Africa 1960–1994: the people and the statePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
International relations with The USA 1919–1948: the people and the statePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
International relations with The USA 1945–1974: the people and the statePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Migration to Britain c.1000 to c.2010Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Power: monarchy and democracy in Britain c.1000 to 2014Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
War and British society c.790 to c.2010Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The impact of empire on Britain 1688–c.1730 with urban environments: patterns of migrationPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The English Reformation c.1520–c.1550 with castles: form and function c.1000–1750Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Personal rule to Restoration 1629–1660 with castles: form and function c.1000–1750Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports on OCR's site

OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project) past papers by option

Every link opens the official PDF on OCR's website. Each British and World history option combines two studies in one paper.

Paper or optionJune 2025June 2024June 2023June 2022
The people’s health, c.1250 to present with The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The people’s health, c.1250 to present with The Elizabethans, 1580–1603Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The people's health, c.1250 to present with Britain in peace and war, 1900-1918Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Crime and punishment, c.1250 to present with The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Crime and punishment, c.1250 to present with The Elizabethans, 1580–1603Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Crime and punishment, c.1250 to present with Britain in peace and war, 1900-1918Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Migrants to Britain, c.1250 to present with The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Migrants to Britain, c.1250 to present with The Elizabethans, 1580–1603Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
History around usPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Viking expansion, c.750–c.1050 with living under Nazi rule, 1933–1945Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The Mughal Empire, 1526–1707 with The First Crusade, c.1070–1100Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The Mughal Empire, 1526–1707 with living under Nazi rule, 1933–1945Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The making of America, 1789–1900 with Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest, 1519–1535Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
The making of America, 1789–1900 with living under Nazi rule, 1933–1945Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Migrants to Britain, c.1250 to present with Britain in peace and war, 1900-1918Paper·Mark scheme
Viking expansion, c.750–c.1050 with The First Crusade, c.1070–1100Paper·Mark scheme
Viking expansion, c.750–c.1050 with Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest, 1519–1535Paper·Mark scheme
The making of America, 1789–1900 with The First Crusade, c.1070–1100Paper·Mark scheme
The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087Paper·Mark scheme
The Elizabethans, 1580–1603Paper·Mark scheme
Britain in peace and war 1900-1918Paper·Mark scheme
The people’s health, c.1250 to presentPaper·Mark scheme
Crime and punishment, c.1250 to presentPaper·Mark scheme
Migrants to Britain, c.1250 to presentPaper·Mark scheme
Viking expansion, c.750–c.1050Paper·Mark scheme
The Mughal Empire, 1526–1707Paper·Mark scheme
The making of America, 1789–1900Paper·Mark scheme
The First Crusade, c.1070-1100Paper·Mark scheme
Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest 1519–1535Paper·Mark scheme
Living under Nazi rule, 1933–1945Paper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports on OCR's site

WJEC GCSE History (Wales)

WJEC

Wales introduced a new GCSE History from September 2025. Older WJEC papers are still good practice for source and essay skills, but check your exam format with your teacher.

WJEC official past papers

Cambridge IGCSE History

0470
PaperTimeWeightingFormat
Paper 12h40%Structured questions on the core content and your chosen depth study
Paper 22h33%Source-based questions on a prescribed topic
Component 3 or Paper 4Coursework or 1h27%Coursework, or a written alternative on your depth study

Cambridge IGCSE History papers

These are the papers Cambridge makes public on its own website. Older series are available to schools through Cambridge's School Support Hub.

Exam seriesPapers and mark schemes
June 2024
Specimen papers
Examiner reports on Cambridge's site

How to use history past papers properly

History marks come from using knowledge to answer the exact question set. These habits help most.

  1. Learn the question typesEvery board repeats the same styles: describe, explain, how useful is this source, how far do you agree. Practise one type at a time across several papers.
  2. Use the mark scheme levelsHistory mark schemes reward analysis over description. Read the top levels and notice how they ask you to explain and judge, not just tell the story.
  3. Always reach a judgementFor "how far" and "how important" questions, finish with a clear, supported conclusion. It's often the difference between levels.
  4. Use specific evidenceDates, names and statistics make an answer convincing. Build a short list of key facts for each topic and use them in practice answers.
  5. Time the big questionsThe longest essay questions carry the most marks. In timed practice, make sure you always leave enough time for them.
  6. Read the examiner reportsReports show exactly where answers lost marks. They're linked from each board's page above.

Revise the periods that come up most

Our sister site World of Teaching has free, teacher made history PowerPoints to help you go over a topic before you try the past paper questions.

⚔️
Medieval BritainThe Norman Conquest, medieval kings and life in the Middle Ages.History PowerPoints →
👑
Tudors and ElizabethansHenry VIII, the Reformation and Elizabethan England.History PowerPoints →
🪖
The World WarsCauses, key battles, the home front and the impact of both wars.History PowerPoints →
🇩🇪
Germany and dictatorshipWeimar Germany, the rise of Hitler and life in Nazi Germany.History PowerPoints →
🌐
The Cold WarSuperpower rivalry, crises and the end of the Cold War.History PowerPoints →
🏺
Ancient historyGreek gods, myths and culture for classical topics.Classical studies PowerPoints →

History past papers: common questions

Are these past papers free?

Yes. Every paper linked from this page is free and opens from the exam board's own website. Some boards hold back the most recent papers for a year so schools can use them as mocks.

Which rows should I use?

Only the options your school studies. Ask your teacher for the exact option titles, then use those rows of the table for your board.

Why are some sources missing from a paper?

History papers use published sources and images. When a board can't get permission to republish one online, it removes it from the public copy. The questions are still useful practice.

Are there tiers in GCSE History?

No. Everyone sits the same papers, with grades 9 to 1 available.

Where can I find more history resources?

Our sister site, World of Teaching, has free history PowerPoints written by teachers.

Need to revise a topic first?

Free history PowerPoints from World of Teaching, made by teachers and free to download.

Browse history PowerPoints →

Exam structures checked October 2026. Always confirm details with your school or the exam board, as specifications can change.