History exams aren’t just about memorising facts—they’re about understanding key themes, analysing sources, and writing strong, well-structured answers. To help you prepare for AQA GCSE History Paper 2, we’ve analysed past exam trends and examiner reports to predict the most likely topics for 2025!

📢 IMPORTANT: These predictions are designed to help you focus your revision, but AQA can ask questions from any part of the syllabus. Make sure you revise everything to be fully prepared!

📖 What’s Included in Our Predicted Papers?

✅ Full exam-style question papers to practise under timed conditions
✅ Mark schemes so you can check your answers and improve exam technique
✅ NEW for 2025 – FREE video walkthroughs! 🎥

• Led by experienced history teachers

• Shows you how to interpret questions and structure your answers for full marks

• Helps you avoid common mistakes students often make

📝 How to Use Predicted Papers in Your Revision

1️⃣ Practise under timed conditions – Get used to answering questions under pressure
2️⃣ Mark your answers using our mark schemes – Learn how examiners award marks
3️⃣ Watch our video walkthroughs – Improve essay structure and source analysis
4️⃣ Focus on key themes – Think about links between events and how they shaped history

Which option are you doing?

• Health and the People: c1000 to the Present Day | …

• Norman England, c1066-c1100 | 2025 Predicted Topic …

• Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 | 2025 Predicted T …

Health and the People: c1000 to the Present Day | 2025 Predicted Topics |AQA GCSE History | Paper 2 | Option AA

Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA GCSE History Paper 2 (Option AA: Health and the People)! 📖✨ This guide keeps things simple and clear to help you understand key topics. But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💡📚

🩸 Surgery in the 19th Century

✅ Key Problems in Early 19th Century Surgery:

• Pain – No anaesthetics, patients often died from shock

• Infection – No germ theory, surgeons didn’t wash hands or tools

• Blood loss – No transfusions, patients could bleed to death

✅ Key Developments:

• Anaesthetics:

  • 1846 – Ether used but irritated lungs

  • 1847 – Chloroform (James Simpson) made surgery painless but had risks

  • Not always accepted – Some surgeons believed pain helped recovery

• Antiseptics:

  • 1865 – Joseph Lister used carbolic acid to clean wounds & instruments

  • Greatly reduced infection rates

• Aseptic Surgery:

  • By 1900, surgeons wore gloves, sterilised equipment, and used clean hospitals

💡 Impact: 19th-century surgery became safer, but it took time for ideas to be accepted.

💊 The Significance of the Discovery and Development of Penicillin

✅ Discovery of Penicillin:

• 1928 – Alexander Fleming noticed mould (penicillin) killing bacteria

• He published findings but didn’t develop it further

✅ Development of Penicillin:

• Florey & Chain (1938-40s) tested and mass-produced penicillin

• WW2 funding from the USA helped develop it on a large scale

• By 1945, penicillin saved thousands of soldiers

✅ Impact:

• First antibiotic → led to more antibiotics being developed

• Transformed medicine by treating infections like pneumonia & syphilis

• Still widely used today, but antibiotic resistance is a challenge

⚖️ Similarities in Medieval and Renaissance Treatments

✅ Beliefs About Disease:

• Both believed in the Four Humours (Blood, Phlegm, Yellow & Black Bile)

• Miasma theory (bad air) was still popular

• Religion influenced medicine – people believed disease was God’s punishment

✅ Common Treatments:

• Herbal remedies used in both periods

• Bleeding & purging continued

• Prayer and charms were still used

✅ Key Differences:

• Renaissance doctors challenged old ideas (e.g. Vesalius proving Galen wrong)

• Printing press (1440) spread medical knowledge faster

• Dissection became more common in the Renaissance

💡 Overall, change was slow – many medieval ideas lasted into the Renaissance.

🗣️ The Role of Communication in the Development of Medical Knowledge Since c1000

✅ Printing Press (1440 – Johannes Gutenberg):

• Revolutionised knowledge sharing

• Allowed medical books (e.g. Vesalius’ work) to be copied accurately

✅ Scientific Journals & Letters (17th-18th Century):

• Scientists like Harvey and Jenner shared findings in journals

• Royal Society (1660) helped spread discoveries

✅ Public Health Campaigns (19th-20th Century):

• Germ theory (1861 – Pasteur) spread through education & books

• Governments used posters & newspapers to improve hygiene

✅ Modern Communication (20th-21st Century):

• TV, Internet & Social Media spread medical advice

• COVID-19 vaccines shared quickly through global research

💡 Faster communication = faster medical progress!

💙 Look After Yourself!

Exams can feel overwhelming, but remember—your grades do not define you. Take breaks, stay hydrated, and believe in yourself. Every bit of effort you put in now is a step closer to success! 💪✨

Norman England, c1066-c1100 | 2025 Predicted Topics | AQA GCSE History | Paper 2 | Option BA

Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA GCSE History Paper 2 (Option BA: Norman England)! 📖✨ This guide keeps things simple and clear to help you revise effectively. But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💡📚

👑 The Reign of William II (William Rufus) (1087-1100)

✅ Who was William II?

• Son of William the Conqueror, became king in 1087

• Known as William Rufus because of his red hair

✅ Challenges William II Faced:

• Revolts by Norman barons who preferred his brother, Robert

• Conflict with the Church – He argued with Archbishop Anselm

• Control of Normandy – Fought against his brother Robert for land

✅ Death of William Rufus:

• Mysteriously killed by an arrow while hunting in 1100

• Some believe he was assassinated, possibly by Henry (his younger brother)

💡 His reign was important because it showed how hard it was to control both England and Normandy.

⚔️ The Revolts Against the Normans (1067-75)

✅ Why did people rebel against Norman rule?

• Heavy taxes made life hard for Anglo-Saxons

• Normans took land from English lords

• Harsh rule and castles made people resent William

✅ Key Rebellions:

• 1067 – The Rebellion of Eadric the Wild (failed)

• 1068 – Revolt of Edwin and Morcar (defeated, but showed unrest)

• 1069-70 – The Harrying of the North

  • William burned villages, killed animals, and destroyed crops

  • Thousands starved to death

• 1075 – The Revolt of the Earls

  • Led by Norman lords (not just Anglo-Saxons!)

  • Crushed before it could succeed

💡 The revolts showed that Norman rule wasn’t accepted easily, but William’s harsh responses made sure he stayed in power.

🏰 Changes in Landholding Under the Normans

✅ What did William change?

• Replaced Anglo-Saxon lords with Norman barons

• Land was given as a reward to loyal followers

• Introduced the Feudal System:

  • King → Owned all land

  • Barons & Bishops → Given land for loyalty

  • Knights → Protected barons in return for land

  • Peasants (Villeins) → Worked the land

✅ Why did he do this?

• Made sure the Normans stayed in control

• Created a system of loyalty to stop rebellions

• Made it easier to collect taxes

💡 The Feudal System helped William rule, but it made life very hard for ordinary people.

⛪ Historic Environment: Durham Cathedral & Why the Normans Built Cathedrals

✅ Why Did the Normans Build Cathedrals?

• Showed their power over England

• Encouraged Christianity under Norman rule

• Replaced old Anglo-Saxon churches with grander buildings

✅ Durham Cathedral (Built 1093-1133):

• Built to honour St Cuthbert (a famous Anglo-Saxon saint)

• Massive size & location made it a symbol of Norman rule

• First building in the world to use ribbed vaults (important in architecture!)

💡 Durham Cathedral wasn’t just a church—it was a statement of Norman dominance.

💙 Look After Yourself!

Exams can be stressful, but remember—your grades do not define you. Take breaks, stay hydrated, and believe in yourself. Every bit of effort you put in now is a step closer to success! 💪✨

Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 | 2025 Predicted Topics |AQA GCSE History | Paper 2 | Option BC

Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA GCSE History Paper 2 (Option BC: Elizabethan England)! 📖✨ This guide keeps things simple and clear to help you revise effectively. But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💡📚

⚔️ The Northern Rebellion, 1569

✅ What was the Northern Rebellion?

• A revolt by Catholic nobles against Queen Elizabeth I

• Led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland

• Aimed to replace Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots

✅ Causes of the Rebellion:

• Religious tensions – The rebels were Catholic, Elizabeth was Protestant

• Loss of power – Northern nobles lost land and influence under Elizabeth

• Mary, Queen of Scots – They wanted her to become queen instead of Elizabeth

✅ What Happened?

• The rebels captured Durham and held a Catholic mass

• Elizabeth’s army crushed the rebellion

• Over 450 rebels were executed to prevent future uprisings

💡 The rebellion showed the threat of Catholic opposition, but also Elizabeth’s strength in dealing with it.

💰 Poverty in Elizabethan England

✅ Why Was There Poverty?

• Bad harvests – Led to food shortages and higher prices

• Unemployment – Cloth trade collapse left many jobless

• Rising population – More people meant more demand for food and jobs

• Inflation – Prices increased but wages stayed low

✅ How Did Elizabeth Deal With Poverty?

• Poor Laws (1597, 1601):

  • Deserving poor (those who couldn’t work) were helped

  • Undeserving poor (those who could work but didn’t) were punished

• Almshouses were set up to help the poor

• Workhouses gave people jobs to reduce begging

💡 Elizabeth’s government tried to help the poor, but poverty remained a major problem.

🇪🇸 The Changing Relationship Between England and Spain

✅ Why Did England and Spain Become Rivals?

• Religion: England was Protestant, Spain was Catholic

• Mary, Queen of Scots: Spain supported her as an alternative queen

• Piracy: English sailors (e.g. Sir Francis Drake) raided Spanish ships

• War in the Netherlands: Elizabeth helped the Dutch rebels fight Spain

✅ The Spanish Armada (1588):

• Spain sent 130 ships to invade England

• England’s navy (led by Drake and Hawkins) used fire ships to scatter the Armada

• A huge storm helped destroy the Spanish fleet

• England won, and Spain never tried to invade again

💡 The defeat of the Spanish Armada made Elizabeth more powerful and helped England become a leading naval power.

🏰 Historic Environment: Hardwick Hall & Elizabethan Country Houses

✅ Why Were Elizabethan Country Houses Built?

• Showed off wealth and status – Nobles built huge mansions

• Protection was less important – No need for castles due to political stability

• Large windows & open gardens – Displayed new Renaissance architecture

✅ Hardwick Hall (Built in 1590s):

• Owned by Bess of Hardwick, one of the richest women in England

• Massive windows ("Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall")

• Designed to impress visitors and show off Elizabethan wealth

• Not built for defence, unlike medieval castles

💡 Elizabethan country houses reflected a changing society—more focused on luxury than protection.

💙 Look After Yourself!

Exams can be stressful, but remember—your grades do not define you. Take breaks, stay hydrated, and believe in yourself. Every bit of effort you put in now is a step closer to success! 💪✨