8145 · AQA GCSE
8145/21
Section A/A: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day
History · June 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.4 / 5
84
120 min
Factors in the development of medicine (chance vs other factors) and causes of the American Civil War
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
84
Duration
120 min
Session difficulty
3.4 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills.
Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay writing and precise, chronological case studies.
While the questions themselves did not feature unexpected curveballs, the examiner reports highlight that success was determined by the depth of analytical precision rather than superficial narrative retelling.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Source-Based and Interpretation
Weight: 5100%Explanation of
Weight: 360%Recall of Historical
Weight: 240%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level 9
Approx. 68% of maximum mark
Level 8
Approx. 62% of maximum mark
Level 7
Approx. 56% of maximum mark
Level 6
Approx. 49% of maximum mark
Level 5
Approx. 42% of maximum mark
Level 4
Approx. 35% of maximum mark
Level 3
Approx. 24% of maximum mark
Level 2
Approx. 15% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Match the expected response style for “useful” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Which” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.4
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
AA Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day
44 marks this session
AA America, 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidation
40 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
AA Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day
AA America, 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidation
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1 Section A/A: America, 1840-1895: Expansion and consolidation:
Paper 2 Section A/A: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
AA Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day
44 marks this session
Practise in RevuiAA America, 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidation
40 marks this session
Practise in RevuiHistory
Session priority from examiner report
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills.
- 2Message
Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay writing and precise, chronological case studies.
- 3Message
While the questions themselves did not feature unexpected curveballs, the examiner reports highlight that success was determined by the depth of analytical precision rather than superficial narrative retelling.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2023 2023
History
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills. Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills.
Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay writing and precise, chronological case studies.
While the questions themselves did not feature unexpected curveballs, the examiner reports highlight that success was determined by the depth of analytical precision rather than superficial narrative retelling.
- Total marks
- 84
- Duration
- 120 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.4 / 5
Session analysis
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills. Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay writing and precise, chronological case studies. While the questions themselves did not feature unexpected curveballs, the examiner reports highlight that success was determined by the depth of analytical precision rather than superficial narrative retelling.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1 Section A/A: America, 1840-1895: Expansion and consolidation:
Paper 2 Section A/A: Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
71% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Multi-factor Essay
32·2·38%
Interpretation Analysis
16·3·19%
Explanation / Significance
16·2·19%
Source Utility
8·1·10%
Comparison / Similarity
8·1·10%
Describe / Identify
4·1·5%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Section A: …
0.73 m/minTotal marks
44
Total time
60 min
Avg pace
0.73
Cumulative marks ladder
The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Modern medicine and the NHS / Liberal Reforms
85%85%
Early expansion / Texas and the Mexican War
80%80%
Gold Rush and the miners' experiences
75%75%
The June 2023 AQA History Paper 1 & 2: A Strategic Analysis
The June 2023 examination series for AQA History (8145) presented a fair yet rigorous test of students' historical comprehension and analytical skills. Across both papers, the difficulty level remained moderate, rewarding students who possessed a strong grasp of structural essay writing and precise, chronological case studies. While the questions themselves did not feature unexpected curveballs, the examiner reports highlight that success was determined by the depth of analytical precision rather than superficial narrative retelling.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 1h
- Total marks
- 44
- Weighting
- 50%
- Question types
- Source Utility (AO3), Historical Significance Explanation (AO1/AO2), Comparative Explanation (AO1/AO2), Factor Evaluation Essay (AO1/AO2 + SPaG)
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.