HISTORY-A-EXPLAINING-THE-MODERN-WORLD-J410 · Cambridge OCR GCSE (9–1)
HISTORY-A-EXPLAINING-THE-MODERN-WORLD-J410/31
Empire & Urban Environments (Spitalfields)
History A Explaining the Modern World · June 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: OCR
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
210
240 min
Conflict and co-operation 1918–1939
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
210
Duration
240 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers.
With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical concepts, particularly significance, utility, and causation.
Rather than merely testing rote recall, examiners have placed heavy emphasis on evaluating contemporary sources and competing historical interpretations, pushing candidates to think like academic historians.
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
Weight: 7100%Analysis
Weight: 686%Conceptual Explanation
Weight: 571%Historical Knowledge
Weight: 343%Historiographical
Weight: 114%
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. 78% of maximum mark
Level 8
Approx. 70% of maximum mark
Level 7
Approx. 63% of maximum mark
Level 6
Approx. 55% of maximum mark
Level 5
Approx. 46% of maximum mark
Level 4
Approx. 39% of maximum mark
Level 3
Approx. 27% of maximum mark
Level 2
Approx. 16% 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 “agree” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Study” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Outline” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.5
Min per mark: 1.3
Min per mark: 1.2
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Conflict and co-operation 1918–1939 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
37 marks this session
Cold War confrontations and conflict 1954–1975 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
28 marks this session
English expansion and its impact on the British Isles c.1688–c.1730 (The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c.1730)
25 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
Economic impact of empire on Britain 1688–c.1730
Conflict and co-operation 1918–1939 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
Conflict and co-operation 1918–1939
The Cold War in Europe 1945–1961: Rising Tensions
Cold War confrontations and conflict 1954–1975 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
Establishing Communism in China 1950–1965
c.1750–c.2010 (War and British Society)
English expansion and its impact on the British Isles c.1688–c.1730 (The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c.1730)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
J410/01 International Relations with China 1950-1981: J410/10 War and British Society c.790 to c.2010: J410/11 The Impact of Empire on Britain with Urban Environments:
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
Conflict and co-operation 1918–1939 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
37 marks this session
Practise in RevuiCold War confrontations and conflict 1954–1975 (International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975)
28 marks this session
Practise in RevuiEnglish expansion and its impact on the British Isles c.1688–c.1730 (The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c.1730)
25 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers.
- 2Message
With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical concepts, particularly significance, utility, and causation.
- 3Message
Rather than merely testing rote recall, examiners have placed heavy emphasis on evaluating contemporary sources and competing historical interpretations, pushing candidates to think like academic historians.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2023 2023
History A Explaining the Modern World
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers. With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers.
With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical concepts, particularly significance, utility, and causation.
Rather than merely testing rote recall, examiners have placed heavy emphasis on evaluating contemporary sources and competing historical interpretations, pushing candidates to think like academic historians.
- Total marks
- 210
- Duration
- 240 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
Session analysis
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers. With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical concepts, particularly significance, utility, and causation. Rather than merely testing rote recall, examiners have placed heavy emphasis on evaluating contemporary sources and competing historical interpretations, pushing candidates to think like academic historians.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
J410/01 International Relations with China 1950-1981: J410/10 War and British Society c.790 to c.2010: J410/11 The Impact of Empire on Britain with Urban Environments:
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.
44% 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.
Source & Interpretation Utility Evaluation
95·6·45%
Causation / Significance Essays
52·5·25%
Analytical Comparative Essays
42·2·20%
Short Recall / Outline
11·3·5%
SPaG
10·2·5%
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.
J410/01 Section B (
0.89 m/minJ410/10 War and Bri
0.83 m/minJ410/11 Section A (
0.78 m/minJ410/11 Section B (
0.67 m/minTotal marks
145
Total time
180 min
Avg pace
0.81
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Germany 1925–1955: The People and the State
90%90%
The USA 1945–1974: The People and the State
88%88%
Paper analysis
The Summer 2023 OCR GCSE History A (Explaining the Modern World) series represents a comprehensive and balanced assessment across its modular papers. With a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, the paper is highly accessible but demands an exceptional grasp of second-order historical concepts, particularly significance, utility, and causation. Rather than merely testing rote recall, examiners have placed heavy emphasis on evaluating contemporary sources and competing historical interpretations, pushing candidates to think like academic historians.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Generalised impacts vs. human impact: In the J410/11 slave trade question, many candidates wrote about the physical growth of ports like Liverpool rather than focusing on the impact on the people of Britain (such as working-class employment in metallurgy or the development of plantocracy racism), which was explicitly required.
- Paraphrasing instead of inferring: In source-utility questions (such as the Spitalfields anarchist poster or the social settlement extract), weaker responses merely summarized the text. Top-tier scripts used the sources to infer wider social tensions, radical political leanings within the Jewish immigrant community, or middle-class paternalism.
- Maoist simplification: Many students treated the Cultural Revolution solely as a cultural purge to destroy old traditions, overlooking Mao's political motivation to regain supremacy after the failures of the Great Leap Forward.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 1h 15min
- Total marks
- 55
- Weighting
- 25%
- Question types
- Conflict explanation, Sources evaluation essay (plus SPaG), Urban environment explanation, Sources utility comparison
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.