Higher History Subject-specific guidance on gathering key evidence in session 2020-21 - SQA

Higher History
Subject-specific guidance on gathering key
evidence in session 2020–21

Please read this guidance alongside National Courses: guidance on gathering evidence and
producing estimates and the SQA Academy resource, Quality assurance of estimates for
National Courses.

Gathering key evidence for Higher History
This document and National Courses: guidance on gathering evidence and producing
estimates will give you additional support and guidance to support your decision making for
session 2020–21. Evidence should be gathered later in the course, as a realistic reflection of
a candidate’s attainment. It is important to note that it is not the quantity of evidence, but the
quality of evidence, in relation to its predictive value, that will support you during this
process.

The following types of key evidence are likely to provide a good predictive value and may be
helpful to you, although there may be other types of key evidence you would like to use.

Types of key evidence
For Higher History in session 2020–21, key evidence only needs to come from the question
paper components; there is no requirement for candidates to complete an assignment.
However, any assignment evidence you do have for a candidate can still be considered
when producing provisional results.

There is flexibility in how you gather evidence. The most robust evidence for the question
paper components, in terms of providing breadth, depth and level of challenge, is that which
has been generated using assessments which replicate, as far as possible, the SQA
question papers. The evidence does not need to be produced on a single occasion, however
it should be produced under supervision and control, where possible.

Other evidence relating to the question paper components may include unseen shorter
assessments that have appropriate timings, and that are conducted under supervision and
control, where possible. For example, an assessment that replicates one section of the
British, European and world question paper, or class tests that cover knowledge and
understanding from a key issue once it has been taught. Please note that shorter
assessment tasks are likely to provide less breadth, depth and challenge than a larger
assessment, and therefore you should consider this when producing your provisional results.

While we recommend that you aim to deliver the course as normal, we recognise that there
may be some disruption to learning and teaching during the 2020–21 session, which may
make this more challenging. You are free to decide the timing and depth of delivery of the
course content. However, it is important that candidate evidence for provisional results
samples knowledge and understanding from each of the three areas of study:

                                                                                                 1

 British history
 European and world history
 Scottish history

Component 1: question paper 1 — British, European and world history
Candidate evidence for provisional results should sample knowledge and understanding from
the six key issues from the chosen topics in British, and European and world history.

In line with the modifications to the Higher History course assessment planned before 2021
Higher exams were cancelled, for ‘Section 1 — British’ and ‘Section 2 — European and
world’, any four from six key issues were to be assessed in 2021. Candidates would have
chosen one essay from a choice of four in each section. We therefore advised that, for 2021,
candidates should be prepared for a minimum of three issues in both the British, and
European and world sections studied. Increasing the choice of questions in 2021 (from three
to four questions in each section) was to provide you with flexibility to decide timing and
depth of delivery of the key issues.

When generating key assessment evidence on which to base provisional results, you have
the flexibility to deliver the course as normal and sample all six key issues, if this is possible.

Details of the planned modification to this component for session 2020–21 can be found in
the document ‘National Course Modification summary: History’ which is available under the
‘National 5 to Advanced Higher course information for 2020–21’ tab on the Higher History
subject page.

Candidate evidence should also demonstrate application of the skills required in the following
question types (essay questions):

 an evaluation of factors contributing to a historical event or development
 an assessment of the impact of a historical event or development

Question stems for an assessment and an evaluation type question include:

 To what extent …
 How important …
 Quote. How valid is this view?

The course specification outlines in more detail the skills, knowledge and understanding
associated with this question paper.

Component 2: question paper 2 — Scottish history
Candidate evidence for provisional results should sample knowledge and understanding of
all four key issues from the chosen topic in Scottish history.

Candidate evidence should also demonstrate application of the skills required in the following
four question types:

                                                                                                      2

 a two-source interpretation (How much do Sources reveal about differing interpretations
  of…) question
 a source contextualisation (How fully does Source X explain…) question
 a source evaluation (Evaluate the usefulness…) question
 a knowledge (Explain the reasons why…) question

Component 3: assignment
In line with the modifications that were planned for Higher History, there is no requirement for
candidates to complete an assignment for session 2020–21. Therefore, this component does
not need to be considered when producing your provisional results for each candidate.

However, we recognise that some candidates may have already completed or partially
completed an assignment. Where this is the case, you can use this as supporting evidence,
alongside other key evidence, when carrying out a holistic review of a candidate’s
performance.

Candidates tend to perform better in the assignment than the question paper, and you should
take this into consideration when producing your provisional results.

The course specification and the coursework assessment task outline in detail the skills,
knowledge and understanding associated with the assignment.

Using additional assessment resources for session 2020–21: key information
It is important that you use valid and reliable assessment when gathering evidence in
session 2020–21.

In Higher History, SQA will provide question papers for session 2020–21. Please note that
the marking instructions have not been standardised based on candidate responses. You
may therefore need to agree within your centre how to consistently mark an item if a
candidate response is not covered by the marking instructions.

The Higher History question papers will only be available on SQA’s secure website — you
must treat these confidentially, in the same way as other live assessment materials.

You have the option to use the question papers as internal assessments for gathering
candidate evidence. Question papers can be split to support assessments you carry out
during class time.

If you use a question paper in part or in its entirety, you should remind candidates that they
must not discuss the content of the paper with anyone, including friends, family or on social
media.

Assessment resources
Assessment resources that you can use to generate candidate evidence include:

 questions from the 2020–21 question papers
 questions from the specimen question papers

                                                                                                 3

 questions from SQA past papers
 adapted questions from SQA past papers
 centre-devised assessment tasks
 Guidance on creating assessments for Higher for session 2020–21 document

SQA past papers are in the public domain and can be readily accessed by candidates and
therefore, in their entirety, do not form suitable assessment tasks. You can, however, extract
and adapt questions from these papers for use in centre-devised assessment tasks.

Understanding the national standard
Component 1: question paper 1 — British, European and world history
Essay questions
Candidates must answer the question as it appears, not as a pre-prepared answer. Good
essay responses focus on the issue in the question, not just on the topic.

Introduction
Candidates should be prepared to write two points of historical context, factors or issues to
be discussed, and a line of argument.

 The historical context used in the introduction should be relevant to the issue in the
  question. A minimum of two sentences of context are required.
 If a candidate is choosing to answer an evaluation question by selecting another factor,
  they must still address the original essay question before introducing another factor in the
  introduction.
 If a candidate is choosing an assessment question, they should address the issue, for
  example, if it was effective or not effective in the line of argument. They should not select
  an isolated factor as if it was an evaluation question.

Essay paragraphs
Candidates should include a minimum of three paragraphs (factors). Four paragraphs
(factors), however, will allow candidates to access the full range of marks for evaluation.

 Candidates should use detailed, accurate knowledge to support the factor.
 Candidates should use analysis to comment on the factor in terms of the question.
 Candidates should evaluate the comments on the factor(s). Evaluative comments should
  focus on the line of argument. Isolated evaluative comments, which do not link to the line
  of argument, will only access a maximum of 2 marks throughout the essay.

Conclusion
Candidates should conclude by making a relative overall judgement between the different
factors. This should be linked to the line of argument and should arise from the evidence
presented in the main body of the essay.

 Candidates should be aware that a conclusion is not a summary. A summary would only
  access 1 mark.

                                                                                                4

 Candidates will access 2 marks in the conclusion for a relative judgement for each factor
  supported by key evidence from the essay.
 A relative judgement between each of the different factors supported by key evidence
  from the essay is essential for candidates to access the full 3 marks in a conclusion.

Component 2: question paper 2 — Scottish history
The two-source question
This question uses two sources showing differing interpretations of an area in the
description of content.

 Candidates are required to identify the overall viewpoint in each source*.
 Additionally, candidates should carefully select the relevant points from the two sources
  by quoting in full and interpreting why the selected points are important to the issue being
  discussed. Quotes must be linked to the question.
 Candidates should also introduce recalled knowledge to develop the source point and/or
  contextualise the content of the source. The use of relevant developed knowledge should
  be linked to the question.
  *The advice in the 2019 Higher History Course Report (page 6) regarding the mark
  distribution for the two-source question will now apply to session 2021–22 (and not
  2020–21 as published). This advice is good practice however, and in 2021, for each
  source, candidates can establish the overall viewpoint and interpret two source points, or
  can interpret three source points.

The ‘How fully’ question
This question comes from the key issues.

 Responses require a clear judgement, for example ‘the Source … partly explains’ or ‘the
  Source explains to an extent’.
 Candidates should support the selected source points with a detailed explanation that is
  clearly linked to the question. Candidates should quote in full from the source.
 The use of relevant developed knowledge should be linked to the question.

The ‘Evaluate the usefulness’ question
This question comes from an area in the description of content.

 Evaluative comments relating to author, type of source, purpose and timing should link
  directly to the question and the relevant Scottish issue.
 Candidates should quote in detail from the source, ensuring they explain the source point
  fully, and link it to the question.
 The use of relevant developed knowledge should also be linked to the question.

The ‘Explain’ question
This question comes from the key issues.

 Candidates should identify a key point from a historical issue and provide a relevant
  explanation in answer to the question.

                                                                                               5

Examples of candidate evidence with commentaries from the first diet of the revised Higher
History course assessment in 2019 can be found on SQA’s Understanding Standards
website. There is candidate evidence for Part D: Britain, 1851–1951 (question paper 1:
British, European and world history), and for Part D: Migration and empire, 1830–1939
(question paper 2: Scottish history).

Materials from the Higher History webinars will also be published and will be available from
the ‘Understanding Standards’ tab on the Higher History subject page.

You may also find the annual course reports useful. These are published on the Higher
History subject page.

Summary
Provisional results for Higher History should be a holistic judgement based on a candidate’s
demonstrated attainment in each of the following:

 knowledge and understanding from the three areas of study of the Higher History course:
  British, European and world, and Scottish history
 application of the skills required in essay questions for the British, European and world
  history question paper, and in each of the four different question types in the Scottish
  history question paper listed above

If you have candidate evidence for the assignment component, then you may also consider
this when reaching a provisional result for each candidate.

                                                                                               6