Paper 2: British Depth Study Technique

Paper 2 Section B — the British Depth Study — is the second 32-mark half of Paper 2. Like Section A, there are no sources. Unlike Section A, the focus is narrow and intense: a single period of British history studied in depth. The question structure is different too: Q4(a) describe features (4 marks), Q4(b) explain why (12 marks), then a choice between Q4(c) and Q4(d) — both 16-mark "how far do you agree" judgements. Total: 32 marks in ~48 minutes. This lesson works through each question, with Grade 4/6/9 examples on Q4(c).

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Overview of Section B

Q	Type	Marks	AO	Time
4(a)	Describe two features of [X]	4	AO1	5 min
4(b)	Explain why [X] happened	12	AO1 + AO2	18 min
4(c) OR 4(d)	"How far do you agree" judgement on a named statement	16	AO1 + AO2	25 min

Depth study options include:

• Option B1 — Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88
• Option B2 — The reigns of King Richard I and King John, 1189–1216
• Option B3 — Henry VIII and his Ministers, 1509–40
• Option B4 — Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88
• Option B5 — The English Reformation, c1520–c1550
• Option B6 — The Making of America, 1789–1900

Key Point: Depth studies reward specific names, dates and fine-grained details. You should know your chosen depth study to the year — "1086 Domesday Book", "1588 Spanish Armada", "1534 Act of Supremacy".

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Q4(a) — Describe Two Features (4 marks, AO1)

Q4(a) asks: "Describe two features of [X]." For example: "Describe two features of the Domesday Survey (1086)."

What Q4(a) rewards

• Two distinct features.
• Each with a short explanatory development (not just a label).
• 1 mark for identifying the feature, 1 mark for explaining it — per feature, so 4 total.

Q4(a) structure (5 min, ~80 words)

Feature 1: [concise statement]

[one sentence of specific detail developing the feature]

Feature 2: [concise statement]

[one sentence of specific detail developing the feature]

Q4(a) example — Domesday Survey

Feature 1: The Domesday Survey was comprehensive in scale.

It recorded land, livestock, mills and peasants for almost every manor in England, generating two surviving volumes (Great Domesday and Little Domesday) totalling around 13,000 entries.

Feature 2: The survey was organised by royal commissioners.

William sent commissioners to seven circuits of England, each receiving sworn evidence from hundreds and shire courts, which ensured standardisation across counties.

That is 4/4. Note: features are distinct (scale vs organisation), and each has specific factual development.

Q4(a) pitfalls

• Writing one feature with two pieces of detail — marked as 2 max, not 4.
• Vague features ("it was important") — no AO1 credit.
• Drifting into "explain why" mode — this is AO1 description only.

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Q4(b) — Explain Why (12 marks, AO1 + AO2)

Q4(b) is structurally identical to Paper 1 Q4 — explain why, three factors (two prompts + one own), specific evidence, causal analysis. Review Lesson 4 if you need to re-drill the structure.

Q4(b) example prompt

"Explain why Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1534. You may use the following in your answer: Catherine of Aragon; Thomas Cromwell. You must also use information of your own." (12 marks)

Q4(b) skeleton plan

• Factor 1 — Catherine of Aragon: the divorce need; Pope Clement VII's refusal 1527–32; Henry's need for a male heir; Anne Boleyn pregnant by early 1533. Causal link: without Papal grant, Henry had to sever from Rome to get an annulment.
• Factor 2 — Thomas Cromwell: his administrative and legal genius; the Act in Restraint of Appeals 1533; the Act of Supremacy 1534. Causal link: Cromwell provided the legal mechanism that turned Henry's frustration into statute.
• Factor 3 (own) — financial motives: the dissolution of the monasteries began 1536; Henry and Cromwell recognised that ecclesiastical wealth could flow into royal coffers. Causal link: the break created the conditions for the dissolution, delivering around £1.3 million to the Crown by 1540.

Each factor gets a paragraph. Use "because", "which led to", "consequently". Short synthesis sentence at the end.

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Q4(c) / Q4(d) — Judgement Question (16 marks, AO1 + AO2)

Q4(c) and Q4(d) are the heavyweight question of Section B. You answer ONE of them. Each gives a statement with "How far do you agree?" For example:

"(c) 'The main reason for the success of Elizabeth I's settlement of religion in 1559 was the weakness of opposition.' How far do you agree? Explain your answer. (16 marks)"

What Q4(c)/(d) rewards

• A clear argument from the start, not a fence-sitting survey.
• EVIDENCE for the statement.
• COUNTER-EVIDENCE against the statement.
• A substantiated judgement reached through weighing.
• Specific AO1 throughout — named people, dates, statutes.
• Analytical AO2 — causation, interaction of factors, relative importance.

Level descriptors

Level	Marks	Description
1	1–4	Simple agreement/disagreement, little specific detail, no analysis
2	5–8	Some agree and disagree, some specific detail, limited analytical weighing
3	9–12	Developed agree and disagree, sustained detail, some analytical weighing
4	13–16	Analytical judgement sustained throughout, fully developed evidence, explicit weighing, clear substantiated conclusion

Q4(c)/(d) structure (25 min, ~500 words)

Paragraph	Job
Intro	One sentence stating your overall judgement
1	Factor / argument FOR the statement, with specific evidence and AO2 analysis
2	Second factor FOR the statement, with specific evidence
3	Counter-argument AGAINST the statement — other factor(s) that mattered, with specific evidence
4	(Optional) second counter-factor or interaction
Conclusion	Substantiated judgement — weigh the factors, reach a clear verdict

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Worked Q4(c) — Elizabethan Religious Settlement

Question: "'The main reason for the success of Elizabeth I's religious settlement of 1559 was the weakness of opposition.' How far do you agree?" (16 marks)

Grade 4 answer (Level 1–2, 6 marks)

"I agree that the weakness of opposition was the main reason for the success of the religious settlement. The Catholics were not united. The bishops refused to back it but most people went along with it.