Unit 2C exam advice put simply
This exam will cover a range of issues on the topic of the USA 1919-1941. You will have to answer six
questions. The questions at the end of the exam carry the most marks, so start your exam by working
from the back. The paper will be 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Q
1
(a)
1
(b)
1
(c)
1
(d)
Marks
4
2
(a)
or
(b)
11*
3
(a)
or
(b)
16 + 4
SPaG
6
8
8
Type of question
Making inferences from a source e.g. What can you learn from Source A
about the New Deal in the USA?
Remembering key features e.g. Describe the key features of opposition to
Roosevelt’s first New Deal (1933-35).
Explaining the consequences (effects) of something e.g. Explain the effects
of gangsterism in the 1920s on the USA.
Explaining the causes of something e.g. Explain why the economic boom in
the USA came to an end in 1929.
Time
5 mins
Explaining a change and showing knowledge – there is always a choice: e.g.
(a) Explain how entertainment changed in the USA in the 1920s. OR (b)
Explain how the old industries declined in the USA in the 1920s.
*8 marks are for the quality of the answer. 3 marks are for the quality of your
spelling, punctuation and grammar
Evaluating a hypothesis – there is always a choice: e.g.
(a) Was advertising the main reason why there was an economic boom in the
USA in the 1920s? Explain your answer.
You may use the following in your answer:
• Advertising
• Hire purchase
You must also include information of your own.
OR
(b) Was homelessness the most important problem faced by the American
people in the years 1929-33? Explain your answer.
You may use the following in your answer:
• Homelessness
• Dust bowls
You must also include information of your own.
15 mins
8 mins
11 mins
11 mins
25 mins
Question 1(a) will ask you about what you can learn about a particular topic from one source. You
need to make two supported inferences from the sources. That means writing something you can
learn from the source and using detail from the source to prove it’s true. You could start with the
phrase ‘We can learn that...’ and you basically go Point-Evidence-Point-Evidence.
Question 1(b) will be a question that asks about some key features of a particular issue or event. You
need to write two mini-paragraphs. In each one, explain the feature and then give a bit more detail. In
answer to the question above, one paragraph could contain the following: ‘Another feature of the
criticism was the belief amongst some people that the New Deal did not go far enough. Critics such as
Father Coughlin and Huey Long suggested nationalising the banks and introducing pensions.’
Question 1(c) will ask you to explain the effects of something that happened. You should write about
two effects – for instance, in answer to the question above, you could write a mini-paragraph about
how gangsterism led to violence, and another one about how it led to corruption. To get full marks,
you must show how the effects were linked – e.g. how one effect led to another.
Question 1(d) will ask you about the causes of something – why an event happened. You must write
about two causes and show how it caused the stated outcome that the question mentions. For
instance, show how high unemployment meant people had less money to spend on consumer goods,
causing lower profits, meaning share prices fell until there was panic buying. To get full marks, explain
which cause was most important or show how two causes were linked.
Question 2 will be a question about how something changed or developed. You will be able to choose
between (a) or (b) – whichever you like most. Watch your spelling, punctuation and grammar and try
to use key vocabulary. Write about two changes and explain fully how each led to a change in the
situation. To get full marks, show what links there are between the two factors – e.g. how did one
affect the other.
Question 3 asks you to use your knowledge to make a judgement on the most important problem or
the most important reasons or the most important consequences. You should write three paragraphs
and a conclusion. In each of your paragraphs, you should explain how important an issue was in
answer to the question. Use the bullet points if you want but you must also write about something
not in the bullet points. This is the most important question to do well on so make sure you go into
detail in each paragraph. You should then come to a brief conclusion on which was most important
and compare it to the others e.g. Advertising was more important than hire purchase because it was
what made people want to buy things but neither were as important as mass production because
without that goods would have been too expensive. You should then add ‘But all three reasons were
necessary for this to happen.’ 3 extra marks are given depending on the quality of your use of spelling,
punctuation and grammar.
NOTE – for questions 1(b), (c), (d) and 2(a)/(b), you are asked to write about two factors. However, if
you don’t have time or if you find the question difficult, you will get more marks if you write about
one factor in lots of detail than if you write about two factors in less detail.