There will be two assessment components:
- A report on the research study
- A terminal examination
Report on the research study
The research study will be assessed through the medium of a report. The report will be pre-submitted to the examining authority.
Mark allocation
The percentage of the total marks to be allocated to this component is 20%. The marks are to be weighted as follows:
Outline plan - 3%
Evaluation of sources - 5%
Extended essay - 12%
Authentication procedures
The report must be the candidate's own work. Authentication procedures will be put in place to ensure compliance with this requirement. These will include a protocol in relation to the use of internet-sourced material.
The terminal examination
Mark allocation
The percentage of the total marks to be allocated to this component will be 80%.
The Higher level paper
- Candidates will answer four questions, one on each of the four topics studied. All four questions will be of equal value. One of the questions will be documents-based.
- With the exception of topics nominated for the documents-based study, a specified number of questions will be asked on each of the topics.
- In the case of each topic, at least two of the three perspectives will be examined each year.
The Ordinary level paper
- Candidates will answer four questions, one on each of the four topics studied. All four questions will be of equal value. Three of the questions will be general questions, while one will be documents-based.
- One question will be set on each topic.
- An element of choice will be "built in" to each of the general questions.
- A common format will apply to each of the general questions and each will be stimulus-driven. The stimulus is intended to facilitate candidate recognition of the topic and as a reasonably gentle lead-in to more testing examination of knowledge and understanding. The common format will include stimulus-driven questions (testing comprehension and/or identification) and paragraphs or short essays linked to the key personalities and case studies.
The documents-based question
- Documents chosen will relate to one of the listed case studies. Documents may be either visual or written. ("Written" is defined as including transcripts of radio and television interviews and oral testimony.)
- The format of the documents-based question will be as follows:
- Section 1: Comprehension
- Section 2: Comparison
- Section 3: Criticism
- Section 4: Contextualisation.
- It is envisaged that the documents-based question will involve the use of a number of short, thematically-linked and "pointed" extracts that will test candidates' ability to interrogate, correlate and evaluate a particular body of evidence.
- The contextualisation section is designed to ensure that candidates can relate the subject matter and provenance of documents to the general themes of the topic and specific issues and events therein, as appropriate.
- In the allocation of marks, there will be a higher weighting for the comprehension section at Ordinary level and a higher weighting for the contextualisation section at Higher level.