2015 Notes from the Marking Centre – Modern History
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Modern History course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2015 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2015 Higher School Certificate Modern History examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Modern History in Stage 6.
Section I – World War I 1914–1919
Question 4
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using the source and/or the text to identify the activities of women on the home front in Britain during World War 1.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- making a clear interpretative link between the text and photo.
Question 7
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- using both Sources C and D and own knowledge to outline how attitudes to the war changed in Germany from 1914 to 1918
- using own knowledge to either add value to the information contained in the sources or clearly differentiating from that contained in the sources.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- ensuring that their answer responds to the question, rather than simply discussing the Homefront in Germany
- referring to both sources.
Question 8
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- making a judgement about the usefulness of Sources A and C for a historian studying attitudes towards a quick victory on the Western Front
- understanding the term ‘perspective’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘reliability’.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- avoiding simplistic generalisations such as Source A is reliable because it is a primary source
- ensuring that each of the terms is applied correctly, that is, not interchanging usefulness and reliability
- using the terms of the question to make a more explicit judgement about usefulness
- ensuring that both sources are given thoughtful consideration
- providing a judgement rather than a description of the sources
- providing too much context or background rather than answering the question.
Section II – Twentieth Century National Studies
Questions 9–17
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- making a judgement or assessment
- presenting a sophisticated argument or explanation as the question requires
- using very specific, relevant and accurate historical information.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing a sustained judgement or assessment rather than a narrative or general response
- integrating specific historical detail to support the response
- making reference to the statement where it is part of the question.
Section III – Personalities in the Twentieth Century
Question 18
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing a detailed, relevant and accurate description (Q18a)
- using a range of appropriate historical terms and concepts
- making an assessment with a logical and cohesive argument (Q18b)
- evaluating the significance of the personality studied (Q18b)
- making reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q18b).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- responding to the question rather than relying on prepared answers
- making an assessment rather than providing general statements (Q18a)
- ensuring information is relevant to the parameters of the question (Q18a)
- avoiding narrative and descriptive responses (Q18b)
- making specific reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q18b).
Section IV – International Studies in Peace and Conflict
Questions 19–25
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- addressing the question asked with a clear and sustained judgement
- using appropriate terms and concepts
- providing detailed, accurate historical information
- presenting a sustained and detailed assessment.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- avoiding narrative or descriptive responses that do not make a judgement
- making reference to the statement where it is part of the question
- including relevant historical knowledge rather than making general statements.
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