The Common Entrance History Exam Practice Questions and Answers book has been created to provide a useful resource for teachers, pupils and parents as they prepare for the rigours of the new format of the History Common Entrance Examination, starting in November 2022. It, along with the new History textbook and the Revision Guide, aims to provide a wealth of content and advice to prepare pupils for the exam. With the examination’s emphasis on skills as well as content, candidates will benefit from a chance to work through the various exercises.
The Common Entrance History Examination is made up of two sections, the first being evidence. Using two unseen historical sources of information, candidates need to develop and practice their understanding of such concepts as the utility, or usefulness, of historical sources and learn how to compare and contrast different sources. In the essay section of the examination, candidates need to learn how to show analysis and judgment about the relative importance of various events or factors and to develop an argument examining various viewpoints about the subject about which they are writing.
The Practice Questions and Answers book is made-up of a series of evidence and essay questions allowing pupils to learn and develop the necessary skills for the CE exam. In the case of the evidence questions, the book uses historical sources that are linked to the various topics pupils could be studying in Years 7 and 8. This will allow pupils to work on the necessary skills called for when working with any historical sources while also providing extra content for a number of different examination essay topics. The book does not focus on the specified examination topics for the practice examination essays, instead providing practice essays on a variety of other topics. The focus is on developing the skills to deal with the type of questions that will be asked in an examination essay. It will be easy to transfer the style of question to fit specific essay topics contained in the examination.
In the examination both evidence and essay questions are divided into three parts, with a total of 20 marks for the evidence and 30 for the essay. One of the key skills needed by candidates is to keep their answers focused and to an appropriate length. The Practice Questions and Answers book supports developing this skill as every practice question is provided with an example answer. In selected cases, a whole range of answers from basic (Level 1) to ideal (Level 3) are provided. This allows users of the book the opportunity to compare their efforts to the length and style of answers provided by the authors of the book, all members of the ISEB’s Common Entrance History setting team.
Bob Pace is the chief exam setter for ISEB Common Entrance History and is the author of the Common Entrance 13+ History Exam Practice Questions and Answers.
Our new Common Entrance 13+ History series is aligned to the new ISEB specifications for the first exams from November 2022.