Exam Technique

Question 1

Section A&B info

Answer 1

• Worth a total of 20 marks.
• Spend no longer than 45 minutes.
• Contains 2 questions, choose ONE to answer.
• Essay Form (intro, five paras, conclusion).
• Tests knowledge of period from 1917 to 1985.

Question 2

Section C info

Answer 2

• Worth a total of 20 marks.
• Spend no longer than 45 minutes.
• Contains 1 question which you must answer.
• Essay Form (intro, 3 main body paras and a conclusion)
• Tests knowledge of the period from 1985-1991.
• Question is based on the fall of the USSR and how historians have interpreted this event.
• Will require an extracts booklet containing 2 secondary sources.

Question 3

Section A&B Writing

Answer 3

1. Plan your answer using a three-step planning process: DECODE THE QUESTION, STATE YOUR ARGUMENT and PLAN YOUR PARAGRAPHS. Spend three minutes planning each answer.
2. Your introduction must set the scene, state your argument and outline your paragraphs.
3. The 5 main body paragraphs should have a PEEhL structure, each making a different point that is relevant to the question.
4. Your answer should finish with a conclusion that is clearly signposted, summarises your argument and considers the significance of your points.

Question 4

Section C Writing

Answer 4

1. Plan your answer using a three-step analysis process for each of the extracts: INDEnTIFY THE INTERPRETATION, SUMMARISE THE ARGUMENT and SELECT A QUOTATION. You should spend 10 minutes planning your answer.
2. Your introduction should set the scene, introduce the interpretations and outline your argument.
3. Your main body should have three paragraphs. The first paragraph should be based on Extract 1, the second on Extract 2 and the final based on wider knowledge (Yeltsin paragraph).
4. Finish with a conclusion that is clearly signposted, makes an overall judgement and summarises your argument.

Question 5

Section C Para 3: Yeltsin Paragraph

Answer 5

A failing of both extracts is that neither devotes adequate attention to the personal actions of Yeltsin in bringing about the collapse of the Soviet Union. For example, Yeltsin publically criticised the Communist Party at the Nineteenth Party Congress in 1988, in an attack broadcast to millions of people on television. Yeltsin then publically resigned from the Communist Party in July 1990, sparking a mass exodus that led to membership dropping by almost three million over the next twelve months. In June 1990, Yeltsin then declared that laws made by the Russian parliament were legally superior to those passed by the central government. Yeltsin’s actions contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union because they undermined the authority of the Communist Party, which had been largely unchallenged since their consolidation of power in the early 1920s. Yeltsin also achieved a hero status that made him the focal point of rebellion and gave him the political authority to not only defeat the attempted coup in August 1991, but also to demand Gorbachev’s resignation and the formal termination of the USSR’s existence later that year. However, it could be argued that Yeltsin’s greatest contribution to the demise of the USSR also linked to nationalist unrest, as he fueled Russian nationalism by declaring laws passed the Russian parliament legally superior to those passed by the central government. He also announced the creation of an independent Russian army, free from central government influence. This was particularly damaging as Russia contained the majority of the population and a significant proportion of the wealth in the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, Yeltsin was the driving force of Russian nationalism and was at the heart of the action during the process of collapse, meaning his personal actions should not be underestimated. Therefore, the personal actions of Gorbachev and Yeltsin must also be taken into account when explaining the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Question 6

Section C: Standard Introduction

Answer 6

The USSR was formed in 1922 as a highly centralised union of communist republics. By the time Gorbachev became leader in 1985, the USSR was characterised by political apathy and economic stagnation. Gorbachev attempted to remedy these issues, but his actions were ultimately unsuccessful and the USSR officially ceased to exist on 31st December 1991. The reasons for this collapse are a topic of debate amongst historians.