Edexcel IGCSE History: Diversity, Rights and Equality in Britain, 1914–2010 — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: B8 revision notes | B8 study guide

These questions practise the three Breadth Study question types of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1 Paper 2, Section B — two differences (6), two causes (8) and a 16-mark change-over-time essay — across the five key topics and themes of Breadth Study B8.

---

Set 1

1(a) Explain two ways in which women’s political rights in 1914 were different from their political rights in 1928. [6]

1(b) Explain two causes of Commonwealth immigration to Britain in the years 1948–62. [8]

1(c) “Protest and pressure groups were the main reason for improvements in racial equality in Britain in the years 1948–2010.” How far do you agree? [16]

You may use the following in your answer:

• the Bristol Bus Boycott (1963)
• the Race Relations Act (1965)

You must also use information of your own.

Set 2

2(a) Explain two ways in which opportunities for disabled people in 1914 were different from their opportunities in 1970. [6]

2(b) Explain two causes of the Equal Pay Act (1970). [8]

2(c) “The two world wars did more to change opportunities for women than any other factor in the years 1914–75.” How far do you agree? [16]

You may use the following in your answer:

• women’s war work
• the Dagenham strike (1968)

You must also use information of your own.

Set 3 — extra practice

3(a) Explain two ways in which the legal position of gay men in 1957 was different from their position in 2010. [6]

3(b) Explain two causes of the Equality Act (2010). [8]

---

Answers and mark guidance

1(a) [6]

• Voting: in 1914 no woman could vote in parliamentary elections; by 1928 women voted on the same terms as men from age 21.
• Office and professions: in 1914 women could not be MPs; from 1918 they could stand for Parliament (Nancy Astor took her seat in 1919), and the 1919 Act opened professions and juries to them.

1(b) [8]

• Labour shortages after the war: Britain needed workers for transport, the new NHS and industry, and organisations such as London Transport recruited in the Caribbean.
• Citizenship and conditions at home: the British Nationality Act (1948) confirmed the right of Commonwealth citizens to settle, while unemployment and poverty in the Caribbean and South Asia — and partition in 1947 — encouraged migration.

1(c) [16]

Protest: Claudia Jones and the West Indian Gazette; the Bristol Bus Boycott (1963); campaigns that led to the Race Relations Acts; the Stephen Lawrence campaign and the Macpherson Report (1999); diversity in culture, such as the Notting Hill Carnival. Government: Race Relations Acts (1965, 1968, 1976); Equality Act (2010) — but also restrictions (1962, 1971). Other factors: the courts (Constantine’s case), changing attitudes in a more diverse society, education. Judgement: protest exposed injustice and pushed governments; legislation made change enforceable. Strong answers show the link.

2(a) [6]

• Support: in 1914 disabled people relied mainly on families and charities; by 1970 the state required councils to provide services (Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act).
• Work and sport: in 1914 there was no employment protection; by 1970 the 1944 quota scheme existed and the Paralympic movement, begun by Guttmann in 1948, had raised the profile of disabled athletes.

2(b) [8]

• The Dagenham strike (1968): women machinists at Ford stopped production, winning public attention and meeting Barbara Castle, then Employment Secretary.
• Wider pressure: growing feminist campaigns, trade union support and the UK’s interest in joining the European Economic Community, whose treaty required equal pay.

2(c) [16]

Wars: First World War war work and the 1918 vote; Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act; the Second World War’s conscription of women, wider roles in industry and the services. Other factors: suffrage campaigns before 1914; education (1944); feminist campaigns and the Dagenham strike; laws of 1970 and 1975; changes in family life and employment. Limits: women were pushed out of jobs after both wars. Judgement: the wars opened doors but often temporarily; lasting change came from campaigns and laws in the 1960s and 1970s.

3(a) [6]

• In 1957 sex between men was a criminal offence; by 2010 it was legal and the age of consent equal.
• In 1957 there was no legal protection from discrimination; by 2010 the Equality Act protected sexual orientation (and civil partnerships existed from 2005).

3(b) [8]

• Complex earlier law: many separate Acts (1970, 1975, 1976, 1995 and others) made rights hard to enforce, so the government wanted one framework.
• Campaigns and evidence of continuing inequality: pressure groups for women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and LGBT people, and reports such as Macpherson, showed discrimination persisted.

Where marks are usually lost

• Saying all women gained the vote in 1918.
• Writing about one group when the question asks about change across the period.
• Ignoring laws that restricted rights.

Source: question patterns modelled on the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History (4HI1) specification, Issue 5, February 2026, Paper 2, Section B.

Frequently asked questions

How is the Paper 2 breadth study question structured? Part (a) asks you to explain two ways something was different at two dates (6 marks), part (b) to explain two causes (8 marks) and part (c) is a 16-mark essay on change, continuity or significance across the period.

Did all women get the vote in 1918? No. In 1918 only women over 30 who met a property qualification could vote; women voted on the same terms as men, from 21, only from 1928.

What is the most common mistake on these questions? Writing about one group or one date when the question asks about change across the period.

Are these real Edexcel past-paper questions? No. They are original questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1; use them alongside the official past papers and mark schemes.