OxfordAQA IGCSE World History: Studies in Change (9245)

This guide covers Paper 2 Studies in Change, one of two papers in OxfordAQA International GCSE History (9245), for teaching from September 2026, first examined May/June 2028. Like Paper 1, it is a written exam lasting 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 60 marks and 50% of the GCSE.

Where this fits in 9245

Paper 1 focuses on 20th-century international relations through named depth studies. Paper 2 shifts to a different historical skill: tracing change over a longer period, either within one society (Section A) or across a broad theme spanning centuries (Section B). Each section offers a genuine choice, so – as with Paper 1 – the specific content that matters to a candidate depends on which options their centre selects.

Syllabus coverage

OXFORDAQA INTERNATIONAL GCSE HISTORY (9245) — PAPER 2 STUDIES IN CHANGE

Section A — Societies in change (choose 1 of 3):

• Life in Germany, 1919–1949
• Life in Russia and the USSR, 1914–1953
• Life in the USA, 1919–1968

Section B — Thematic studies in change (choose 1 of 2):

• Technology and change, c800–present day
• Medicine and change, c800–present day

How to approach it

Section A’s societies-in-change options ask candidates to understand how political, social and economic life within one country shifted over several decades – revision should track change chronologically, identifying turning points (a change of regime, a war, an economic crisis) rather than treating the period as a single static snapshot. Section B’s thematic studies span from c800 to the present day, an enormous timeframe that rewards a different revision approach entirely: rather than memorising a continuous narrative, build a small set of well-chosen turning-point moments across the period (for example, a key medical discovery or technological innovation in each broad era) that can be used to discuss the pace and causes of change when the exam asks for it. Both sections test explanation of why change happened and how significant it was, not just description of what changed.

Assessment at a glance

Paper 2 is a 1 hour 45 minute written exam worth 60 marks, 50% of the GCSE – identical in timing and weighting to Paper 1, which examines International Relations Depth Studies. Candidates answer one question from Section A on their studied society-in-change, and one question from Section B on their studied thematic study. Because both papers carry equal weight, revision time across the two should be balanced evenly rather than skewed toward whichever paper feels more familiar.

This is a new qualification, first taught from September 2026 with first examinations in May/June 2028, so specimen materials and past papers are still limited compared with established specifications – centres switching to OxfordAQA for this qualification should treat the official specimen assessment materials as the primary source of question style until a fuller run of live past papers becomes available.

Common mistakes

Treating a Section A society-in-change option as a list of separate events rather than a connected story of political, social and economic change – examiners specifically credit answers that link cause and consequence across the period. Attempting to cover the entire c800–present timeframe evenly in a Section B thematic answer, rather than selecting the moments most relevant to the specific question asked. Confusing “change” with “progress” – the specification expects candidates to recognise that change is not always positive or linear, particularly in the technology and medicine themes, where setbacks and periods of slow progress are as significant as breakthroughs.

Because this is a brand-new qualification, candidates should also avoid assuming its content or question style will exactly mirror an older, more established specification’s approach to similar historical periods – OxfordAQA’s own materials, not general historical revision guides written for other boards, are the safest source for expected question phrasing.

Worked example

A Section B question on Medicine and change asks candidates to assess how far a named factor (for example, war, or the role of an individual) explains progress in medicine over a specified period. What separates a strong answer from a weak one?

WEAK: lists several medical developments in chronological order with
      brief description of each, mentioning the named factor only in
      passing.

STRONG: organises the answer explicitly around the named factor,
        assessing its contribution to specific developments (for
        example, how wartime demand accelerated blood transfusion or
        plastic surgery techniques), while also weighing it against
        other factors (science and technology, government, chance) to
        reach a supported judgement on how far it explains the
        change overall.

The phrase “how far” signals that the question wants a weighed judgement across multiple factors, not a single-factor narrative – this is true across both Section A and Section B of this paper.

Quick revision checklist

• For the chosen Section A society, build a chronological timeline identifying at least three or four genuine turning points across the period.
• For the chosen Section B theme, prepare a small set of well-evidenced examples spread across different eras rather than trying to cover the whole timeframe evenly.
• Practise explaining why a change happened, not only describing what changed.
• Prepare to weigh multiple factors (war, science, government, individuals, chance) against each other when a question asks “how far” something explains a change.
• Confirm exactly which Section A society and Section B theme your centre has taught before revising further.

Related resources

• Studies in Change revision notes
• Studies in Change practice questions

Official syllabus

OxfordAQA International GCSE History (9245) specification, current version, “Assessment” section (Paper 2 – Studies in Change) — oxfordaqa.com, full specification PDF linked from that page.