Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge Pre-U History (9769)

Syllabus overview

The Cambridge Pre-U History course requires learners to study different areas and substantial periods of history.

The course encourages historical debate and discussion. It raises questions which elicit learners’ supported views, judgements and comparisons.

The course encourages learners to use independent study skills, to read widely, write fluently, and to develop the capacity to formulate and justify ideas about the past. It includes document-based studies to develop learners' skills in interpreting and evaluating evidence.

Syllabuses

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

Syllabus updates

Summary of the changes
- We have updated the syllabus and all assessment materials in response to recent Ofqual guidance and feedback received from teachers and examiners.
  
  How has the syllabus changed?
  The main changes to the syllabus content are:
  - Paper 5 Special Subject content is reduced to 4 topics instead of 6 topics, and nominated topics will not be stated in the syllabus.
  - Paper 6 guidance has been revised to allow teachers to give non-subject-specific feedback to candidates on draft Personal Investigations.
  How has the assessment changed?
  - Paper 5 Special Subject papers will have no Section B essay, and the two document-based questions will cover two different topic areas.
  - Papers 1-4 History Outlines papers will allow candidates to answer any 3 questions from any section, and restrictions on questions related to Special Subjects have been removed.
  - The mark schemes for all papers and the Personal Investigation have been updated to support the assessment.
  When do these changes take place?
  
  The updated syllabus is for examination in June 2022. Please see the 2022 syllabus above for full details.

Important notices

Withdrawal of Cambridge Pre-U History (9769)
- The last examination series for Cambridge Pre-U History (9769) will be June 2023. There is a resit opportunity in June 2024, there is no option for candidates to resit after this date. We communicated this decision to schools in November 2019.
  
  Cambridge International and OCR (Oxford, Cambridge & RSA) exam boards are both part of the Cambridge Assessment group. Between us, we are able to offer alternative post-16 qualifications in history. This mapping document shows how the areas of study, assessment objectives, and assessment methods map to equivalent alternative qualifications.
Front covers
- We have made some changes to the wording and layout of the front covers of our question papers to reflect the new Cambridge International branding and to make instructions clearer for candidates.
  
  You will see these changes on live question papers from June 2020 and therefore we have made these changes on the specimen materials for this syllabus. The specimen questions and mark schemes remain the same.
Submit for Assessment
- Check the Submit for Assessment page and the samples database for information and guidance on submitting moderated and examined work using Submit for Assessment.

School Support Hub

We provide a wide range of support so that teachers can give their learners the best possible preparation for Cambridge programmes and qualifications. For teachers at registered Cambridge schools, support materials for specific syllabuses are available from the School Support Hub (username and password required).

Main navigation

Cambridge Primary

Cambridge Lower Secondary

Cambridge Upper Secondary

Cambridge Advanced

Other

Cambridge Exams Officers' Guide