Modern history exams are a bit of an enigma, mostly because in the Australia education system history assessment is not typically based on memorising facts, dates etc. Below we’ve put together a few top tips on how to prepare well.

1. Study the Question Types, Not Just the Content

Modern history exams repeat the same kinds of questions:

  • Explain

You need to show how or why something occurred (casues, processes)

Explain questions sound like this: “Explain the reasons for the collapse of the Weimer Republic by 1933.”

  • Analyse

You need to break an issue into parts and show relationships

Analyse questions sound like this: “Analyse the impact of propaganda on popular support for the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1939.”

  • Evaluate

You need to make a judgement about significance, effectiveness or importance

Evaluate questions sound like this: “Evaluate the extent to which economic factors were the most significant cause of the Russian Revolution in 1917.”

  • Source analysis

You need to interpret sources in context

Source analysis questions sound like this: “Using source A and your own knowledge, analyse how the source reflects the aims of the Nazi regime in the 1930s.”

  • Short answer vs extended response

In short answers, you need to focus on precision and concision.

Short answer questions sound like this: “Identify TWO feature of the New Deal and outline their impact on American society.”

In extended response, you need to focus on sustained argument.

Extend response questions sound like this: “Opposition, rather than consent, best explains how authoritarian regimes maintain power. To what extend does this statement apply to one authoritarian state you have studied?”

As you prepare for your exam, make sure you know what each verb demands. Practise structuring answers as much as revising facts. Often marks are lost on poor structure, not lack of knowledge.

2. Learn Evidence in Bundles 

Instead of memorising endless facts, organise content into evidence packages:

  • 2-3 historians’ perspectives
  • 3-4 precise factual examples (dates, policies, events)
  • A clear link to a key debate (cause, impact, significance)

3. Practise source questions actively

For every source, train yourself to identify:

  • Origin (author, date, context)
  • Purpose (why it was created)
  • Content (what it says/shows)
  • Perspective (what view it promotes)
  • Limitations (what it cannot tell us)

Then link the source directly to the question – description alone earns few marks.

4. Write under timed conditions

History exams reward clear, fast thinking.

Make sure that you practise writing your introductions in under 5 minutes, planning essays quickly (dot points and not paragraphs), writing topic sentences that directly answer the question.

5. Use the language of historians

High scoring responses use:

  • Analytical verbs (demonstrates, challenges, reinforces)
  • Historiographical awareness (“Some historians argue…however…”)
  • Judgement (“Overall, the most significant factor was…” )

Markers want to see argument and judgement, not narration of a story.

Happy studying historians!