Covers all three AS options (European, American, International), all three A Level Paper 3 topics, and all three A Level Paper 4 depth-study options. Use the picker below to show only the combination your school teaches.
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| Topic | Sub-Topic | Resources | Assessments | Confidence (1–5) | Last Reviewed | Next Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS1. AS Option (European): France, 1774–1814 | What were the causes and immediate outcomes of the 1789 Revolution? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): France, 1774–1814 | Why were French governments unstable from 1790 to 1795? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): France, 1774–1814 | Why was Napoleon Bonaparte able to overthrow the Directory in 1799? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): France, 1774–1814 | What were Napoleon Bonaparte's domestic aims and achievements from 1799 to 1814? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS1. AS Option (European): The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 | What were the causes of the Industrial Revolution? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 | Why was there a rapid growth of industrialisation after 1780? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 | Why, and with what consequences, did urbanisation result from industrialisation? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 | Why, and with what consequences, did industrialisation result in popular protest and political change? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS1. AS Option (European): Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71 | What were the causes of the Revolutions in 1848–49? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71 | What were the consequences of the 1848–49 Revolutions? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71 | What were Bismarck's intentions for Prussia and Germany from 1862 to 1866? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815–71 | How and why was the unification of Germany achieved by 1871? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS1. AS Option (European): The Russian Revolution, 1894–1921 | What were the causes and outcomes of the 1905 Revolution? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Russian Revolution, 1894–1921 | What were the causes and immediate outcomes of the February Revolution in 1917? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Russian Revolution, 1894–1921 | How and why did the Bolsheviks gain power in October 1917? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 1. AS Option (European): The Russian Revolution, 1894–1921 | How were the Bolsheviks able to consolidate their power up to 1921? | Study | Quiz | |||
| AS2. AS Option (American): Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61 | How was the issue of slavery addressed between 1820 and 1850? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61 | How and why did sectional divisions widen between 1850 and 1856? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61 | Why did the Republicans win the 1860 presidential election? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Origins of the Civil War, 1820–61 | Why did the Civil War begin in April 1861? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS2. AS Option (American): Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77 | Why did the Civil War last four years? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77 | How significant was the immediate impact of the Civil War (1861–65)? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77 | What were the aims and outcomes of Reconstruction? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–77 | How successful was Reconstruction? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS2. AS Option (American): The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s–1920 | Why was the late nineteenth century an age of rapid industrialisation? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s–1920 | How significant were the consequences of rapid economic growth in the late nineteenth century? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s–1920 | What were the main aims and policies of the Progressive Movement and how popular were they? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1870s–1920 | How successful was the Progressive Movement up to 1920? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS2. AS Option (American): The Great Crash, Great Depression and New Deal, 1920–41 | What were the causes of the Great Crash? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Great Crash, Great Depression and New Deal, 1920–41 | What were the causes and impacts of the Great Depression? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Great Crash, Great Depression and New Deal, 1920–41 | How effective were Roosevelt's strategies to deal with the domestic problems facing the USA in the 1930s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 2. AS Option (American): The Great Crash, Great Depression and New Deal, 1920–41 | Why was there opposition to the New Deal policies and what impact did it have? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS3. AS Option (International): Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 | Why was imperialism a significant force for late 19th-century Europe? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 | What was the impact of imperial expansion on international relations? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 | Why did Japan emerge as a world power and what was the impact on international relations? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 | Why did the USA emerge as a world power and what was the impact on international relations? | Study | Quiz | |||
| AS3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s | Why was there dissatisfaction with the peace settlements of 1919–20? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s | How and why did international tensions remain high between 1920 and 1923? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s | How successful were attempts to improve international relations from 1924–29? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1920s | How successful was the League of Nations during the 1920s? | Study | Quiz | |||
| AS3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s | How did the rise of extremism affect international relations? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s | Why did the League of Nations fail to keep the peace in the 1930s? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s | Why, and with what effects, did Britain and France pursue a policy of appeasement? | Study | Quiz | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s | Why did war break out in 1939? | Study | Quiz | |||
| AS3. AS Option (International): China and Japan, 1912–45 | What were the implications of the 'warlord era' which affected China from 1916–27? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): China and Japan, 1912–45 | How effectively did Chiang Kai-shek deal with the communists in the period 1927–36? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): China and Japan, 1912–45 | Why did the Chinese Communist Party gain support up to 1945? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 3. AS Option (International): China and Japan, 1912–45 | Why did Japan become a military dictatorship in the 1930s and with what consequences? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| AS4. AS Skills (Papers 1 & 2) | Paper 1 document technique: comparing and evaluating two sources, then using all sources plus knowledge | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. AS Skills (Papers 1 & 2) | Paper 2 outline-study essay technique: causal explanation and weighing significance of factors | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. AS Skills (Papers 1 & 2) | Causation, consequence, continuity, change, significance (AO2) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. AS Skills (Papers 1 & 2) | Recall and selection of historical knowledge (AO1) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 4. AS Skills (Papers 1 & 2) | Time management across Paper 1 (1hr15) and Paper 2 (1hr45) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| ↓ A Level content begins. Papers 3 & 4 build on AS Level material. AS content is assumed knowledge. | ||||||
| A LevelPaper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | Tensions between the Great Powers, including the Moroccan Crises | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | The alliance system, growth of militarism and the arms race | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | Instability in the Balkans and war plans | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | The assassination at Sarajevo and the July crisis | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | Mobilisation and declarations of war | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 1: The origins of the First World War | Interpretations: the Fischer thesis and challenges to it, and the relative importance of long- and short-term factors | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | The background of European and German anti-Semitism and racist theories | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | Nazi anti-Semitism and persecution of the Jews, 1933–41 | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | The impact of war on Nazi policy towards the Jews | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | Ghettoisation and Jewish responses to the Holocaust | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | The development of Nazi extermination policies towards Jews and other minorities | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | Contemporary reactions to the Holocaust | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 2: The Holocaust | Interpretations: Intentionalist, Structuralist and Functionalist approaches to why the Holocaust occurred | Study | Quiz | |||
| A LevelPaper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | Tensions in the wartime alliance against the Axis powers | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | Peace-making at the end of the Second World War | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | Increasing tensions in a divided Europe | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | The Berlin Blockade and Airlift | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 3, Topic 3: The origins and development of the Cold War | Interpretations: Traditional, Revisionist and Post-Revisionist approaches to who was to blame | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 European depth study: Mussolini's Italy, 1919–41 | Why did Mussolini gain power in 1922? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Mussolini's Italy, 1919–41 | How was Italy governed under Mussolini? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Mussolini's Italy, 1919–41 | How far were Mussolini's economic policies a success? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Mussolini's Italy, 1919–41 | How far did society change because of Mussolini's regime? | Study | Quiz | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 European depth study: Stalin's Russia, 1924–41 | Why did Stalin gain power from 1924? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Stalin's Russia, 1924–41 | How was the USSR governed under Stalin? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Stalin's Russia, 1924–41 | How effective were Stalin's economic policies? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Stalin's Russia, 1924–41 | How far did society change because of Stalin's regime? | Study | Quiz | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 European depth study: Hitler's Germany, 1929–41 | Why did Hitler gain power in 1933? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Hitler's Germany, 1929–41 | How was Germany governed by Hitler? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Hitler's Germany, 1929–41 | How effective were Hitler's economic policies? | Study | Quiz | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Hitler's Germany, 1929–41 | How far did society change because of Hitler's regime? | Study | Quiz | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 European depth study: Britain, 1919–39 | How and why did politics change in this period? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Britain, 1919–39 | How did the economy develop in this period? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Britain, 1919–39 | How and why did society change? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 European depth study: Britain, 1919–39 | How effectively did Britain prepare for the approach of war, 1934–39? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 American depth study: The late 1940s and 1950s | Why and how were the late 1940s and 1950s a time of economic prosperity? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The late 1940s and 1950s | How far did society change in the late 1940s and the 1950s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The late 1940s and 1950s | How far were the late 1940s and 1950s a time of party political stability? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The late 1940s and 1950s | How effective was the civil rights movement in the 1950s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 American depth study: The 1960s and the 1970s | Why and how did the USA experience a deteriorating economic situation in the 1960s and 1970s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1960s and the 1970s | How great were the social changes of the 1960s and 1970s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1960s and the 1970s | How far were the 1960s and 1970s a time of party political instability? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1960s and the 1970s | How far did the position of ethnic minorities improve in the 1960s and 1970s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 American depth study: The 1980s and early 1990s | How far did the US economy improve in the 1980s and early 1990s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1980s and early 1990s | How effective were responses to the social challenges facing the USA in the 1980s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1980s and early 1990s | How and why did the 1980s and early 1990s mark a return of party political stability? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: The 1980s and early 1990s | How far did the position of ethnic minorities improve in the 1980s? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 American depth study: Foreign policy, 1944–92 | How did US leadership of the global economy develop and change from 1944 to 1970? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: Foreign policy, 1944–92 | Was US foreign policy towards communism between 1950 and 1963 a policy of containment or rollback? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: Foreign policy, 1944–92 | Why, and with what success, did the USA follow a policy of détente between 1963 and 1979? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 American depth study: Foreign policy, 1944–92 | How far did the USA change its policies towards the communist world between 1980 and 1991? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 International depth study: US–Soviet relations during the Cold War, 1950–91 | How did US–Soviet relations develop between 1950 and 1980? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: US–Soviet relations during the Cold War, 1950–91 | Why was there a crisis over Cuba in the 1960s and how did it affect US–Soviet relations? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: US–Soviet relations during the Cold War, 1950–91 | How did the arms race affect US–Soviet relations? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: US–Soviet relations during the Cold War, 1950–91 | Why did the Cold War come to an end in 1989? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 International depth study: The spread of communism in East and Southeast Asia, 1945–91 | What was the impact of the end of the Second World War on this region? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: The spread of communism in East and Southeast Asia, 1945–91 | Why was there war in Korea and what were its consequences? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: The spread of communism in East and Southeast Asia, 1945–91 | Why did the US intervene in Vietnam and what were the consequences? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: The spread of communism in East and Southeast Asia, 1945–91 | How did the Cold War affect Sino–US relations? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 International depth study: Decolonisation, the Cold War and the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1950–92 | How did African nations gain their independence from the colonial powers? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Decolonisation, the Cold War and the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1950–92 | What problems faced the newly independent nations? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Decolonisation, the Cold War and the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1950–92 | In what ways were African countries affected by Cold War tensions? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Decolonisation, the Cold War and the UN in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1950–92 | How effective was UN peacekeeping in Africa? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A LevelPaper 4 International depth study: Conflict in the Middle East, 1948–91 | How and why was the state of Israel created? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Conflict in the Middle East, 1948–91 | How did the Arab–Israeli conflict develop between 1948 and 1979? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Conflict in the Middle East, 1948–91 | What impact did the Cold War have on the conflict in the Middle East? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| Paper 4 International depth study: Conflict in the Middle East, 1948–91 | What additional factors led to the de-stabilisation of the Middle East between 1975 and 1991? | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A Level7. Historical skills (across A Level) | Evaluating source utility and reliability | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Historical skills (across A Level) | Analysing differing historical interpretations (AO4) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Historical skills (across A Level) | Building a sustained, evaluative argument | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Historical skills (across A Level) | Integrating historiography meaningfully (not name-dropping) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| 7. Historical skills (across A Level) | Revision strategies: timeline, key concepts, cause/effect maps | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
Use with our Past Paper Finder for Cambridge A Level History 9489 past papers. Check with your teacher which option (European, American or International) your school is studying.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official Cambridge A Level History 9489 syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. It is aligned to the AS & A Level tier expectations. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
12–16 weeks of focused revision, working through one topic group per week with weekly past-paper practice, is a realistic target for most A Level students. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 Cambridge A Level History 9489 specification published by Cambridge. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.