Cambridge
International AS & A Level History
What’s changed, and how we’re supporting you
Meet the team
Raquel Courtney
John Etty
Biljana Savikj
Jennifer Wade
Jane Sly
Overview of changes to the syllabus
Raquel Courtney
Cambridge AS & A Level History (9489)
General introduction
• Revised syllabus for first assessment in 2027.
• Chance to refresh the syllabus topics with improved support for teachers and students.
• Chance to update our guidance in the syllabus on the Details of assessment to clarify the requirements and to revise the mark schemes to aid clarity.
• Designed to progress from the skills developed in our Cambridge IGCSE and O Level History qualifications.
Key changes - Syllabus
What remains the same? What is new?
• The syllabus continues to have options to choose from depending on the interest and expertise of schools.
• The European, American and International options continue to be available.
• The content in Paper 3 Historical Interpretations has not changed.
• The historical skills and styles of questions are the same. .
• The content has been revised and exemplified, with minor changes made to key questions, date ranges and content.
• Further detail has been added to give clarity and aid teaching.
• Topics have been streamlined with focus on the most popular topics.
• The list of command words have been updated.
• The Table B marking grids in Papers 1 and 2 have been updated to help teachers better understand what examiners are looking for in examiner responses.
What has changed in the AS Level Paper 1 & 2 content?
European option
The number of topics has been reduced from four to three.
The topic on The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 1750–1850 has been removed.
American option
The content has been restructured and reduced from four topics to three.
International option
The number of topics has been reduced from four to three.
The topic on China and Japan, 1912-45 has been removed.
What has changed in the A Level Paper 4 content?
European option American option International option
The number of topics has been reduced from four to three.
The topic on Britain, 1919-39 has been removed.
The content has been restructured and reduced from four topics to three.
The number of topics has been reduced from four to three.
Some of the existing content has been retained and reorganised into new refreshed topics.
The Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe
The end of minority rule in South Africa and Zimbabwe
The route to independence in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Published endorsed resources
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Hatchette Learning
Walkthrough of our endorsed resources
Biljana Savikj
School Support Hub
School Support Hub
Access for Cambridge Schools Provides curriculum support
resources
Find more about our professional development and training
School Support Resources
Learner Guide Specimen Paper Answers Example Candidate Responses
Schemes of Work
Endorsed Support from Cambridge
Endorsed offering – AS Level History
Publishing on 8 May 2025
Graham Goodlad & Patrick Walsh-Atkins
Publishing on 29 May 2025
John Etty & Patrick Walsh-Atkins
Publishing on 8 May 2025
Tiffany West & Eric Rivas
How to use this series
Coursebook content
Coursebook content
Coursebook content
Teacher's Resource
Practical support includes academic writing activities, worksheets, and tasks focusing on key vocabulary, which help make topic-specific language easier to understand.
Detailed answer keys for all activities and worksheets to save teachers time and provide clear benchmarks for student work, facilitating efficient and accurate marking.
Specific strategies and resources for addressing language barriers help teachers support students who may struggle with the language demands of historical study.
'Common misconceptions' gives insight into typical misunderstandings allows teachers to address and correct these issues, ensuring a clearer and more accurate understanding of historical content.
Insights from our authors John Etty
Our resources
Coursebook features
Content linked to practice questions and answers
Balancing detailed content and advice for assessment
cambridge.org/internationaleducation