IGCSE History: Cambridge 0470 vs Edexcel 4HI1 (Full Topics Overview)

Before you begin IGCSE History, it helps to know which exam board you’ll be taking — this is usually chosen by your school, but in some cases you may be able to choose it yourself. IGCSE History students follow one of two leading international exam boards: Cambridge International Education or Pearson Edexcel.

Cambridge offers the Cambridge IGCSE History (0470), one of the most widely taken international history qualifications for students aged 14–16, taught in over 150 countries. It is flexible because students can sit exams in June or November, and there is also a March exam series for students in India. Pearson Edexcel offers the International GCSE History (4HI1), made by the UK’s largest exam board, and follows a linear structure, meaning you take all exams at the end of the course (usually in June). Edexcel also offers a wide range of international topics and is designed to prepare students well for International A Levels. Both exam boards are well respected by universities and help students develop strong historical knowledge and exam skills.

Cambridge IGCSE™ History (0470)

The Cambridge IGCSE™ History (0470) syllabus is a globally recognized qualification designed for 14 to 16-year-olds, though it can be taken at any age. Taught in 150 countries, it focuses on world history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, encouraging learners to explore the past from political, social, economic, and cultural perspectives.

The curriculum is structured into Core Content and Depth Studies. All candidates must choose one of two "Options" for their core content, and at least one Depth Study.

Core Content: Option A – The Nineteenth Century (1848–1914)

This option focuses on the development of modern nation-states. The topics are structured around six key questions:

• The 1848 Revolutions: Examining why they occurred, whether they had commonalities, and why most of them failed.

• Italian Unification: Looking at the roles of Garibaldi, Cavour, and Mazzini, and why unity was not achieved earlier in 1848.

• German Unification: Focusing on the failure of the Frankfurt Parliament and the foreign policy of Otto von Bismarck.

• The US Civil War: Investigating the impact of slavery, Lincoln’s election, and the reasons for the North’s victory.

• Imperialism: Analyzing why nations expanded their overseas empires, with case studies on European involvement in Africa and the US in the Philippines and Cuba.

• Origins of the First World War: Exploring the Alliance System, colonial rivalries, and the crisis in the Balkans.

Core Content: Option B – The Twentieth Century (1919–Present)

This option focuses on international relations since the end of the First World War. It covers:

• The Treaty of Versailles: Evaluating whether the peace terms were fair and their impact on Germany.

• The League of Nations: Assessing its successes in the 1920s and why it struggled to handle crises in the 1930s.

• The Outbreak of WWII: Examining Hitler’s foreign policy, the policy of appeasement, and the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

• The Cold War: Identifying who was to blame for the breakdown of the US-Soviet alliance and the impact of the Berlin Blockade.

• Containment of Communism: Case studies on American involvement in the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

• Soviet Control of Eastern Europe: Analyzing opposition in Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968), the significance of the Berlin Wall, and the eventual collapse of the USSR’s control under Gorbachev.

  
  

Depth Studies

In addition to the Core Content, students must study at least one of the following five specialised areas in detail:

• Depth Study A: The First World War (1914–18): Covers the stalemate on the Western Front, the war at sea, and why Germany eventually asked for an armistice.

• Depth Study B: Germany (1918–45): Details the Weimar Republic’s struggles, Hitler’s rise to power, and what life was like under the Nazi regime.

• Depth Study C: Russia (1905–41): Examines the collapse of the Tsar, the Bolshevik Revolution, and Stalin’s subsequent dictatorship and economic policies.

• Depth Study D: The United States (1919–41): Explores the economic "Boom" of the 1920s, the Wall Street Crash, the Great Depression, and Roosevelt’s New Deal.

• Depth Study E: WWII in Europe and the Asia–Pacific (1939–45): Focuses on the development of the war, the turning points (like Stalingrad and Midway), and the impact on civilian populations.

Flexible Options and Assessment

Schools have the flexibility to adapt the curriculum to their local context. For example, the Coursework (Component 3) option allows students to produce an extended piece of writing on a depth study devised by their own school, provided it does not overlap with the core syllabus. Assessment for the qualification generally consists of three components: a structured questions paper (Paper 1), a document-based source analysis paper (Paper 2), and either coursework or a written alternative to coursework (Paper 4).

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in History (4HI1)

Likewise, the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in History (4HI1) is a world-class qualification awarded by the UK’s largest awarding body. Known for its rigorous academic foundations and heritage dating back to 1836, this curriculum is designed to be inclusive, empowering, and highly flexible for international learners.

Unlike some other curricula, the Edexcel International GCSE is a linear qualification, meaning all examinations are taken at the very end of the course. It is 100% externally assessed through two exam papers and is graded on a 9–1 scale, where 9 is the highest possible grade.

Maximum Flexibility: No Forbidden Combinations

A standout feature of the Edexcel syllabus is that there are no compulsory topics and no forbidden combinations. This allows teachers and students to select the specific historical periods that most interest them across three distinct categories: Depth Studies, Historical Investigations, and Breadth Studies in Change.

Paper 1: Depth Studies

In Paper 1, students must study at least two specialized depth studies. These topics focus on gaining a deep understanding of the key features and interpretations of significant historical periods. The possible options include:

• The French Revolution (c. 1780–99): From the origins of the revolution to the rise of Napoleon.

• Unification of Italy (1848–70): The development of the Italian nation-state.

• Germany: Development of Dictatorship (1918–45): The Weimar Republic and the rise and rule of the Nazi Party.

• Colonial Rule and Nationalism in India (1919–47): The challenge to British rule and the eventual partition.

• Dictatorship and Conflict in the USSR (1924–53): Stalin’s rise, the Five-Year Plans, and the impact of WWII.

• Superpower Relations (1943–72): The origins and development of the Cold War and moves toward Détente.

• Civil Rights in the USA (1945–74): Segregation, protest movements, and the Watergate scandal.

• South Africa: From Union to the End of Apartheid (1948–94): The establishment, resistance to, and dismantling of apartheid.

Paper 2: Investigation and Breadth Studies

For Paper 2, students select one Historical Investigation and one Breadth Study in Change.

Historical Investigations (Section A) These topics require students to use historical sources critically to reach substantiated conclusions.

• A1: The First World War (1905–18): Alliance systems, tension in the Balkans, and the eventual defeat of Germany.

• A2: Russia and the Soviet Union (1905–24): The fall of the Tsar and the Bolshevik consolidation of power.

• A3: The USA (1918–41): The Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and Roosevelt’s New Deal.

• A4: The Vietnam Conflict (1945–75): US intervention, the nature of the war, and its impact on civilians.

• A5: East Germany (1958–90): The Berlin Wall, life in the GDR, and the "Peaceful Revolution" leading to reunification.

Breadth Studies in Change (Section B) These topics look at historical themes over a longer period (often 100+ years) to identify patterns of change and continuity.

• B1: America: New Nation to Divided Union (1783–1877): Westward expansion and the Civil War.

• B2: Changes in Medicine (c. 1848–c. 1948): From the germ theory to the development of the NHS.

• B3: Japan in Transformation (1853–1945): Modernization, military expansion, and the impact of WWII.

• B4: China: Conflict, Crisis and Change (1900–89): The fall of the Qing, the triumph of Mao, and the Cultural Revolution.

• B5: The League and the UN (1919–c. 2011): The evolution of international peacekeeping organizations.

• B6: The Changing Nature of Warfare (1919–2011): Developments in land, sea, air, and nuclear warfare.

• B7: The Middle East (1917–2012): The creation of Israel, various Arab-Israeli wars, and the search for peace.

• B8: Diversity, Rights and Equality in Britain (1914–2010): Changing attitudes toward race, gender, disability, and class.

Skills and Progression

The Edexcel International GCSE is designed to provide a firm foundation for students wishing to progress to International AS and Advanced Level (A Level) History. Beyond academic knowledge, the course emphasizes transferable skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to interpret a wide range of source materials.