Practical advice to help students become better History students — and better History exam candidates.

Not sure how to write a History essay?

Struggling to analyse sources?

Know the content but can’t seem to turn it into the marks you want?

I’ve put together these short guides based on the skills I work on with students every day.

They are designed to be practical, straightforward and useful — whether you’re a student preparing for an examination or a parent trying to understand how you can support your child.

✍🏼How to Write a Better History Essay

Knowing the History is only part of the challenge. Learn how to identify what the question is really asking, select relevant evidence and develop a clear historical argument.

  • How to Write a Strong History Introduction

    What should an introduction actually do? And how can you avoid wasting valuable examination time? 

    How to Structure a History Essay

    A practical guide to building paragraphs that answer the question and develop a convincing argument.

    How to Stop Describing and Start Analysing

    One of the most common difficulties students encounter — and one of the most important skills to develop.

    How to Use Evidence Effectively

    Knowing a fact is not the same as using it effectively. Learn how to make evidence work for your argument.

  • How to Analyse a Historical Source

    A straightforward approach to thinking about content, provenance, purpose and usefulness.

    How to Compare Historical Sources

    How to move beyond simply saying that two sources are “similar” or “different”.

    What Does Provenance Actually Tell Us?

    A guide to using the origin and context of a source meaningfully rather than simply mentioning it.

  • What Does “How Far Do You Agree?” Actually Mean

    Understanding the wording of the question is the first step towards answering it successfully.

    How to Approach an Unfamiliar History Question

    What should you do when the question isn’t the one you expected?

    How to Manage Your Time in a History Exam

    A practical approach to planning your time without watching the clock every thirty seconds.

    Five Common Mistakes Students Make in History Exams

    Small changes can sometimes make a surprisingly large difference.

  • How to Revise History Effectively

    Revision isn’t simply reading your notes again. Learn how to turn knowledge into something you can retrieve and use.

    What to Do When You Have Too Much History to Learn

    How to make a revision plan when the syllabus feels overwhelming.

    How to Turn Your Notes into Useful Revision Material

    A practical guide to creating revision resources that actually help.