QCAA Modern History exam-day guide
QCAA Modern History · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the ID your school or the supervising authority requires for external assessment. Confirm the exact acceptable form (for example, school ID versus government-issued ID) with your teacher or the provider before exam day.
Exam timetable and room details
Know your session time, room, and reporting time. Confirm the schedule through your school's official external assessment arrangements rather than relying on a classmate's memory.
Black or blue pens plus spares
Write in pen unless instructed otherwise. Carry at least two working pens and a spare, and check ink levels the night before.
Pencils, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for any multiple-choice response sheet or diagram work. Confirm with your teacher whether the specific paper requires pencil for any section.
Clear water bottle
Labels removed if your venue requires it. Stay hydrated without creating distractions.
Approved calculator if permitted
Modern History papers generally do not require a calculator, but if your syllabus or school advises one for a specific internal task, confirm the permitted model with the provider.
No notes, phones, or smart devices at your desk
Leave phones switched off and stored as directed. Even a silent device on your person can be treated as a breach, so follow the supervisor's instructions exactly.
Review your source-analysis and essay structure
Do not cram new content the morning of. Skim your own summary of key periods, source-evaluation prompts, and essay scaffolds so recall is fast under time pressure.
Plan timing before you write
Note the marks per question and allocate minutes proportionally. Leave a few minutes at the end for checking and completing any response booklet details.
Read the instructions page carefully
Check the number of questions, whether there are choices, where to write each answer, and any word or time guidance printed on the cover.
Sleep and eat normally
A full night's sleep and a normal breakfast support recall and sustained writing more than last-minute revision.
Backup transport plan
Know a second route to the venue and leave early. Arrive within the reporting window your school specifies; confirm late-arrival rules with the provider.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Build a one-page summary per major unit: key dates, turning points, causes and consequences, and historians' interpretations you can defend. Practise at least one full timed response and one source-analysis set under exam conditions, then mark them against the syllabus cognitions and fix your weakest habit.
Rehearse essay planning in two minutes: decode the question, identify the command term, sketch a thesis and three or four body points with evidence. Confirm the paper's format and any permitted materials with your teacher.
Do a light review only: skim your summaries, key timelines, and source-evaluation checklist. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencils, water, and any approved items. Check the venue, reporting time, and transport. Set two alarms. Stop studying early enough to sleep well.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and avoid comparing notes with others, which can trigger panic. Once seated, read the cover instructions, count the questions, and write your time plan in the margin before starting.
For source questions, state origin, purpose, context, and reliability before drawing inferences, and quote briefly to support claims. For essays, state a clear thesis in the introduction, signpost each paragraph, embed specific evidence, and address the question's command term throughout. Watch the clock at each planned checkpoint and keep a few minutes to check that every answer is labelled and complete.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from supervisors and the external assessment authority. If an instruction conflicts with what you expected, ask before acting rather than guessing.
Bring only permitted materials to your desk. Phones, smart watches, notes, and unapproved aids must be stored as directed; confirm the exact permitted-items list with the provider.
Carry the identification your school or the provider requires and present it on request. Confirm acceptable ID forms in advance.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the session begins, and do not leave the room without permission. Confirm the venue's rules on supervised breaks and toilet access with the provider.
If you need to leave for illness or another emergency, raise your hand and follow supervisor instructions; do not simply walk out.
Write legibly in the required medium and label answers exactly as the paper directs. Work that cannot be matched to a question may not be marked.
If you believe there is an error or ambiguity in the paper, note it and answer as best you can; report it to the supervisor afterwards. Do not seek help from other candidates.
Scoring and marking are handled by the external authority. Confirm how results, remarks, and any special provisions apply to you with your school or the provider rather than relying on rumour.