Learn from others: Browse anonymised top 3 and middle 3 mock exam results. No candidate numbers shown.
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| Question | Topic / Title | Max Marks | Class Avg | Performance % | RAG Rating |
|---|
Click on column headers to sort the table.
| Question | Topic / Title | Max Marks | Class Avg | Performance % | RAG Rating |
|---|
Overall: The cohort of 27 students achieved a class average of 40.8/80 (51%) with a pass rate (Grade 4+) of 67% (18 of 27 students). The strongest performance was in the multiple choice and short-answer sections, with Q7b (Institute for Government view, 89%), Q7a (Blair view, 93%) and Q1b (discrimination, 100%) all scoring very well. The weakest area by far was Q7c (Source Agreement, 13%), suggesting students struggled to identify points of agreement between the two sources. The higher-tariff extended writing questions (Q7d and Q8) also showed significant room for improvement.
"Which view do you agree with more?" (12 Marks)
Hover over the highlighted text to see the examiner's commentary.
"The ages of responsibility should be increased." (15 Marks)
Migration brings both benefits and challenges to the UK. Migrants bring their own cultures and experiences, and this has made food, clothing and music in the UK far more varied – something many people enjoy. Migrants also fill jobs where there are not enough workers already living here, including jobs that some UK-born workers are less keen to do, such as fruit picking. Some become entrepreneurs, taking a risk to start new businesses, and their links with their home countries can help UK firms to trade abroad. When more people are working and paying taxes, this can help to boost the UK economy.
However, not everyone sees migration as positive. Some people worry that high levels of immigration change the character of their local area, or that the UK might lose its own identity. Others argue that more competition for jobs could lead to lower wages, and that a growing population increases demand for housing, healthcare and schools, putting a strain on public services.
Governments have tried to encourage integration, so that people from different backgrounds can live together while still keeping their own cultures, although opinions differ on how well this has worked. Immigration rules have also become stricter over time. The UK now uses a points-based system, which awards points for things such as skills, qualifications and a job offer, to decide who can come here to work.
Blue: points quoted from the source. Green: own knowledge that is not in the source. A full-mark answer has three of each.
The source shows there are different views about migration. Supporters argue it has “made food, clothing and music in the UK far more varied”EXAMINER: Source point 1: quoted in inverted commas and used to answer the question. and fills jobs where workers are short, “such as fruit picking”EXAMINER: Source point 2: quoted in inverted commas and used to answer the question.. Using my own knowledge, the NHS relies heavily on staff from overseas, with many doctors and nurses trained abroad, so migration helps keep vital public services runningEXAMINER: Own knowledge 1: accurate, relevant, not in the source, and linked back to the question..
However, others argue that a growing population increases demand for housing, healthcare and schools, “putting a strain on public services”EXAMINER: Source point 3: quoted in inverted commas and used to answer the question.. On integration, the source admits that “opinions differ on how well this has worked”EXAMINER: Source point 4: quoted in inverted commas and used to answer the question., and the Casey Review (2016) found that in some areas communities were living quite separatelyEXAMINER: Own knowledge 2: accurate, relevant, not in the source, and linked back to the question.. Because of these concerns, the government controls who can come. Since free movement ended after Brexit, a points-based system has applied to EU and non-EU migrants alike, awarding points for things such as a job offer, a salary above a set level and speaking EnglishEXAMINER: Own knowledge 3: accurate, relevant, not in the source, and linked back to the question.. This shows the government is trying to balance benefits and concerns.
Instead of writing: Migration is bad because it puts pressure on services.EXAMINER: One-sided and taken straight from the source: no own knowledge and no other view.
| Level | Marks | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3 | 5–6 | Balanced answer that uses the source well to explain views both for (culture, filling job gaps, entrepreneurs, taxes) and against (identity, wages, pressure on services), and how government responds. Applies at least two well-developed pieces of own knowledge, e.g. NHS reliance on overseas-trained doctors and nurses; the Seasonal Worker visa for farm work; the points-based system (since January 2021, applying to EU and non-EU migrants) with points for a job offer, salary and English; the Casey Review (2016) on integration; international students’ fees supporting universities. |
| Level 2 | 3–4 | Clear answer explaining at least one view for and one view against migration from the source. Applies at least one piece of own knowledge, such as how the points-based system works. |
| Level 1 | 1–2 | Simple, often one-sided answer that identifies one benefit or concern from the source (e.g. ‘migrants do fruit picking’). Relies almost entirely on the source. |
| Level 0 | 0 | No rewardable material. |
Features of a good answer:
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