OCR As Level History A Early Stuarts 2025 Question Paper

Download the official OCR AS Level History A The Early Stuarts and the Origins of the Civil War 1603–1660 question paper for the June 2025 examination series (Y138/01). This advanced OCR History paper explores Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, the Commonwealth, the Protectorate, parliamentary disputes, the Rump Parliament, and the origins of the English Civil War within the OCR AS History specification.

Section A focuses on The Execution of Charles I and the Interregnum 1646–1660 and requires students to analyse historical sources concerning criticism of MPs during the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell’s motives during the Commonwealth and Protectorate. The paper includes source evaluation, provenance analysis, and contextual interpretation using evidence from parliamentary critics, Commonwealth supporters, and Cromwell himself.

Section B contains thematic essay questions examining why Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629 and whether Charles I was to blame for the outbreak of the First Civil War in 1642. Students are required to evaluate historical interpretations, analyse causation and significance, and construct balanced historical arguments supported by detailed historical evidence.

This official June 2025 paper includes source-based analysis tasks and thematic essay questions requiring historical reasoning, chronological understanding, interpretation skills, and sustained judgement under timed examination conditions. Topics explored include Oliver Cromwell, the Rump Parliament, the Protectorate, Charles I, parliamentary conflict, the Personal Rule, and the First Civil War between 1603 and 1660. Pair it with the matching Y138/01 mark scheme on markscheme.net for complete examiner-style revision and worked-answer support. Updated for the 2025/2026 academic year, optimised for mobile and desktop, and instantly downloadable from markscheme.net — your fastest route to top-grade OCR AS History revision.

This document is designed for AS Level students studying OCR History A The Early Stuarts and the Origins of the Civil War 1603–1660, including Year 12 students preparing for the 2026 examination series, retake students targeting high grades, independent learners, and home-schooled students revising Stuart England and the English Civil War.

It is also highly useful for teachers, private tutors, revision-course providers, and parents supporting OCR History revision at home. Use this official OCR question paper for timed mock examinations, source-evaluation exercises, essay-planning practice, historiography workshops, and examiner-standard preparation using authentic OCR assessment materials.