What is the Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)? (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
What is the Non-Exam Assessment (NEA)?
Overview of the NEA
The Non-Exam Assessment is a substantial piece of coursework that accounts for 20% of your overall A-Level History grade. This is your opportunity to demonstrate all the historical skills you have developed throughout your examined units in one sustained piece of analytical writing.
The NEA is not simply a research project. Instead, you should approach it as an extended essay where you develop a clear argument about a historical question spanning approximately 100 years.
Your response should integrate your knowledge, interpretations from historians, and evidence from primary sources to support a well-reasoned judgement.
Choosing your topic
You have considerable freedom in selecting your focus. Your investigation can examine any period from the Ancient World to the Modern Day, provided your chosen question covers a date range of approximately 100 years.
Consider topics that genuinely interest you but which you have not had the chance to explore fully in your examined units. For instance, you might investigate:
- The role of women in history
- The impact of specific individuals
Critical Restrictions to Remember:
- Your three units combined must cover at least 200 years
- You cannot examine material already studied in your examined units, though you may consider events from the same broader time period
- The question you set yourself must allow for genuine historical debate and analysis
Word count guidance
The recommended length for your NEA is approximately 3,500 words. Whilst there is no strict minimum or maximum, this guidance exists for good reasons.
Why 3,500 words?
If you write substantially fewer than 3,500 words, you will likely struggle to include sufficient detailed analysis and depth. Your response may appear superficial and fail to demonstrate the higher-level skills required for top marks.
Conversely, if you write considerably more than 3,500 words, your work risks becoming overly narrative and descriptive. You may drift away from focused analysis of your set question, which is what examiners are looking for at the higher levels.
It is entirely possible to produce an outstanding piece of work within the 3,500-word guidance. Quality of analysis matters far more than quantity of words.
Format and presentation requirements
Your NEA must be written as continuous prose—it should read as a flowing essay with clear paragraphs linked by an obvious line of argument. You should not use bullet points or subheadings to break up your writing.
Whilst there are no specific marks awarded for the quality of your English, expressing yourself clearly and logically is fundamental to earning higher marks. You should:
- Use a spell checker to eliminate errors
- Allow time to check for typos and misspellings
- Choose a clear, readable font
- Write in a formal academic style appropriate for historical analysis
Footnotes are expected and indicate a good academic approach. Similarly, you must include a bibliography listing all sources consulted. Whilst these elements are not specifically marked, they are required. You may use any consistent system of footnoting or bibliography as long as the same style is maintained throughout your work.
Primary source requirements
Your coursework essay must contain an evaluation of at least three primary sources. A primary source originates from the period you are writing about, though it does not need to come from the exact dates of your investigation.
Worked Example: Using Historical Sources
If you are studying the period from 1230 onwards, you could legitimately use the Magna Carta of 1215 as a primary source because it remained significant in that later period.
This demonstrates that a source doesn't need to fall within your exact date range—it just needs to be relevant and significant to the period you're investigating.
You should evaluate at least two different types of primary source. These may include:
- Official publications and reports
- Personal diaries
- Speeches
- Letters
- Chronicles
- Observations from elite or ordinary individuals (contemporary to the period)
- Artefacts
- Archaeological evidence
- Visual sources such as newsreels
When selecting your primary sources, consider how straightforward it will be to evaluate their content, tone, and provenance. The ability to critically assess the value and limitations of each source is essential for accessing higher marks.
Interpretation requirements
You should discuss at least two interpretations in your NEA. An interpretation means a viewpoint or opinion from an academic historian about the period or question you are investigating. These should not come from A-Level textbooks but from scholarly historical works.
What Makes a Valid Interpretation?
The interpretations you choose should differ from each other—they should express contrasting views about your topic. You will also need to consider the provenance of each interpretation. This means explaining something about each historian and the time and circumstances in which they were writing, as this context helps evaluate the validity of their arguments.
It is very helpful to identify in your appendix the three primary sources you have analysed and the two interpretations you have evaluated in depth. Your essay may also refer to other sources to help substantiate your arguments, but the detailed analysis should focus on the specified sources and interpretations.
Using additional sources
Whilst the Assessment Objectives require you to consider three primary sources for AO2 and two interpretations for AO3, you may well wish to use further evidence to support your overall argument in AO1.
Using a range of evidence can really strengthen your answer to the question you have set yourself. However, there is absolutely no requirement to evaluate more than two interpretations and three primary sources. Evaluating more will not automatically guarantee higher marks.
Quality Over Quantity
The key is quality rather than quantity—demonstrate sophisticated analysis of the required sources rather than superficial coverage of many sources.
Ensuring comprehensive coverage
Your essay must address not only the start and end dates of your investigation but also ensure good coverage of the dates in between. This demonstrates that you are considering the full scope of your question.
Whilst your sources do not necessarily need to cover the entire date range, it certainly helps to achieve overall period coverage if your sources are not all concentrated on the same few years.
The evidence for your arguments will come from your careful selection of knowledge used to challenge or support different views. This evidence includes the analysis and evaluation of both primary and secondary sources that substantiate the position you are advancing.
Getting help and support
The NEA is designed to be your independent work. Therefore, your teacher cannot provide specific advice on how to improve your essay once you have begun writing.
What Your Teacher Can and Cannot Do
Your teacher CAN:
- Suggest where you might locate relevant sources
- Indicate the types of material you might need
- Help you understand the skills you are expected to demonstrate
- Explain how sources and interpretations should be evaluated
Your teacher CANNOT:
- Provide specific advice on how to improve your essay once you have begun writing
- Edit or revise your work for you
You should view the NEA as an opportunity to work independently whilst having access to guidance on the process and expectations.
Developing your argument
The central task is to reach a clear judgement—your own well-considered opinion—which you should ideally identify at the opening of your essay. You should then ensure that every paragraph advances this argument.
Remember that marks are not awarded for the specific view you express but rather for how effectively you advance your position. Ask yourself:
- Are your arguments substantiated by solid evidence?
- Do you engage critically with different interpretations?
- Do you demonstrate sophisticated historical understanding?
Your conclusion should draw together your analysis and reaffirm your judgement based on the evidence you have presented throughout the essay.
Assessment and marking
Your NEA will be marked in school by your teachers. If more than one teacher marks NEA work at your school, the marking will be internally moderated to ensure consistency.
You will normally receive provisional marks before these are submitted to the Exam Board. The Exam Board may then moderate the marks up or down to align your school's results with the national standard. You receive your final confirmed marks on results day.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The NEA is worth 20% of your A-Level grade and must be approached as a serious academic essay, not just a research task
- Aim for approximately 3,500 words of continuous prose with a clear line of argument running throughout
- You must evaluate at least three primary sources and discuss at least two different historical interpretations
- Your investigation should cover approximately 100 years and cannot duplicate material from your examined units
- Focus on quality of analysis rather than quantity of sources—sophisticated evaluation of the required sources is more important than superficial coverage of many sources