Cambridge International A level History specification
The specification (9489) is Cambridge International's own description of the History course: what you can be examined on, how the exams are set out and how they are marked. The link below opens the board's PDF on cambridgeinternational.org, so you always get its current version.
Open the 9489 specification (PDF) (opens cambridgeinternational.org in a new tab)Everything for Cambridge International A level History, with the past papers, grade boundaries and the notes and flashcards people have shared.
How Cambridge International A level History is examined
From Cambridge's grade boundaries for June 2026. Some boards list every optional paper or time-zone variant, so you sit only the ones for your route; the specification says which.
- Component 1140 marks
- Component 1240 marks
- Component 1340 marks
- Component 2160 marks
- Component 2260 marks
- Component 2360 marks
- Component 3140 marks
- Component 3240 marks
- Component 3340 marks
- Component 4160 marks
- Component 4260 marks
- Component 4360 marks
- Component 5075 marks
- Component 6075 marks
Turn a mark into a grade · Cambridge A level exam dates · Extra time and access arrangements
Revising from the History specification
Work through the specification's content list and mark what you are unsure of, then practise those parts with Cambridge's past papers and read your marks against the same year’s grade boundaries.
Common questions
Where can I find the Cambridge A level History specification?
The link on this page opens Cambridge International's own copy of the History specification (9489), a PDF on its website, so you always get the current version. We link to it rather than keep a copy.
What is in the History specification?
A specification is the board's own description of the course: the content you can be examined on, how the exams are set out and how they are marked. It is the most useful single document to revise from, because every exam question has to come from it.
Can I make practice questions from the specification?
Yes. cookie can make exam-style questions from a specification and mark your answers, so you can practise the parts you are least sure of once you run out of past papers.
More specifications: every A level specification we link.
cookie is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board. Every paper here is a link to the board's own copy on its own website, and the papers belong to the boards that set them. If a link has stopped working, the board's own past paper page is linked on each course.