Cambridge IGCSE™
HISTORY 0470/12
Paper 1 Structured Questions May/June 2025
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60
Published
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report f or
Teachers.
Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.
Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes f or the May/June 2025 series f or most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level components, and some Cambridge O Level
components.
This document consists of 77 printed pages.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 [Turn over
,0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Generic Marking Principles
These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level
descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:
Marks must be awarded in line with:
• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:
Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:
Marks must be awarded positively:
• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:
Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:
Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:
Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 2 of 77
,0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Annotations guidance for centres
Examiners use a system of annotations as a shorthand for communicating their marking decisions to
one another. Examiners are trained during the standardisation process on how and when to use
annotations. The purpose of annotations is to inform the standard isation and monitoring processes
and guide the supervising examiners when they are checking the work of examiners within their team.
The meaning of annotations and how they are used is specific to each component and is understood
by all examiners who mark the component.
We publish annotations in our mark schemes to help centres understand the annotations they may
see on copies of scripts. Note that there may not be a direct correlation between the number of
annotations on a script and the mark awarded. Similarly, the use of an annotation may not be an
indication of the quality of the response.
The annotations listed below were available to examiners marking this component in this series.
Annotations
Annotation Meaning
Unclear
0 Marks – No creditable response
Benefit of the doubt
Incorrect
Correct
Developed explanation
Evaluation
Highlighter Highlight relevant areas of a response
Level 1 response
Level 2 response
Level 3 response
Level 4 response
Level 5 response
Off-page Comments entered at the bottom of the marking window and then displayed
comment when the associated question item is navigated to
On-page Comments entered in speech bubbles on the candidate response
comment
To indicate that a point has been noted but no credit has been given
OR
To indicate that a blank page has been checked for creditable content
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 3 of 77
, 0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Assessment objectives
AO1
An ability to recall, select, organise and deploy knowledge of the syllabus content.
AO2
An ability to construct historical explanations using an understanding of:
• cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference
• the motives, emotions, intentions and beliefs of people in the past.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 4 of 77
HISTORY 0470/12
Paper 1 Structured Questions May/June 2025
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 60
Published
This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.
Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report f or
Teachers.
Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.
Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes f or the May/June 2025 series f or most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level components, and some Cambridge O Level
components.
This document consists of 77 printed pages.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 [Turn over
,0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Generic Marking Principles
These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level
descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:
Marks must be awarded in line with:
• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:
Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:
Marks must be awarded positively:
• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:
Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:
Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).
GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:
Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 2 of 77
,0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Annotations guidance for centres
Examiners use a system of annotations as a shorthand for communicating their marking decisions to
one another. Examiners are trained during the standardisation process on how and when to use
annotations. The purpose of annotations is to inform the standard isation and monitoring processes
and guide the supervising examiners when they are checking the work of examiners within their team.
The meaning of annotations and how they are used is specific to each component and is understood
by all examiners who mark the component.
We publish annotations in our mark schemes to help centres understand the annotations they may
see on copies of scripts. Note that there may not be a direct correlation between the number of
annotations on a script and the mark awarded. Similarly, the use of an annotation may not be an
indication of the quality of the response.
The annotations listed below were available to examiners marking this component in this series.
Annotations
Annotation Meaning
Unclear
0 Marks – No creditable response
Benefit of the doubt
Incorrect
Correct
Developed explanation
Evaluation
Highlighter Highlight relevant areas of a response
Level 1 response
Level 2 response
Level 3 response
Level 4 response
Level 5 response
Off-page Comments entered at the bottom of the marking window and then displayed
comment when the associated question item is navigated to
On-page Comments entered in speech bubbles on the candidate response
comment
To indicate that a point has been noted but no credit has been given
OR
To indicate that a blank page has been checked for creditable content
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 3 of 77
, 0470/12 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2025
PUBLISHED
Assessment objectives
AO1
An ability to recall, select, organise and deploy knowledge of the syllabus content.
AO2
An ability to construct historical explanations using an understanding of:
• cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference
• the motives, emotions, intentions and beliefs of people in the past.
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2025 Page 4 of 77
