May 2025 Edexcel: AS Level History 8HI0/2E Paper 2 – Depth Study, Option 2E.1:
Mao’s China, 1949–1976 & Option 2E.2: The German Democratic Republic, 1949–
1990 – Merged Question Paper & Mark Scheme
Exam Resource Summary
This May 2025 Pearson Edexcel AS Level History 8HI0/2E document merges the
official question paper and mark scheme for Paper 2 – Depth Study, Option 2E.1:
Mao’s China, 1949–1976 and Option 2E.2: German Democratic Republic, 1949–
1990. It covers advanced topics such as the consolidation of communist rule in
China, the Cultural Revolution and economic reform under Mao, and in the GDR the
establishment of the socialist state, Stasi surveillance, and the path to reunification.
The merged format provides students with a full view of examiner expectations, mark
allocation and the range of question styles — supporting targeted revision, self-
assessment and the development of analytical essay and source-evaluation skills. It is
an essential resource for excelling in the 2025 AS Level History Paper 2 examination
under Edexcel.
Turn over
,
,
, SECTION A
Choose EITHER Option 2E.1 (Question 1) OR Option 2E.2 (Question 2), for which
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
you have been prepared.
Option 2E.1: Mao’s China, 1949–76
Answer Question 1, parts (a) and (b).
You should start the answer to part (a) on page 4.
You should start the answer to part (b) on page 7.
1 (a) Study Source 1 in the Sources Booklet before you answer this question.
Why is Source 1 valuable to the historian for an enquiry into the
impact of the Korean War on China?
Explain your answer using the source, the information given about it
and your own knowledge of the historical context.
(8)
AND
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
(b) Study Source 2 in the Sources Booklet before you answer this question.
How much weight do you give to the evidence of Source 2 for an
enquiry into the nature of the reunification campaign in Tibet in the
1950s?
Explain your answer using the source, the information given about it
and your own knowledge of the historical context. (12)
(Total for Question 1 = 20 marks)
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
Mao’s China, 1949–1976 & Option 2E.2: The German Democratic Republic, 1949–
1990 – Merged Question Paper & Mark Scheme
Exam Resource Summary
This May 2025 Pearson Edexcel AS Level History 8HI0/2E document merges the
official question paper and mark scheme for Paper 2 – Depth Study, Option 2E.1:
Mao’s China, 1949–1976 and Option 2E.2: German Democratic Republic, 1949–
1990. It covers advanced topics such as the consolidation of communist rule in
China, the Cultural Revolution and economic reform under Mao, and in the GDR the
establishment of the socialist state, Stasi surveillance, and the path to reunification.
The merged format provides students with a full view of examiner expectations, mark
allocation and the range of question styles — supporting targeted revision, self-
assessment and the development of analytical essay and source-evaluation skills. It is
an essential resource for excelling in the 2025 AS Level History Paper 2 examination
under Edexcel.
Turn over
,
,
, SECTION A
Choose EITHER Option 2E.1 (Question 1) OR Option 2E.2 (Question 2), for which
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
you have been prepared.
Option 2E.1: Mao’s China, 1949–76
Answer Question 1, parts (a) and (b).
You should start the answer to part (a) on page 4.
You should start the answer to part (b) on page 7.
1 (a) Study Source 1 in the Sources Booklet before you answer this question.
Why is Source 1 valuable to the historian for an enquiry into the
impact of the Korean War on China?
Explain your answer using the source, the information given about it
and your own knowledge of the historical context.
(8)
AND
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
(b) Study Source 2 in the Sources Booklet before you answer this question.
How much weight do you give to the evidence of Source 2 for an
enquiry into the nature of the reunification campaign in Tibet in the
1950s?
Explain your answer using the source, the information given about it
and your own knowledge of the historical context. (12)
(Total for Question 1 = 20 marks)
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA
