This exam focus covers Exam Technique: Factors Working Together within Penicillin for GCSE History. Revise Penicillin in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 4 of 14 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
📝 Exam Technique: Factors Working Together
Penicillin is a perfect example for "factor analysis" essays:
🏫 Edexcel 1HI0/10 — Medicine in Britain (Paper 1, Option 1HI0/10): This topic is tested on Paper 1 alongside the Historic Environment (Western Front). Edexcel question types differ from AQA:
- "Describe two features of..." (4 marks) — Identify a feature (1 mark) + supporting detail (1 mark). Write two separate PEEL-style paragraphs. No evaluation needed.
- "Explain why..." (12 marks) — Explain two or three reasons with specific evidence. Level 3 (7–9 marks) requires explained reasons; Level 4 (10–12 marks) requires explanation showing how factors connect or reinforce each other.
- "How far do you agree that..." (16 marks + 4 SPaG) — Extended writing. Two sides: evidence FOR the statement, evidence AGAINST. Reach a supported judgement. Level 4 (13–16 marks) requires a consistently argued judgement. SPaG marks reward accurate spelling of key historical terms.
Practice questions for Penicillin
In which year did Alexander Fleming discover penicillin?
Which two scientists purified penicillin and made it usable as a medicine?