Why is the exam changing?

The changes provide clearer, more consistent expectations and better align the exam with the skills students practice throughout the course. Updates to the short-answer question give back time to students, allowing them to focus on demonstrating what they know rather than spending time deciding which question to answer. Updates to the long-essay question give students the flexibility to use the evidence they know best and to shape their own line of reasoning, so their arguments better reflect their historical understanding.