Syllabus & Assessment
Find out what the H2 China Studies in English syllabus covers and how students are assessed across Papers 1 and 2.
H2 Level China Studies in English Syllabus
The syllabus is focused on studying developments in contemporary China from circa 2000 to the present day through an examination of four Key Issues across the content dimensions of China’s economy, politics, society and international relations. Studying the four Key Issues will equip students with the necessary knowledge and understanding to make sense of contemporary developments in China today.
Table 1: H2 Level CSE Syllabus
Key Issues | Inquiry Questions |
Key Issue 1: China’s Economic Development and Its Sustainability | How sustainable is China’s economic development? |
Key Issue 2: Governing China and Its Challenges | How stable is China’s political system? |
Key Issue 3: Chinese Society and Its Transformation | How has social change impacted China? |
Key Issue 4: China’s Foreign Policy and Its Implications | How effective is China’s foreign policy in securing its core interests? |
Description of Assessment Components
Paper 1 (Case Studies)
Candidates are required to answer questions from two compulsory case studies. Each case study will be set on a different Key Issue. In each case study, sources with different perspectives will be provided. The paper will comprise both text and non-text sources (e.g. maps, photographs, diagrams, graphs, data tables, cartoons and posters). While candidates are required to use their knowledge and understanding of contemporary China to interpret and evaluate these sources, specialised knowledge of other disciplines will not be required.
The Case Studies questions will be assessed using a generic levels of response mark scheme, which involves qualitative judgements and awards marks according to the level of skill or understanding in the answer.
For details on the assessment criteria and level descriptors, please refer to the H2 China Studies in English Examination Syllabus.
Paper 2 (Essays)
Candidates are required to show depth of knowledge and understanding of issues and concepts relevant to contemporary China in their answers. The answers should demonstrate the ability to analyse issues and developments, evaluate and synthesise perspectives on issues across content dimensions to inform the issues, and present analytical, focused and well-informed arguments and conclusions. Candidates are required to answer the essay questions in continuous prose.
The essays will be assessed using a generic levels of response mark scheme, which involves qualitative rather than quantitative evaluation. Judgements on the appropriate level of each essay assessed will be based on the principle of ‘best fit’ determined by the descriptors within each level which has several assessment criteria.
For more details on the syllabus, click here.