Edexcel GCSE History: Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509–40 (Exams from 2026) revision guide – About Oxford Revise
With our guide, you’ll revise the full specification for the Edexcel GCSE History: Henry VIII and his ministers exam.
For this British depth study, you’ll cover topics ranging from the rise of Wolsey and Cromwell through to the the break from Rome and the reformation. As well as this, you’ll delve into the King’s marriages and government.
Oxford Revise takes you through what to revise and how to do it. With our approach you’ll expand your understanding and learn the key concepts for your History exam. Also, our retrieval questions help you check your learning. As well as this, the exam practice questions and model answers give you plenty of exam practice.
Revise effectively for your Edexcel GCSE History: Henry VIII and his ministers exam
This guide dives into every topic in the Edexcel GCSE History: Henry VIII and his ministers, 1509–40 course, using clear, easy-to-understand language.
Throughout each chapter, you’ll find key terms boxes that highlight essential vocabulary and help you use it with confidence. At the same time, revision tips offer quick, effective ways to grasp core concepts and practise recalling them. Together, these features make your revision more focused, active, and successful.
Edexcel GCSE History: Henry VIII and his ministers exam practice
Each chapter includes plenty of exam-style questions for you to practise. These are carefully designed to build your confidence, consolidate your knowledge, and stretch your understanding. In addition to the questions, you’ll find helpful tips throughout the guide. For example:
- Exam tips show you how to interpret questions, explain what you need to include in your answers, and offer advice on how to gain as many marks as possible.
Altogether, these features work together to support your revision and boost your exam success.
Want to boost revision success for your AQA GCSE History exams?
Start revising for your Edexcel GCSE History exams – because by building your understanding step by step, consolidating key knowledge, and strengthening retrieval through regular practice, you’ll feel more prepared and confident every day. Here are some additional resources that can support you:
- Discover how to revise effectively for your History exams
- Explore revision tips and techniques on the Oxford Revise YouTube Channel.
Contents list
1 Henry VIII, Renaissance prince
2 The rise of Wolsey and his policies
3 Wolsey, Catherine, the succession, and annulment
4 Cromwell’s rise to power
5 Cromwell, the king’s marriages, and government
6 The fall of Cromwell
7 The break with Rome
8 The Reformation
9 The Pilgrimage of Grace
The Oxford Revise approach
Oxford Revise uses a clear three-step method to get you ready for your exams.
1. Knowledge – Learn the facts through an easy-to-follow ‘Knowledge Organiser’ in each chapter.
2. Retrieval – Check you’ve retained the exam knowledge, through quick-fire recall questions and answers.
3. Practice – Put your knowledge into practice by completing plenty of exam-style questions.
In addition, there are lots of hints and tips from revision and subject experts on how to plan your revision and helpful advice on techniques to build exam confidence.
Our expert authors
Series editor: Aaron Wilkes
Author: James Ball
Aaron Wilkes
Our Series Editor, Aaron Wilkes, brings over 25 years of experience working in schools, where he has served as a teacher, department head, and faculty leader. On top of that, Aaron leads the PGCE Secondary History course at the University of Warwick. He’s also widely published as a school textbook author, mainly with Oxford University Press.
In addition, Aaron is the co-creator and co-owner of the online History journal practicalhistories.com, which offers useful resources for history educators. He also works with the BBC as an Educational Consultant for their Bitesize and Teach platforms.
James Ball
James has worked as a history teacher, head of history, and head of humanities in schools across the West Midlands for nearly 20 years. During that time, he’s also been busy authoring textbooks alongside his teaching career — including co-authoring OUP’s Edexcel Medicine in Britain student book. Over the years, his passion for writing has grown, and now he lives in Copenhagen where he writes full-time. These days, he spends his time authoring textbooks, developing classroom resources, and writing educational articles and blogs for a wide range of publishers, EdTech companies, and charities.
Customer Reviews
Brilliant guide book Very pleased. The layout Oxford Revise has gone with makes this guide easy to engage with, with various sections laid out across the 40ish pages. The colour schemes and visual layouts will help those who struggle with concentrating on revision as it breaks up the page which should aid in making it feel less daunting or overwhelming 5* Amazon Vine review
Great revision resource This is a brilliant revision guide for one of the options for Edexcel GCSE History. It is full of information and all the required facts needed for the exams. 5* Amazon Vine review
