A Level Essays: Where the Last 10 Marks Come From
May 23, 2026 · 6 min · A Level essays · A Level revision · essay marks · Cambridge essay tips
A B-grade A Level essay has the right facts. An A-grade essay has the right facts plus three things almost nobody teaches you.
Here is what they are.
1. Counter-arguments that you actually answer
A B essay says "Some historians argue X but actually Y." Then it moves on.
An A essay does this:
- States the counter-argument
- Steel-mans it (makes it sound strong)
- Explains why, despite that, the writer's argument still holds
- Cites a specific piece of evidence that tips it
The trick is "despite that" must feel earned. The examiner is looking for a paragraph that genuinely wrestled with the opposing view and then defeats it, not one that name-checks it and dismisses it in a sentence.
2. A clear thesis in the first paragraph that the entire essay actually supports
Most B essays have a thesis like "this essay will discuss the causes of World War I." That is not a thesis. It is a description.
A thesis is an arguable claim. "The most significant cause of the First World War was the alliance system, because it transformed a regional dispute into a continental war within six weeks."
Then every body paragraph has to point back to that claim. If a paragraph could be deleted and the thesis would still hold, the paragraph is doing nothing for your marks.
3. The "so what" sentence
Every body paragraph in a top-band essay ends with a "so what" — a sentence linking the evidence back to the thesis and forward to the next paragraph.
Bad:
"The Schlieffen Plan required Germany to invade Belgium. Britain had pledged to defend Belgium. So Britain declared war on Germany."
Better:
"The Schlieffen Plan required Germany to invade Belgium, which forced Britain — committed by the 1839 Treaty of London — into a war it had hoped to avoid. This is precisely why the alliance system was the decisive cause: any plan involving Belgium guaranteed British entry, and any war involving British entry was no longer a regional matter."
The second version is the same factual content. The "so what" earns 2-3 more marks.
How AI feedback closes the gap
Most students can write a B essay. They just can't see what is missing from it. The three moves above need an external eye. That's where AI grading helps.
Paste a draft into /grade with the mark scheme attached. The AI returns:
- A predicted band
- Specific feedback on whether the thesis is arguable
- Whether body paragraphs link back to the thesis
- Where the counter-arguments are weak or missing
- Suggested "so what" sentences
Then rewrite the essay. Do this three times for one essay. You will feel the structural moves becoming automatic.
The single biggest essay mistake
Trying to fit every fact you know into the essay. Top-band essays are selective. They use four pieces of evidence well, not nine pieces of evidence superficially. If a fact doesn't support the thesis, leave it out.
Useful workflow for the last 30 days
- Identify the three or four essay titles most likely to come up (search past papers)
- For each, draft a thesis paragraph (no body)
- Get the thesis paragraph graded by /grade
- Rewrite the thesis if it's descriptive rather than arguable
- Draft full essays for two of them
- Get AI feedback and rewrite once
- Memorise your strongest argument structure — adapt it to the actual question on the day