SCHOOLS: History students confused by Hitler 'despotic tyranny' exam question (From News Shopper)

• "As a History student having just read some of the outrageous comments above, some of which I presume are from the older generation of today, I feel totally disappointed at your lack of compassion and general attitude to this whole scenario. I am sick to death of people saying "oh I could of sat that exam" or "how can they not know what despotic means?" Considering you were not in the exam nor did you even SEE the sources in context with the question, who are you to judge us? The question was totally unfair, students had learnt everything from propaganda to women's roles in the Third Reich, slaving hours over textbooks and sources, all knowledge that we expected to use to our own advantage in the exam. The word despotic as said by many others has never cropped up in our textbooks - maybe if the word autocratic was used students like myself would have been able to grasp the full concept. The word tyranny is easy to comprehend yes, but there was no need for the word 'despotic' to be used - no need at all. You would NOT even see that word being used in an A-level English Literature exam. To use it through everyone of course, especially as the sources were frankly poor and in a nutshell confusing - almost as if Edexcel couldn't even be bothered. I am predicted 3 A's at A-level as are many students, we have worked hard and essentially edexcel have let us down. It would be nice if people supported us in this instead of criticising how History students shouldn't be doing History if they don't know what despotic means - One Word that is barely used today I may add. It is also sickening how invigilators handed out dictionaries and were told the meaning before the exam even started. So whoever ignorantly stated "educated students took a correct guess" can maybe forget that."
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