The Cambridge History Project A-level was to have been abolished by the giant University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, which blamed tight new Government restrictions on the number of courses offered.

But this week an exam board spokesman confirmed that the course will continue after all. He gave no reason for the change.

The Cambridge History Project is notable for concentrating almost exclusively on British history, paying particular attention to the period of the English Civil War. It is also regarded by universities as one of the most academically demanding A-level courses, requiring students to work in the manner of undergraduates. Its proposed abolition was attacked by the Historical Association.

This week the Government’s exams agency, the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, welcomed UCLES’s decision to continue with the Cambridge History Project.

“The board has submitted the CHP for approval, and we are pleased that it has done so,” said a spokeswoman.