-ANSWERING QUESTIONS-

-HISTORY-
 6 mins

Q1- Use your own knowledge and source A

to describe X

1. What the source tells you about X

-Source A shows me… (x2, develop with OK)
2. What you know from your own knowledge about X
-2 other factors
 9 mins

Q2 Practice- What is the purpose of source

B?
Tip: Always focus on the Purpose of the source – why has the source been made at
that time, using OK
Make sure you consider authorship / audience / context of the time and support
with own knowledge.

Structure:
1 “This was made because”
2 Context of the time
3 Who was it for, does that affect purpose?
4 Who made it, does that affect purpose?
5 “therefore it was made because…”
 11 mins
Para 1: Interpretation 1
Paraphrase Q3
10 marks
Why does it say that?
- Does it support the view or not?
- Comment on the authorship – why do they have the view they do?
- Comment on audience/ attribution if relevant
- What own knowledge do you have to support the interpretation?

Para 1: Interpretation 2
Paraphrase
Why does it say that? Why is it diff to interpretation 1
- Does it support the view or not?
- Comment on the authorship – why do they have the view they do?
- Comment on audience/ attribution if relevant
- What own knowledge do you have to support the interpretation?

Conclusion: Answer the Q … which of the two interpretations supports the view and why
how far the 2 interpretations support the view in the question (ref. Content and Provenance)
 12 mins
Q4 Guidance! Which of these sources (2 of them) is
more useful to an historian studying the issue of…
11 mark [3 for OK + 8]
Timing: 12 mins

Skill: Evaluate the usefulness of both sources using content / authorship / audience / attribution

Structure:
1) You need to know and explain why each source is useful both in terms of Author, Audience and Attribution AND what is in
the source
2) Which one is more useful and why? [There is no right or wrong answer – you just need to ensure you justify your decision]

Tip 2: Keep using the word “useful”

AVOID: ‘This source is not useful because it is biased.’
OVERALL conclusion needed –

No mention of author – can’t get more than 1-2

Maybe 3 marks if you mentioned one author vaguely..
 20 mins

Structure for a Q5 (from the Key Tips sheet)

Para 1: “I agree” or “I don’t agree with the view”
Para 2: Use your specific OK to show why the interpretation could be considered correct.
Para 3: Consider the author of the sentence – Are they an expert or not? What is the title
of the book / article (does it have a specific focus or general focus)? / What audience was
it written for (General Interest / Internet / University)? / do they have a reason to give a
specific point of view? / are they in a particular area of expertise?
Para 4: Identify other interpretations – how could another historian disagree with the
interpretation (USE YOUR OK) For the TOP MARKS “A historian focusing on Political
history / Social History / Criminal History / Economic History would have a different view
because…”
Para 5: Conclusion – how far do you agree with the original interpretation

No author – 1-3 marks only

 6 mins

Q1: Describe event/features/issue

Describe the topic in the question with facts / examples / causes /
consequences
Try to describe 3 features of the event /issue, one detail supporting
each
Can do one big paragraph or smaller ones (one per feature)
You only get marks for knowledge on this question!
 7 mins

How to answer Q2
6 mark (2+4) Question: How far… / To what extent… did something change?

Skill: A reasoned and supported judgement on the nature and extent of change

OK: Use specific OK to back up every point

Tip: Really focus on the “change” part of the question – use language like, “gradual”
“rapid” “increasing” or highlight the varying degrees of change for different groups.
Para 1: Life at the start of the question.

Para 2: Change during the question (with reference to any key turning points)

Para 3: Nature & Extent of overall change (where was it big / fast / slow / when was
there a big change? For who?)
 10 mins

How to answer Q3 on the Germany Paper

9 mark (3+6) Question: Arrange the factors in order of significance …

• Skill: Prioritisation of all 3 issues with detail & explanation

• OK: Use specific OK to back up every point
• Tip: 3 paragraphs with PEE, Point, Evidence and Explain why you’ve
put it at number 1,2 or 3
• For top marks: you must discuss the relative significance e.g. why
your 1st paragraph’s theme is a more important reason than 2nd/3rd
choices
 9 mins

How to answer Q4
• 8 mark Question: EXPLAIN WHY (X caused Y)
• Skill: A range (between 2-3) factors with specific detail and
explanation
• OK: Use specific OK to back up every point
• Tip: 1 paragraph per point/reason with detail – total 2 or 3
paragraphs! [3 probably best]
• Key point: Make sure you fully explain why X is caused / happens
because of Y, don’t be too descriptive
 13 mins
Q5- How important was factor X in causing
result Y
12 marks: 4 for OK, 8 for explaining and judgement
Main task: to discuss the importance of (at least) 2 factors in bringing about Y, and make a judgement on
what was the most important factor
Structure
2 paragraphs (or a big section) on why X was important in causing Y
Think about different elements for why it was important

1 paragraph on why another factor Z was important in causing Y

Option – could do this x2 (different factors)

Conclusion: out of X and Z, which was the most important in causing Y and why
• Analysis: Specific examples and evidence used to argue, link OK clearly to Question (think impact,
don’t just describe the event)
• Tip: Start with “Event X was important in causing Result Y for many reasons…”
• Have 2 paragraphs on impact of event X (will not get top marks otherwise)
• At least 1 paragraph on other factors (1 factor per paragraph)
• Conclusion on which factor was most important, mentioning all factors in your explanation.
 5 mins

Q1- What can be learnt from sources A and B

about…?
• Extraction of information and inference from both sources
• At least 1 point per source (3 points overall)
• ‘I can infer from the source’, ’The source implies that’, ‘I can learn
that’
• No OK marks

• 1 para per source

 9 mins

Q2 Exam Practice
8 mark (2+6) Question: To what extent does this source accurately reflect the…

• Tip: Use your own knowledge of the topic area linked to the source in order to place the source into
its historical context; make sure you fully read the blurb below the source as well

• Tip 2: Think about the following questions when analysing the source:
• Who wrote it? (provenance)
• When did they write it? (context) – VERY IMPORTANT FOR TOP LEVEL – what was going on at
the time? This is where you use your OK
• Why was it written? (purpose)
• Who was it written to / directed to? (audience)

• Tip 3: Your judgement should clearly show how accurate the source is in (great extent, reasonable
extent, not much)

Timing: 9 minutes
 13 mins

Q3- Why was topic X a significant reason for

issue Y
• Back up each reason with OK
• P1: Briefly explain topic X and issue Y
• P2: One reason why X was a reason for Y
• P3/4: One/Two more reasons
• Conclusion: summarise paras, with a judgement of why X was so
significant using CONTEXT
 11 mins

Question 4 
 10 mark Question: (2 + 8) Explain the connections between TWO of the following that are to do with …

OK: use the information about two of the key factors that you selected

 Tip 1: Don’t just describe one factor and then describe the other.

 Tip 2: You can use the factors in the question as links between the other factors

 Tip 3: Set your connections between the two factors into the historical context (needed for top level)

 Para 1: Show one way in which they link, use historical context.

 Para 2: Show another way in which they link, use historical context.

• Possible Links: X caused Y, both X and Y were trying to do the same thing; X made Y worse/better; X and
Y were caused by the same thing; X led to Y; X was the boss of Y, X and Y had similar jobs/roles
 20 mins

Q5-16 Mark Q (3 SPAG) – How far do you

agree with the interpretation that
• Para 1: Outline the interpretation and use your specific own knowledge
why the interpretation could be considered correct
• Para 2: Analyse the authorship – are they an expert or not? Do they
have a specific focus (consider the title of book/website etc). What
audience is it written for? (General, Academic?)
• Para 3: Are there any other interpretations of the question? How could
another historian disagree with? (For top marks: emphasise a historian
with a particular focus e.g. “a historian with a focus on economic/
social/ politic factors would think….”
• Para 4: Overall conclusion on how far you agree with the interpretation