Tag Archives: sources
Succeeding at Sourcework exam tips
This History revision podcast focuses on how to answer different types of source questions. Many of the hints are good practice with for any sourcework paper, but if you would like specific advice for the CIE exams then check out my revision podcasts for IGCSE Paper 2 and IGCSE Paper 4.
This specific episode presents tips on a range source question types including:
- Comprehension
- Comprehension in Context
- Reliability/Usefulness/Value
- Source Comparisons
- Interpretation
I/GCSE History source paper revision – how to answer comprehension questions
These are often the early question on a paper, and usually have lower marks than some of the questions that require more detailed analysis. While there’s no ‘easy’ questions on a History exam, comprehension source questions are arguably the easiest that you’ll come across.
I/GCSE History source paper revision – comprehension in context questions
You’ve probably never called them this, but you will have seen them before. These are the types of questions that need you to understand what a source tells you about a person or situation and then link it to your own knowledge of the period.
I/GCSE History source paper revision – reliability, usefulness and value
In these types of questions the examiner wants to see that you recognise that some sources have more value to historians than others, some are more reliable than others, and some are more useful than others.
It’s important to go into the exam knowing that sources can never be completely reliable or unreliable – but they can be more or less reliable. Every source has positive and negative aspects, and you need to consider these in your answer.
I/GCSE History source paper revision – how to compare sources
If you haven’t watched my other videos on source comprehension, comprehension in context, and usefulness, value and reliability I suggest you look at those first as the skills you use for those are very similar.
There are really two different types of question that may call for source comparison. The first are those that want you to compare the value of sources, and those that want you to compare their messages by identifying agreements and disagreements. Answering a question about the value of sources is dealt with in one of my other videos, so click here to take a look at it. To answer questions that call on you to compare source messages, watch this video for my advice.
I/GCSE History source paper revision – answering ‘how far’ interpretations
A ‘how far’ source interpretation question is usually the last to appear on the exam, and invariably carries the most marks. Therefore you need to plan your time carefully to ensure you leave a good chunk at the end to answer this question in sufficient detail.
