Tackling Source-Based Questions

The study of source material is a well-established feature of A Level History. For many years students have been expected to engage with the raw material of the historian's trade, analysing documentary extracts and investigating historical problems through the use of a range of different sources. Although individual requirements vary, all three principal examining bodies include source-based papers. All History candidates will therefore be asked to read selected documentary quotations, extract information from them, evaluate them and assess their usefulness as evidence. You may be asked to compare two or more sources and you will certainly be required to relate your understanding of source material to a wider historical context. It is therefore important to develop the skills necessary for tackling this kind of question. This article offers some guidance on what to look out for, and then reviews the main kinds of historical sources which you are likely to encounter.

Know what to expect