AQA GCSE History exam skills overview quiz quiz

64 marks

84 marks

100 marks

120 marks

Simply how long the source is in total

How old the physical paper it is printed on happens to be

Only whether or not the source has a date written on it

Its provenance (nature, origin and purpose)

Nature, Origin, Purpose

Name, Order, Place

Notes, Opinion, Proof

Nation, Outcome, Period

Bias actually makes a source more accurate and reliable than other evidence

It is useful evidence of attitudes, propaganda or intended messages

Biased sources are always primary sources from the period being studied

A source cannot be useful at all once you have shown that it is biased

A source is always a great deal longer than an interpretation of the same event

An interpretation is always completely reliable and free of any bias

A source is from the period studied; an interpretation is a later view about it

There is no real difference between a source and an interpretation

They use different evidence

They were written at different times

They emphasise different factors

They were written in the same year

Three or four linked events

Just one single event described in great detail

Eight or more events listed one after another

As many separate events as you can possibly fit in

Adding as many extra dates as you possibly can to the account

Linking each event to the next to show cause and consequence

Writing the whole account in the present tense throughout

Using clear bullet points instead of full paragraphs

Summarise every single paragraph from the essay in turn

Introduce a brand-new argument not mentioned before

Reach a justified judgement against clear criteria

List all of the dates that were used in the essay

2 marks

8 marks

16 marks

4 marks

PEEL: Point, Evidence, Explain, Link

A single very long sentence covering the whole point

A simple list of names and key people

Only a conclusion with no main paragraphs

Spending a few short minutes planning the 16-mark essay before writing

Spending too long on a low-mark question and rushing the final essay

Reading the sources carefully before starting to answer

Writing every answer in full, properly punctuated sentences