How do you answer the source questions, including 'how useful is the source'?
How to answer the source comprehension question and the 'how useful is the source' question, using content and provenance (nature, origin and purpose) and your own knowledge to reach a judgement, without simply calling a source biased.
A focused guide to answering the source questions in Eduqas GCSE History, covering the comprehension question and the 'how useful is the source' question, using content, provenance and own knowledge to reach a judgement.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point is exam technique for the source questions (AO3) in Eduqas GCSE History. You need to know how to answer the source comprehension question ("what does the source show") and the longer "how useful is the source" question, using content and provenance (nature, origin and purpose) plus your own knowledge to reach a judgement, without simply calling a source "biased". These skills appear in both depth studies and the thematic study.
The source comprehension question
The "how useful" question: content
The "how useful" question: provenance and own knowledge
Reaching a judgement
Try this
Q1. What three things should a "how useful" answer combine? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. The content of the source, its provenance (nature, origin and purpose), and your own knowledge, leading to a judgement on usefulness for the specific enquiry.
Q2. Explain why a "biased" source can still be useful. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Even a one-sided source reveals what its author believed or wanted people to think, so it can be very useful as evidence of attitudes or propaganda, which is why you judge usefulness rather than just reliability.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C100 20194 marksWhat does Source A show about the topic studied? (source comprehension)Show worked answer →
The source comprehension question (4 marks, AO3). Reward what the source shows, supported by detail drawn from it, not a general essay.
Make a point. State clearly what the source shows about the topic (the message or content).
Support it from the source. Quote or refer to specific details in the source (words, figures or features of an image) that show this.
Develop. Make a second supported point about what the source shows, again backed by detail from the source itself.
Top marks. Clear points about the content, each supported by precise detail taken directly from the source.
Eduqas C100 20218 marksHow useful is Source B to a historian studying the topic?Show worked answer →
The "how useful" question (8 marks, AO3). Judge usefulness through content and provenance, plus own knowledge, ending with a judgement.
Content. Explain what the source shows about the enquiry and how that is useful.
Provenance. Weigh the nature (what type of source), origin (who made it and when) and purpose (why it was made), and how each affects its value and reliability for this enquiry.
Own knowledge. Use your contextual knowledge to test how typical or accurate the source is.
Judgement. Conclude how useful the source is for this specific enquiry, balancing what it reveals against its limits, rather than dismissing it as biased.
Related dot points
- The structure of the two components and their papers, the mark tariffs and timings, the four assessment objectives (AO1 to AO4), and where the SPaG marks fall, so you can plan your revision and exam time.
A focused guide to the structure of Eduqas GCSE History, covering the two components and their papers, the mark tariffs and timings, the four assessment objectives, and where the SPaG marks fall, to help you plan revision and exam time.
- What an interpretation is and how it differs from a source, how to explain why interpretations of the past differ, and how to evaluate how far you agree with an interpretation in the 16-mark depth-study essay that carries SPaG.
A focused guide to answering the interpretation questions in Eduqas GCSE History, covering what an interpretation is, why interpretations differ, and how to evaluate how far you agree in the 16-mark depth-study essay.
- How to answer the 'describe two features' question, the 'explain why' question and the thematic-study comparison question, matching the length and structure to the marks and the assessment objective.
A focused guide to the knowledge-based questions in Eduqas GCSE History, covering the 'describe two features', 'explain why' and comparison questions, and how to match the structure to the marks and the assessment objective.
- How to plan and write the extended 'how far do you agree' essays in the depth study and the thematic study, how to build a balanced, supported argument with a clear judgement, and how to secure the SPaG and specialist-terminology marks.
A focused guide to the extended essays in Eduqas GCSE History, covering how to plan and write the 'how far do you agree' essays, build a balanced argument with a clear judgement, and secure the SPaG and specialist-terminology marks.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE History (C100) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2016)