How do you answer the source questions, including 'how useful' and 'how far does a source support'?
How to answer the WJEC source questions (AO3): the comprehension question, the 'how useful is the source' utility question and the 'how far does a source support a view' question, using content and provenance (nature, origin and purpose) plus own knowledge to reach a judgement, without simply calling a source biased.
A focused guide to answering the source questions in WJEC GCSE History, covering comprehension, the 'how useful' utility question and 'how far does a source support a view', 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 WJEC GCSE History. You need to know how to answer the comprehension question ("what does the source show"), the "how useful is the source" utility question, and the "how far does a source support a view" 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 the depth units and the NEA.
The source comprehension question
The "how useful" question: content
Provenance, own knowledge and the support question
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. 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 exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC Wales (technique)4 marksWhat does Source A show about the topic studied?Show worked answer →
The source comprehension question (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 (its message or content).
Support it from the source. 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.
WJEC Wales (technique)8 marksHow useful is Source B to a historian studying the topic?Show worked answer →
The utility question (AO3). Judge usefulness through content and provenance, plus own knowledge, ending with a judgement.
Content. Explain what the source shows about the enquiry and why 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 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 four-unit structure of WJEC GCSE History for Wales (two depth studies, a thematic study and the Working as an Historian NEA), their weightings and timings, and the four assessment objectives AO1 to AO4, including the compulsory Welsh dimension and where the SPaG marks fall.
A clear guide to the structure of WJEC GCSE History for Wales (specification 3100), covering the four units and their weightings, the four assessment objectives, the compulsory Welsh dimension and where the SPaG marks fall.
- How to answer the WJEC interpretation questions (AO4): explaining why two interpretations of the past differ (evidence, emphasis, purpose and viewpoint), and judging which interpretation is more convincing or how far you agree, using own knowledge to argue both sides and reach a supported judgement.
A focused guide to answering the interpretation questions in WJEC GCSE History (AO4), covering why interpretations differ and judging which is more convincing, using own knowledge to argue both sides and reach a supported judgement.
- How to answer the WJEC describe questions (AO1, identify and develop features with precise support) and the explain questions (AO1 and AO2, developed analysis of causes or consequences linked to the outcome), and how to bring in the Welsh dimension where the question demands it.
A focused guide to answering the describe and explain questions in WJEC GCSE History (AO1 and AO2), covering developed features, causal analysis linked to the outcome, and bringing in the Welsh dimension where required.
- How to answer the WJEC thematic-study questions (AO2): analysing change and continuity across a long period, judging the significance of developments and turning points, and writing the extended essay with a balanced argument, a supported judgement and the Welsh perspective, on which the SPaG marks fall.
A focused guide to the thematic-study skills in WJEC GCSE History (AO2), covering change and continuity across a long period, judging significance, and writing the extended essay with a balanced argument, a supported judgement and the Welsh perspective.
- How to complete the WJEC Unit 4 Working as an Historian non-examined assessment: the source-based narrative task (using and evaluating a range of sources to build a supported account) and the interpretations task (analysing and evaluating why historians differ), under controlled conditions and worth 20 percent.
A focused guide to the WJEC Unit 4 Working as an Historian non-examined assessment, covering the source-based narrative task and the interpretations task, how each is built and evaluated, and how the NEA is assessed under controlled conditions.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE History (Wales) specification (3100) — WJEC (2017)