Examiner’s Specific Advice

This question requires you to pull together an answer which includes some of the analysis you have had to do for part (a) and then go further by considering all the sources. Make sure you allow two-thirds of the time allocated for the whole paper (that makes 60 minutes for this question). Do a brief plan to remind yourself of agreement/disagreement with the proposition in the question. Identify themes which the sources pick up on; these should emerge in questions set by the examiners.

Make sure you have covered all the sources by the end of your answer, but avoid the temptation to cover each in turn. This ‘sequential’ approach would seriously limit your chances of achieving a top level mark. Your own knowledge is essential to a good answer. Use it to interrogate the sources and to question critically any assertion they make.

Develop analysis of a source by examining a range of examples from your more comprehensive knowledge. Do not just describe what’s in a source. However, avoid a common mistake of deploying so much of your own knowledge that the sources aren’t properly considered. This is after all a source-based paper. Avoid the temptation to quote chunks from each source; the examiner should know what is there! Rather, confine yourself to significant words or short phrases. A conclusion is necessary to tie your discussion up. It doesn’t need to be long, but it should be clear for greatest impact.

Exemplar Question - 1 (b)

1 (b) Study all the Sources

Use your own knowledge to assess how far the Sources support the interpretation that the main reason for the escalation of the Korean War was the fear of the USA that Communism would spread throughout Asia. [70 marks]

View Exemplar Answer 1

View Exemplar Answer 2