Paper 1 source skills (Military leaders)
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Flip to reveal answersHow long is IB History Paper 1 and how many marks?
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Question
How long is IB History Paper 1 and how many marks?
Answer
1 hour (plus 5 minutes' reading time); 24 marks; four sources and four fixed questions.
Question
What is the mark distribution across the four Paper 1 questions?
Answer
Q1a = 3, Q1b = 2, Q2 = 4, Q3 = 6, Q4 = 9. Memory hook: '3-2-4-6-9' = 24.
Question
What does Q1(a) ('What, according to Source X…') require?
Answer
Three separate points taken FROM the source — no outside knowledge. 3 marks.
Question
What does Q1(b) ('What does Source X suggest…') require?
Answer
One supported message or inference — what the source (often an image/map) implies — with a detail to back it up. 2 marks.
Question
What does OPVL stand for and which question uses it?
Answer
Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitations (IB phrasing: origin, purpose and content). Used for Q2 [4 marks].
Question
What must a Q3 'compare and contrast' answer include?
Answer
Both similarities AND differences, linked directly source to source (running comparison) — not two separate one-source paragraphs. 6 marks.
Question
What three things does a top Q4 [9] answer combine?
Answer
The sources (by letter) + your own knowledge + a balanced argument ending in an explicit judgement.
Question
Why is a biased source still valuable to a historian?
Answer
Bias limits reliability on facts but is valuable evidence of attitudes — what people at the time wanted believed.
Question
Which question is the only one that directly rewards own knowledge?
Answer
Q4, the 9-mark judgement; Q1–Q3 are answered from inside the sources.
Question
Which region and dates apply to each Military leaders case study?
Answer
Genghis Khan = Asia (1206–1227); Richard I (the Lionheart) = Europe (1189–1199, Third Crusade 1191–1192, ransom 1193).
Question
What is the classic trap in a Q2 OPVL answer?
Answer
Describing what the source says instead of evaluating it as evidence, and giving only value OR only limitations rather than both.
Question
Roughly how should you split your hour across Paper 1?
Answer
About one minute per mark: ~5 min Q1, ~8 min Q2, ~12 min Q3, ~18 min Q4, leaving a buffer.
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