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Paper 1 is a source exam, not an essay: Paper 1 checks how well you read, use, and judge sources — not how much history you can recall. You get four sources on one case study and answer four set questions.
Here is the best news about Paper 1. The question types never change: every exam asks the same four things, in the same order, worth the same marks.
So you can drill a fixed method for each one long before you ever see the sources.
Your own knowledge of Rights and protest still matters, but only the last 9-mark question rewards it directly. The first three questions are won or lost purely on how you handle the provenance and content of the sources in front of you.
This unit has two case studies. The first is the US civil rights movement, 1954–1965 — the fight against segregation in the American South.
The second is apartheid South Africa, 1948–1964 — the struggle against apartheid.
Whichever case study you get, the same source skills carry you. You read each source, judge it as evidence, and — only at the end — bring in facts of your own.
- Read the provenance line every time. It tells you the author, date and type of source. It is free information, and it does half the work on the value question for you.
- Use OPVL for the value-and-limitations question. It turns a source into evidence a historian can weigh.
- Watch for common source types. A speech (like an MLK-style sermon), a government statement, a newspaper report on Montgomery or Sharpeville, and a modern historian's verdict all appear across these two case studies.
Memory hook — '3-2-4-6-9': The marks run 3, 2, 4, 6, 9 down the page and add up to 24. Spend about one minute per mark, and remember 3-2-4-6-9 to remember the whole paper.
Each question is unlocked by its command word — the verb that tells you exactly what to do. Learn what each one is asking, and the method that earns the marks follows.
Q1(a) — Comprehension [3 marks]
Starts 'What, according to Source X, were…'. State three separate points the source actually makes — each clear point earns 1 mark. Stay inside the source and add no outside knowledge. Keep the three points short and distinct so the examiner can tick three.
Q1(b) — Message [2 marks]
Starts 'What does Source X suggest about…', usually about a photo, cartoon or poster — say a picture of the Selma marchers or a whites-only sign. Give the overall message — what the source wants you to think or feel — and back it with one detail. Do not just describe what you see; say what it hints at.
Q2 — Value and limitations [4 marks]
Starts 'With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source X…'. Use the provenance line. Give a value AND a limitation, each tied to a real feature, and link both back to the exact topic named. Frame it as 'BECAUSE it was written by… FOR…, it is useful for… but limited because…'.
Q3 — Compare and contrast [6 marks]
Starts 'Compare and contrast what Sources X and Y reveal about…'. Give both similarities and differences, and link the two sources to each other. Aim for about three linked matches and three linked differences. Never write two separate paragraphs that never meet.
Q4 — Judgement [9 marks]
Starts 'Using the sources and your own knowledge, evaluate the view that…'. This is a mini-essay: short intro, both sides using the sources as evidence, your own facts woven in, and a clear verdict at the end. It is the only question where knowing the history pays off directly.
Comprehend → Message → OPVL → Compare → Judge (3-2-4-6-9).
| Question | Marks | Command word | What wins the marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1(a) | 3 | What, according to… | Three separate points from the source |
| Q1(b) | 2 | What does X suggest… | One backed-up message |
| Q2 | 4 | Analyse value and limitations | Value AND limitation tied to origin, purpose, content |
| Q3 | 6 | Compare and contrast | Linked similarities AND differences |
| Q4 | 9 | Using sources and own knowledge… | Both sides + own facts + verdict |
Source-handling (Q1–Q3)
- Stay INSIDE the sources
- No outside knowledge needed
- Reward technique: points, message, OPVL, linking
- Worth 15 of the 24 marks
- Win these with method, not memory
Judgement (Q4)
- Use sources AND your own knowledge
- Needs facts the sources do not give you
- Reward argument: both sides plus a verdict
- Worth 9 marks — the biggest single question
- Win this with knowledge AND a clear verdict
Turning a fact into Q4 evidence: Suppose Q4 asks whether nonviolent protest was the main reason for civil rights gains. A source might describe the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. Your own knowledge then adds what the source leaves out: the Supreme Court ruling that ended bus segregation, the pressure of TV coverage, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Source detail plus wider context is exactly what the top band rewards.
Practice with real exam questions
Answer exam-style questions and get AI feedback that shows you exactly what examiners want to see in a full-marks response.
How this is tested: Q2 always uses OPVL. The big trap is to describe the source instead of judging it as evidence. A second trap is treating bias as if it makes a source useless — bias is itself a value, because it shows what people wanted believed.
Source B (invented for practice): an extract from a speech given in December 1955 by a young Black minister leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He tells a packed church, 'We are tired of being segregated and humiliated. We will protest, but our weapon is love, not violence, and we will not stop until the buses are ours to ride as equals.' With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source B for a historian studying protest methods in the US civil rights movement.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Common mistakes: 1. Describing the source instead of judging it. 2. Treating bias as useless — bias limits facts but is valuable for attitudes. 3. Forgetting to link back to the named topic. 4. Giving only a value or only a limitation — Q2 needs both. 5. Inventing provenance — use only what the attribution line states.