A Level AQA history Exam technique with verified questions and answers 2025

A-Level AQA history: Exam technique

1. Extract questions:
- 3 separate extracts
- 60 minutes (20 minutes each)
2. Extracts technique:
- Explicitly indicate what the main argument is
- Provide own knowledge to explain the context
- Talk about how it is convincing and not convincing
- Don't analyse what isn't in the extract
- Don't compare the extracts
- Use the wording of the question in the opening line
3. Extracts structure:
1. The primary argument is...
2. This is convincing because... (own knowledge)
3. However, this argument isn't convincing because... (own knowledge)

3. The secondary argument is...
4. This is convincing because... (own knowledge)
5. However, this argument isn't convincing because... (own knowledge)

6. Overall, the argument is / isn't convincing because...
4. Source questions:
- 3 separate sources
- 60 minutes (20 minutes each)
- Determine how valuable a source is by analyzing its arguments, backed up with
own knowledge
5. Source technique:
- Always explain each point, linking back to the question
- Use the provenance to explain the value of the source
- Make sure to answer the question
- All sources are valuable in some way

- If the source is reliable, clear and makes factual points then it is valuable
- If the source is biased, limited, or inaccurate then it is not valuable

- Talk about content, provenance

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