Cross-referencing two sources (AO3)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History · 4HI1
Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation
Paper 2's 8-mark source question asks how far Source A supports Source B. It is not a reliability question, and treating it as one costs most of the marks.
Specification coverage
Paper 2, Section A, part (b)
Assessment objectives: AO3. Suggested learning time: 60 minutes.
Required knowledge
- AO3 is worth 15% of the qualification and is assessed on Paper 2 only
- Part (b) is worth 8 marks and is entirely AO3
- Part (c) carries a further 10 AO3 marks alongside 6 AO4 marks
Required skills
- Comprehend, interpret and cross-refer sources
- Identify specific points of agreement and disagreement between two sources
- Use provenance to explain a difference, rather than to dismiss a source
How it is examined
- “How far does Source A support the evidence of Source B about…?” — 8 marks
Common mistakes
- Summarising each source in turn without cross-referring.
- Rejecting a source because it is 'biased'. Every source has a perspective; that is what makes it evidence.
- Ignoring the attribution line above the source, which is where the provenance is.
- Bringing in your own knowledge at length. Part (b) is an AO3 question about these two sources.