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"History is past politics, and politics present history." John Robert Seeley

"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see." Winston Churchill

"What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing." Aristotle

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Document Question: Format, Examples & Answering

The Document Question for LC History (H & O) is sub-divided into the following four categories. Note the different allocation of marks between Higher & Ordinary Level for each part. Clicking on the links below will bring you to a relevant example from a past LC Exam Paper (2009), which we will use here as a complete example.  Documents A & B (2009) can be accessed here.

Higher Level = Purple

Ordinary Level = Green

Part 1: Comprehension (20) (40)

Part 2: Comparison (20) (20)

Part 3: Criticism (20) (20)

Part 4: Contextualisation (40) (20)

Each section requires a different approach to answering. Except for Part 4 (Contextualisation), the first three sections all require quotation from & reference to the documents provided on the exam paper.

Part 1: Comprehension (20) (40)

In this section, 4 – 5 questions are posed requiring the candidate to find answers in the Documents provided. A single quotation for each answer is sufficient. Ensure that expression in your answer fully answers the stated questions.

Part 2: Comparison (20) (20)

In this section, two separate questions of comparison are asked = (a) and (b) which are both worth ten marks each. It is vital that you always refer to both documents in both answers. Questions in this section usually relate to reliability and objectivity.

Part 3: Criticism (20) (20)

In this section, candidates are asked to critique the Documents provided, usually separately. Candidates are asked to critique the amount of bias in one or other Document.

Part 4: Contextualisation (40) (20)

This section requires the candidate to write a short Contextualisation essay. The questions here are usually based on a personality, movement or event that is central to the Case Study covered in the Document Question. For Higher Level, 40% of a standard essay is sufficient i.e. approxiamately one and a half A4 pages at most. It is vital that each paragraph directly responds to the question asked and that all relevant material is included in a tightly-written, highly-focused answer.

For Ordinary Level, one A4 page AT MOST is sufficient. Again, a relevant and highly-focused answer is required.

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