Strategy and Revision Guide

Strategise

Source-Based Questions (SBQ)

Skills-based

Less memorising of content

Structured Essay Questions (SEQ)

Content-based

Mostly memorising of content

SBQ or SEQ

Panic attack is a common phenomenon in

examinations.

Panic attack can cause difficulty in retrieving most of the content which you have remembered.

Start off with SEQ since the content that you memorised is at the top of your head.

Recommendation

Time Management

Do set aside a fixed amount of time.

So that you have time to attempt all questions.

Total time (1hr 45mins = 105minutes)

Split your time.

Give yourself 35mins for SEQ.

Leave yourself with 70mins for SBQ.

Recommendation

Start off with the SEQ and choose the Theme which

you are most comfortable with.

The universal format is PEEL.

Give as much detail as you can from the content that you have memorised.

SEQ

To attain a higher level of marks, you need to be able

to present and construct your explanation clearly, supported with details.

Use the issue in the question to guide you. This is the part where you get to ‘show off’ your thinking skills.

To make it easier, imagine you trying to win an argument, so you are trying to convince others to accept your reasons or points.

SEQ

Locate the “Compass Question” or “Question Issue”

above the Background Information.

Every source given is answering that particular question.

Read the Background Information carefully.

The BI can be used for the Cross Refer stage.

SBQ

Read every Source and make annotations.

Read the ‘Compass Question’, then read the Source.

The answer that you get is basically the ‘Inference’.

Underline/Highlight the lines or evidences that help you arrive at that inference.

Move on to the questions.

SBQ

As you read the questions;

Circle the keyword

Underline the issue

If there is no issue given in the question, refer back to the ‘Compass Question’.

Different keywords will require different types of answering techniques.

SBQ

‘What’

Basic inference question

ISEL

‘Why’ Purpose question

PISEL

The ‘P’ requires 3 components.

Audience

Action by audience

Impact (use the Compass Question as guide)

SBQ

Study Sources __ and __

How different / similar are they? Comparison question

4 components which can be compared (any 2) Source Type

Provenance

Content (Can be both similar and different)

Purpose

Find one difference and one similar.

If you are able, attempt the purpose as it’s the highest level attainable.

SBQ

‘Trust’, ‘Believe’, ‘Surprise’, ‘Reliable’, ‘Believe’

Reliability question

3 paragraphs

Must state the stand at the end of each paragraph

Imporant! Answer using the keyword used in the question.

Offer your inference, support with evidence, explain in own words, link back to question issue. State your stand.

SBQ

Answer the question directly.

I can believe/cannot believe Source __ in saying… (inference based on issue)From the source, “…” (provide the evidence from source)This means/suggests/implies/shows…(explain in own words)Therefore, I can believe/cannot believe what the source says about…(state your stand)

Reliability – Para 1

Cross-Reference

Similarly/However, when I cross refer to Source __ ,I find that Source __ supports/does not support Given Source in saying that … (issue)(Using another source to check the reliability of the given source)In Source __ , it is mentioned that … (provide the evidence from Source __ )This means/suggests/implies/shows…(explain in own words)Therefore, Source __ proves that Given Source is reliable in saying that … (issue). Since Given Source is reliable/not reliable, I can believe/cannot believe Given Source.(state your stand)

Reliability – Para 2

Check Bias

When I check Given Source for bias, I find that it comes from … (look at the Provenance – where the source comes from)Since it comes from … (the provenance)…(develop the provenance – is it related to the issue? Does it have any reason to take sides. If it does, then it is biased. A source is not biased only when it is a neutral party or when it provides both good and bad points about the issue.)Therefore, Given Source is bias/not bias. Since it is bias/not bias, it is not reliable/reliable. Therefore, I can believe/cannot believeGiven Source about what it says … (issue)(state your stand)

Reliability – Para 3

‘Useful’

Exactly the same way as the Reliability technique.

Difference is in the extra line for the stand.

Utility / Usefulness

Para 1

Therefore, Given Source is useful/not useful to show … (issue)

Para 2Therefore, Source __ proves that Given Source is reliable in saying that … (issue). Since Given Source is reliable/not reliable, it is useful/not useful in showing … (issue)

Para 3Therefore, Given Source is bias/not bias. Since it is bias/not bias, it is not reliable/reliable. Therefore, Given Source is useful/not useful in showing … (issue)

Utility / Usefulness

The End