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THE DOCUMENTS-BASED QUESTIONS EXAMINED
What is the documents-based question?
Section I on your Leaving Certificate history paper is the documents-based question. This question is compulsory and is worth 100 marks, i.e. 20% of your overall mark.
In the 2024 and 2025 papers the compulsory question will come from one of the three Case Studies in Dictatorship and Democracy in Europe, 1920-1945. They are:
Stalin’s Show Trials The Jarrow March, October 1936 The Nuremberg Rallies
In this section you will be given two sources drawn from one of the three Case Studies. They could be written sources like a newspaper article, a political speech or an extract from a book, or visual sources like a photograph or a political cartoon. Both sources will be about the same theme or event in the Case Study.
What types of question will you be asked?
You will be asked to answer four types of question about these sources.
1 Comprehension Usually there are three or four parts to this question at Higher Level and five at Ordinary. They are designed to test your understanding of the sources. This is the most important question for Ordinary Level students, who can earn 40 out of 100 marks for it. For Higher Level students it is worth 20 marks. Some examples of the type of question:
In Document A, what is meant by... ?
What is the message of the cartoon (Document B)?
According to Document A, what role does X play in events?
2 Comparison Usually there are two parts to this question. They ask you to compare or note differences between the way the two sources deal with the event. This question is worth 20 marks at both Higher and Ordinary Levels. Some examples of the type of question:
How does the accouunt of the event in Document A differ from the account in Document B? Which document is more effective in communicating its message? Comment on the portrayal of X in Documents A and B. Which document is more sympathetic to ... ?
3 Criticism There are usually two parts to this question. In it you may be asked to detect bias, propaganda, opinions or to make judgements about the reliability of the sources. This question is worth 20 marks at both Higher and Ordinary Levels. Some examples of the type of question:
Do you find bias in this document? How reliable is Document A?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Document B as a historical source? Is a political cartoon such as Document A a reliable source of historical evidence? Is Document B a primary or secondary source? Explain your choice. Do you agree that Document B is a good example of propaganda?
It is really important that for the above three types of question you make use of evidence from the source(s) in your answer. Use words or phrases from the documents, name figures in cartoons or mention facts the sources refer to.
4 Contextualisation This is the final question and it will ask about your background historical knowledge of the Case Study. For Higher Level students, answering it will involve knowing about the elements of the Topic (Dictatorship and Democracy in Europe) that are relevant to the Case Study.
Higher Level students should write a short essay of about two pages while one page will be enough at Ordinary Level. This is the most important question for Higher Level students, as it is worth 40 marks out of 100. For Ordinary Level students it is worth 20 marks.
