Read source-based structured questions carefully
Use the two exam sources accurately, answer the specific short task and keep each statement within the evidence provided.
Exam scope and assessment notes
This is original StudyForA teaching and fictional practice, not Cambridge text, an official question or an official mark scheme. The 2026–2028 syllabus calls the written exam Component 1; the 2029–2031 syllabus calls it Paper 1 and reports no significant teaching changes. Check the syllabus for the learner's exam year and follow teacher, centre and assessment-authenticity rules. StudyForA cannot authenticate assessed work, observe collaboration, award official marks or predict a grade.
Before you begin
- Identify whether the task concerns source analysis, essay writing, team assessment or the independent research report.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What should you do when a source-based question asks what Source B says?
What you will learn
- Identify details and claims in two sources
- Answer a structured question directly
- Use accurate comparison language and source attribution
Read the task before collecting details
For the 2026–2028 syllabus, Component 1 is a 1 hour 30 minute, 45-mark written exam. The 2029–2031 syllabus calls it Paper 1. Question 1 is worth 5 marks and asks short structured questions based on two supplied sources. The issue is a context for assessed skills; prior factual knowledge of that issue is not assessed.
Use precise source evidence
Separate what a source states from what you infer. Attribute a claim to the correct source, quote or paraphrase only what is relevant and compare details when asked. Do not add outside topic facts as though they appear in the documents.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus · 2026–2028 Version 3
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus update · 2026–2028
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus · 2029–2031 Version 1
- Cambridge International 9239 subject page and exam-series notice
Pause and explain
Why avoid claiming how many people are affected when neither source gives a number?
Worked example
Source A says a town's new shuttle runs every 15 minutes but stops at 18:00. Source B says late-shift workers finish at 19:00. Explain one access problem indicated by the sources.
Show the worked solution
- Attribute the shuttle timetable to Source A.
- Attribute the finishing time to Source B.
- Connect the times and state the specific limitation.
Answer The shuttle stops at 18:00 (Source A), while late-shift workers finish at 19:00 (Source B). The service therefore does not cover their return journey after work. This follows from the two stated times; it does not establish how many workers are affected.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Source A says a clinic opened on Saturdays. Source B says the only bus arrives after its first appointment time. State one supported limitation using both sources.
Give me a hint
Attribute each detail, then explain the connection without adding a number of patients.
Compare my reasoning
- State the Saturday opening detail from Source A.
- State the bus timing detail from Source B.
- Explain the access problem those details indicate.
Although the clinic opens on Saturdays (Source A), the bus arrives after the first appointment time (Source B), so that service may not let bus users reach the earliest appointment. The sources do not say how many people use the bus.
Look for these in your work
- Accurately uses both sources
- Explains a relevant connection
- Avoids unsupported scale
Source A gives a total of 240 responses; Source B describes four individual interviews. Give one difference in what the sources can show.
Give me a hint
Compare breadth and detail, not which source is automatically better.
Compare my reasoning
- State the kind of evidence in Source A.
- State the kind of evidence in Source B.
- Explain one difference and one limitation.
Source A may show a broader pattern among its 240 respondents if its sample and questions are suitable. Source B may give more detailed explanations from four interviewees but cannot estimate how common their views are. Neither source's value can be judged from size alone without its method and purpose.
Look for these in your work
- Distinguishes evidence types
- Explains breadth versus depth
- Qualifies source value
A prompt asks you to identify one claim in a source. The source contains three statistics and a conclusion. What should your response focus on?
Give me a hint
Find the position the source is supporting, not just a number used along the way.
Compare my reasoning
- Locate the source's main position or conclusion.
- State it accurately and attribute it.
- Include a statistic only if it is needed to distinguish or support the claim.
State the position the source is arguing for in the source's own scope. A statistic may be supporting evidence, but it is not automatically the claim. Keep the answer concise and do not convert the claim into a stronger statement than the source makes.
Look for these in your work
- Identifies the source's position
- Distinguishes claim from evidence
- Preserves the original scope
Common mistakes
- Mixing details from the two sources
- Adding unsupported local knowledge
- Writing a long general essay for a short structured prompt
What can you explain now?
What should you do when a source-based question asks what Source B says?
Compare with the explanation
Use a relevant detail from Source B and attribute it accurately.
The answer should come from the specified evidence.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
What is the difference between a source detail and a claim inferred from that detail?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.