How should I approach primary sources in my A-level exam?

The basic expectation of any examiner when marking a source-based question is whether you have identified the value of the source to an historian with reference to the relevant historical context. This does not mean simply repeating what is written or depicted in the source. Rather, your answer should be structured around the main arguments of the source's author/producer, exploring the tone and accuracy of its content and then evaluating its potential use or limitations in the study of the historical period in question. N.B. Just because a source is not true to what we believe to be the historical accuracy of events, it does not mean the source's value is intrinsically less, as it is worth exploring why the writer has made the mistake. For example, might they be omitting information or altering the coverage of a certain event in order to fulfil a political agenda? At the same time however, you must never generalise the argument of a source based on the type of person who wrote it (e.g. if they are of a particular social class), as this may lead you to make false assumptions about the writer's arguments and you risk ignoring significant details in the source itself.