How do I answer a source question?

Source questions in a history exam may seem complicated, but once you understand the method by which to analyse them, the technique is exactly the same, regardless of the time period being studied. The key to doing this is first understanding exactly what the question is asking you to find; this is done by taking time to reread the question and highlighting key words so that you can really focus on what you are being asked. Then, you should carefully read through the source - or look at it thoroughly if it's a picture - and highlight what parts you may think are relevant to the question being asked. It is important to try and be able to summarise the Big Message of what the source is trying to say in one sentence, as this will mean you have understood the larger meaning, before going into any of the nuances in the argument. Finally, assessing the reliability and potential bias of the source is what will help you achieve top marks. This all comes down to who wrote or created the source - ie. if it's an American newspaper or politician in a question about the Cold War, then this has the potential to favour the side of the US over the USSR. It is important as this can completely change the meaning of the source in regards to the question, by either increasing or decreasing its utility. This method of analysis should allow you to confidently answer any GCSE source question in a history paper by allowing you to fully understand the question and whether the source agrees or disagrees with it, and then use your evaluation of potential bias to further analyse and evaluate both the source and the question.