← Social Studies syllabus

SingaporeSocial Studies

Source-Based Question Skills

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you work out why a source was made, and the response it was trying to create?

Assess the purpose of a source by linking its message, intended audience and desired effect, using both content and provenance
A focused answer to the O-Level Social Studies purpose skill. How to explain why a source was created by linking its message, who it targets, and the reaction it wants, using a clear surface-message to intended-effect chain.
9 min answer →

How do you judge whether a source can be trusted, using who made it rather than just what it says?

Assess the reliability of a source by weighing its provenance, content and tone, and explain why it can or cannot be fully trusted
A focused answer to the O-Level Social Studies reliability skill. How to judge whether a source can be trusted by weighing its provenance, who wrote it, when and why, alongside its content and tone, instead of simply summarising what it says.
9 min answer →

How do you compare two sources and prove whether they agree or disagree?

Compare two sources for similarity or difference and support the comparison with matched evidence from both sources
A focused answer to the O-Level Social Studies comparison skill. How to find a clear point of agreement or disagreement between two sources, and prove it with matched evidence quoted from both, rather than describing each source one after the other.
8 min answer →

How do you use a whole set of sources to judge how far they support a given statement?

Evaluate how far a set of sources supports a given view by grouping them for and against, using each accurately, and reaching a judgement
A focused answer to the final Section A skill in O-Level Social Studies. How to use a whole set of sources to judge how far they support a statement, by grouping them into support and challenge, using each accurately, weighing reliability, and reaching a clear judgement.
9 min answer →

How do you work out what a source is really saying, and prove it from the source itself?

Infer the message of a source and support that inference with specific evidence drawn from the source
A focused answer to the O-Level Social Studies skill of inference. How to read beyond the literal words of a written, visual or statistical source, state a clear message, and prove it with a specific detail the marker can find in the source.
8 min answer →