Source Skills & NEA Guide

The source question on Component 2 and the NEA (Non-Examined Assessment) are the two elements of AQA A-Level History that require skills beyond essay writing. The source question tests your ability to analyse and evaluate historical evidence under timed conditions. The NEA tests your ability to conduct independent historical research over an extended period. This lesson covers both in detail.

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Part 1: The Source Question (Component 2)

The Question Format

The Component 2 source question is always phrased in the same way:

"With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these sources to a historian studying [topic]."

You will be given two sources (usually extracts of 150–250 words each). These are typically:

Combination	Example
Two primary sources	A government dispatch and a diary entry from the same period
One primary + one secondary	A speech from the period and a later historian's analysis
Two sources with different perspectives	A supporter's account and a critic's account of the same event