Answering judgement type question at AS level
Typical stems for questions which call for students to make and to justify an historical judgement about, for example, the significance of a key event or individual include:
• How far do you agree that …?
• How important …?
• Examine the validity of the claim that …
• To what extent …? (perhaps the most common of all).
Like causal questions, questions requiring students to make and to justify a historical judgement appear in a variety of forms.
a. One-part ‘judgement’ questions, for example:
‘The impact of the First World War merely heightened existing social and political tensions which had divided Germany before 1914′. How far do you agree with this judgement?
Questions of this type require a single judgement to be offered and justified or supported, though it is important that the answer explains both social and political tensions.
b. Two-part ‘judgement’ questions, for example:
‘Very little was restored, and even less was settled.’ How far do you agree with this judgement on the Restoration Settlement?
Questions of this type require two distinct judgements to be offered and justified or supported.
One profitable approach may be to divide the