Global Perspectives Paper 1 does not test what you already know. Every paper gives you an insert, a booklet of sources about one global issue (for example, living alone, girls' education or vehicle crime), and every question is about those sources. You are marked on skills: reading carefully, analysing, evaluating and arguing. This chapter covers the first skill, reading the sources and using them well.
1.1 Selecting and explaining information from sources
How the paper is built
Paper 1 has four compulsory questions and 70 marks in total, and you write on the question paper.
| Papers up to 2024 | Papers from 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 1 hour 15 minutes | 1 hour 25 minutes |
| Question 1 | 12 marks: short parts on Sources 1 to 3 | 18 marks: parts (a) to (d) on Sources 1 and 2 |
| Question 2 | 14 marks: strengths and weaknesses of an argument, then how to research a claim | 16 marks: evaluate the research in Source 3, then explain how to test a claim |
| Question 3 | 20 marks: fact and value judgement parts, then which argument is more convincing | 16 marks: which argument is more convincing |
| Question 4 | 24 marks: do you agree with a statement? | 20 marks: which action would you recommend? |
Identify, describe, explain
Command words tell you how much to write.
| Command word | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Pick it out of the source. One short answer, no explanation. | "Identify one example of a claim from Source 2." |
| Describe | Say what the source says, in your own words, with some detail. | "Describe the perspective of the charity." |
| Explain | Give the point and the reason: because, so, which means. | "Explain why the example you identified is a claim." |
| Which ... and why? | Choose one, then justify the choice with reasons and evidence. | "Which cause of crime is the most significant?" |
A one-mark "identify" question wants one correct item from the right source. Check which source the question names: "From Source 1" means the answer is in Source 1, not Source 2.
Using the source properly
- Read the question first, then read the sources with it in mind. Underline names, numbers and strong words.
- Use short quotations or figures as evidence, and say what they show.
- Do not copy long passages. Marks go to your analysis, not to what you can copy.
- Check each part for how many marks it is worth and write that much. A 1-mark part needs one answer, a 6-mark part needs several developed points.
Answering "which is the most significant?"
For a question such as "Which benefit of education do you think is most significant? Explain why":
- Choose one from the sources and name it.
- Give reasons: who it affects, how many people, how long the effect lasts, what else it leads to.
- Use the source as evidence.
- A short comparison with another choice earns extra credit, for example "This matters more than X because X only helps for a short time."
1.2 Analysing perspectives and why an issue matters
Issue, perspective and argument
- An issue is an important subject or problem for discussion.
- A perspective is a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning. People have different perspectives because they have different experiences, interests and values.
- An argument is a series of statements with reasons and evidence that support a claim.
Perspectives can be personal, local or national, or global. A farmer's view of a new dam, a national government's view and an international charity's view will be different, and each may be reasonable.
Describing a perspective
When asked to "describe the perspective of" a person or organisation, use this checklist (you will not need every item every time):
| Look for | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Issue | What problem or topic are they talking about? |
| Value | Is it seen as good or bad, right or wrong, important or not? |
| Causes | What do they say makes it happen? |
| Consequences | What do they say it leads to, and who is affected? |
| Actions | What do they want done, or what are they doing? |
Why an issue is important to a nation
Questions such as "Explain why the growth of single-person households is an important national issue" want reasons, not a description. Think in layers:
- Who is affected, and how many people? (Whole population, one group, future generations)
- Economy: costs, jobs, housing, health services, taxes.
- Society: families, communities, loneliness, crime, education.
- Environment: energy, land, resources.
- Government action: does it need new laws, money or planning?
- Over time: is it growing, permanent or getting worse?
Pick two or three strong reasons, develop each in a sentence or two with the source as evidence, and link it back to the nation.
Practise this chapter
Every past-paper question on these topics, with the mark scheme.