Exam Board

AQA

What is GCSE Geography:

This qualification is linear. Linear means that you will sit all  exams at the end of the course in Year 11, is graded 1-9.

What about exams? What will I study?

Living with the physical environment (Paper 1)

Section A: The challenge of natural hazards

Section B: Physical landscapes in the UK

Section C: The living world

Challenges in the human environment (Paper 2)

Section A: Urban issues and challenges

Section B: The changing economic world

Section C: The challenge of resource management

Geographical applications (Paper 3)

Section A: Issue evaluation

Section B: Fieldwork

Geographical skills are embedded throughout the course and can appear in any of the 3 papers; OS map skills, graphical skills & numeracy

Exams

Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes        35% of GCSE

Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose

Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment

Urban issues and challenges; Urban growth, Mega Cities, NEE (Newly Emerging Economies) UK’s core cities, Sustainable transport , The Changing Economic world; uneven development, debt, trade and aid, UK’s changing economy; The challenge of resource management; water, food and energy

Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes        35% of GCSE

Question types: multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, extended prose

Paper 3: Geographical applications

Issue evaluation

Fieldwork and Geographical skills

Written exam: 1 hour 15 mins         30% of GCSE

Prior to this paper you are required to conduct 2 field geographical trips; one focussing on physical geography and another with a focus on urban issues. You will then have to answer questions on these trips in your Paper 3 exam

What could I do next with Geography?

Pretty much anything really is the honest answer! Here are just a few career or further education pathways open to Geographers; environmental  sciences, local government, journalism, planning,  teaching and tourism.