Exam Preparation

Geography Command Words.docx

CIE Past Papers

Will you marry me?

It is vitally important to make sure you explicitly, rather than implicitly, answer any question you are asked.

The planning process outlined below is designed to help ensure you do just that.

Too often excellent students add detail they have learned in order to 'impress' the examiner, but really all the examiner wants is the answer.

If you ask someone "Will you marry me?" the answer you are waiting to hear is "yes". A response like "Oh...I love you so much, I thought you'd never ask, you make me so happy and the ring is beautiful..." is all very well, but it doesn't answer the question.

To answer a question, we must first understand what is being asked. If you were to describe your best friend you might say "they are tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and glasses....", if you add the word 'because' to this statement you are giving reasons, and so you have stopped describing and started explaining and therefore you are no longer answering the question.

Similarly, if asked to compare or contrast you will need to use comparative or '-er' words, like fewer, greater, larger or smaller.

The document on the left defines each Command Word used in A' Level Geography and gives an example of how it might be used (in red).

Planning

Every Paragraph MUST contain

One key idea – upon which you should expand
Words from the question – this will help keep you on target and relevant
A piece of data/information/quote/reference to a table/map/diagram
- This information should be directly related to the key idea you wish to develop
- The source of this information should also be acknowledge and where appropriate critiqued
Geographical terminology

General pointers

Don’t write in a familiar, self-important or conversational tone.
Don’t write in the first person. (Never use the word ‘I’) Instead use sentences like: After considering the main factors, two specific examples will be considered.
Use geographical and technical language and use it well. For example use words such as: node, centre, periphery (edge), cluster, group, hierarchy, pattern, level, increase, decrease, expand, contract, decline growth, exaggerated, hazard, floodplain, foreshore, infrastructure, zone, region.
Don’t waffle, keep your writing tight and to the point. Using words from the question will help.
Rack your brain. Think harder. More information is in there, you just haven’t recognised it as geographical information. Think laterally, ask questions that will help you access what is in your head!

Think “First Principles”