GCSE Geography

Examination Structure

Paper 1  (Geographical Themes)

In this exam you must answer three questions from six, one from each theme (Population and Settlement, The Natural Environment and Economic Development). There are two questions on each theme. This paper lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and is worth 75 marks. This paper includes case studies and is worth 45% of the overall grade. 

Paper 2 (Geographical Skills)

The questions on this paper test your interpretive skills and understanding of geographical information, including maps. You must answer all the questions. This paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and is worth 60 marks.  This paper is worth 27.5% of the overall grade.

Paper 4 (Alternative to Coursework)

In this paper you will answer two questions, each based on a theoretical investigation, which test how you would carry out fieldwork. The questions will cover data collection methods, presenting data, analysing patterns in data and writing a conclusion. The paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and is worth 60 marks. This paper is worth 27.5% of the overall grade.