Geography FAQs

Core theme on Global change:

Changing populations

Climate vulnerability and resistance

Resource consumption and security

Geographical themes:

Freshwater

Leisure, tourism and sport

Internal assessment

Field study on inland changes in a coastal sand dune system

Paper 1 exam (1 hour 30 minutes) on the two geographical themes. A combination of data response, structured and essay questions, worth 35% of total marks.

Paper 2 exam (1 hour 15 minutes) on the core theme of Global change. A combination of data response, structured and essay questions, worth 40% of total marks.

Internal assessment consists of a written fieldwork report, worth 25% of total marks.

All that is covered in the SL course, plus

Extension theme on Global interactions:

Power, places and networks

Human development and diversity

Global risks and resilience

Geographical theme:

The geography of food and health

Paper 1 exam (2 hour 45 minutes) on the three geographical themes. A combination of data response, structured and essay questions, worth 35% of total marks.

Paper 2 exam (1 hour 15 minutes) on the core theme of Global change. A combination of data response, structured and essay questions, worth 25% of total marks.

Paper 3 exam (1 hour 15 minutes) on the extension theme of Global interactions. Two essay questions, worth 20% of total marks.

Internal assessment consists of a written fieldwork report, worth 20% of total marks.

It’s definitely more challenging. The content at HL is much heavier and students are expected to be able to make connections between different aspects of the course and to compose coherent and analytical essays. The HL paper 3 consists entirely of essay questions.

A grade B in Geography at GCSE is recommended for students taking HL Geography.

Yes. The course is designed to be picked up post-GCSE without having studied the subject at GCSE.

Yes and no. The investigation is teacher-led but the written reports are produced individually.

Some of the content of the geographical theme on freshwater and the climate change core theme requires an understanding of physical processes, but otherwise there’s not much physical “traditional” geography. Although the emphasis throughout the course is on interactions between human activities and the natural environment.

Yes.