Specification at a glance

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course.

Subject content

Physical geography

Human geography

Geography fieldwork investigation

Geographical skills

Assessments

Component 1: Physical geography

What's assessed

Section A: Water and carbon cycles

Section B: either Hot desert systems and landscapes or Coastal systems and landscapes or Glacial systems and landscapes

Section C: either Hazards or Ecosystems under stress

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • 120 marks
  • 40% of A-level

Questions

  • Section A: answer all questions (36 marks)
  • Section B: answer either question 2 or question 3 or question 4  (36 marks)
  • Section C: answer either question 5 or question 6 (48 marks)
  • Question types: short answer, levels of response and extended prose

Component 2: Human geography

What's assessed

Section A: Global systems and global governance

Section B: Changing places

Section C: either Contemporary urban environments or Population and the environment or Resource security

How it's assessed

  • Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • 120 marks
  • 40% of A-level

Questions

  • Section A: answer all questions (36 marks)
  • Section B: answer all questions (36 marks)
  • Section C: answer either question 3 or question 4 or question 5 (48 marks)
  • Question types: short answer, levels of response, extended prose

Component 3: Geography fieldwork investigation

What's assessed

Students complete an individual investigation which must include data collected in the field. The individual investigation must be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student relating to any part of the specification content.

How it's assessed

  • 3,000–4,000 words
  • 60 marks
  • 20% of A-level
  • marked by teachers
  • moderated by AQA