The exam papers are worth 75% of the GCSE.

You sit TWO papers: one at the end of year 10, and
another at the end of year 11.

Paper 1) Physical Environment

Tectonic Activity
Glacial Landforms and Processes
Coastal Landforms and Processes

Paper 2) Human Environment

Population
Tourism
Development

There will be a choice of these and other units in the exam

papers. Make sure you answer the CORRECT sections and ONLY
those sections!
Make sure you have looked at past exam papers to become
familiar with the layout of each exam and the units and
questions within them.

TIMINGS

Paper 1: 1 hour 45 mins

Paper 2: 1 hour 45 mins

A good guide is approx 30 mins for the each unit/section.

This leaves you 15 mins to find the right sections at the
start, then review and check all your answers at the end.

THIS REVISION GUIDE IS FOR PAPER 2 ONLY

 Geography Revision Strategies
Ten ideas for ways to revise…
1) Post it!
Prepare a set of small revision postcards, colour coded for different units or topics. You have
to get all the key points about the topic on the postcard.

2) Test Me
Work in pairs, pick a topic to become the ‘expert’ in your partner becomes the ‘expert’ in a
different topic. Then bombard each other with questions on their topic. You get a point for
each question you get right and keep answering questions until you get one wrong. Then it’s
your turn to be the questioner!

3) Picture it
Make a series of revision notes using only pictures. It has to be obvious what you are showing
as your buddy has to explain it back to you.

4) All in the mind

Produce mind maps of the different topics. Use colours and images as much as possible.

5) Word association
With a buddy play a word association game. Pick a theme, then you have to associate as many
words as you can, of a geographical nature, around that theme. No hesitation or repetition!!!

6) Bite Size it
Reduce the topic to a ‘Bite sized’ format – i.e. chunk it down! Summarise the key points, case
studies etc. You could use a visual format for each. For example, draw a big mouth – the lips
can have the topic title; teeth can have key words on them; the tongue can have case studies.

7) Just a minute
Work in two’s or fours and work through a revision topic. Then somebody selects a theme
within it. You then have to talk for a minute (as the panel game) without repetition, hesitation
or deviation. An example would be the Unit ‘Settlement’ and the theme, map skills; you then
have to talk about map skills.

8) Taboo
You have to describe a key word, but are not allowed to use certain words. For example,
describe the word ‘earthquake’ but you cannot use ‘shaking, plate margin, vibration’. Use a point
system in teams to make it more fun!

9) Red Pen, Black Pen

When writing out revision notes, spider diagrams or mind maps, use a red pen to write the
parts that you are less sure of or have trouble remembering. Your brain will be more likely to
recall these parts in the future. Have another go at it a day or week later and see if you can
reduce the amount of red pen on the sheet.

10) Pictionary
Work in teams of two. You have to draw a key word selected from a topic by the opposite
team. Your partner has to work out what word or key term you are trying to draw. To add to
the challenge, use a time limit as well!
 Exam Technique
Examination success depends not only
upon how well you know your geography
but also being able to use this to give the
examiners the information they are asking.
Examiners help you give the correct
information by using ‘command words’.
Some common commands are below. Give
exactly what is asked and you should do
well.
Be prepared!
There are no secrets to success in
exams. Providing you have revised
effectively and are well organised, you
should do as well in the exams as your
geography ability will allow.
1. Revision
 start early
 ask if there is anything you
don’t understand – don’t leave
it to hoping it won’t come up in
the exam!
 attend any extra lessons
offered
 work out a realistic revision
timetable
 find a space where you are
happy to revise
 make your revision active,
don’t just read
 follow up a period of effective
revision with a reward 
2. On examination days
 arrive in plenty of time
 know your centre and
candidate numbers
 make sure you are fully
equipped
 take two pens, two pencils…
it’s much easier if the one
you’re using runs out or
breaks.
COMMAND WORDS: Know what they are asking.
Write what you’re being asked to, not what you want to!
Compare: Write what is similar and different
between two pieces of information. Use the word
‘whereas’ to help you compare.
Describe: Just write what you see. You may be
asked to describe what you see on a photo, graph or
map. Do not explain if you are only asked to
describe.
Explain/give reasons: You are now being asked to
say why something you have already described is
happening. Use ‘because’ to help you answer these
questions.
There are often two marks awarded for giving just
one reason. Where this happens you will be
expected to give a simple statement and its
elaboration. Ask yourself ‘so what’ to find the
elaboration.
Justify: You could be asked to justify a decision.
Explain the choice(s) in terms of why they
are better than other options available. You
may also include ways in which the choice is
not perfect, but highlight the bad points of
the other options.
Measure: You may be asked to measure on a map or
graph. Don’t guess – measure accurately using the
scale provided.
Suggest: This is similar to explain but tells you
that you are expected to bring in ideas and
understanding of our own and is not provided on the
paper.
What is meant by?: You are being asked to give a
definition of a geographical term. You must know
the main terms for each of the four Units. When
asked for a definition, giving an example is not
 The World of Case Studies

Case study questions have the largest proportion of marks, so it is very important
that you revise case studies in detail and are able to use them to answer questions.
Remember to use them whenever you can, even if they don’t specifically ask you to!

DEVELOPMENT – Example exam question. The Case Study: Getting it right

Explain the causes of an
environmental hazard you have
studied and how it may affect the
development of a country. (6)

Africa is a place that is  This is too broad an area. Which places/areas

were exactly affected? Name countries or a
affected by drought and
physical area like the Sahel.
desertificaction.
 What crops and animals were affected?
How many? Did the person mean
It has affected both crops ‘malnutrition’ - should it not be drought? Or
and animals. They have if malnutrition is correct they must explain
the processes in between that lead to this.
little water and suffer from What diseases did the plants and animals
malnutrition because of suffer from? What happened to the soil –
this. This has meant that erosion by wind and water? Finally, when
they have suffered from asked about the effects on people, it is not
diseases and died. enough to state that they will have no food.
It has also effected the soil
 Too little rain when? Give a specific year.
and because of this little How might global warming have affected the
will grow. This means climate patterns? It didn’t rain for a long time-
people will have no food. So what? The point needs to be developed.
What rivers were low? Name them. African
countries are LEDCs so washing
The causes were there was cars/watering gardens are inappropriate.
too little rain and rivers were
low probably because of  Finally, there is not enough specific detail
global warming. It didn’t rain throughout.
for a long time. People were Getting case studies right needs
also using too much water practice. Go through some past exam
for things like cleaning the questions and select an appropriate case
car and watering the garden. study from the list on the next page
This had all been going on that would help answer each one.
for a lot of years and there
 We
Population
Aging populations in MEDCs
Problems of over-population
Overcoming problems of
overpopulation LEDC
Overcoming problems of overcrowding
MEDC
Migration – Economic
Migration - Forced
♥ Case Studies!!
Eastbourne - UK
Sahel - desertification
- Sustainable farming – Machakos, Kenya
- One Child Policy – China (anti-natal policy)
- Kerala, India
France – Pro-natal policy (incentives to
increase birth rate)
Poland to UK
Iraqi refugees to EU (mainly Sweden)

Development
Contrasts in development
Obstacles to development (reasons
for the development gap)
Solutions to the drought hazard
Aid
UK – Kenya (global)
UK – Poland (within EU)
Drought and desertification – Sahel
Flooding – Bangladesh
Malaria – Central Africa
Appropriate technology: Machakos – Kenya
Sustainable (long-term) aid: WaterAid,
Ethiopia
Short term- e.g. Band Aid, Ethiopia; DEC –
Disaster Emergency Committee, Sumatra (Tsunami)

Long term – WaterAid, Ethiopia;

- Oxfam Unwrapped
Trade imbalance Japan (cars) and Kenya (coffee)
Trading Bloc EU – inc. UK, France, Germany, Spain
Fair Trade Traidcraft Coffee – Kenya
Bananas, Ghana.
Conservation Swaps Costa Rica rainforests

Tourism
UK coastal resort Swanage

UK National Park Lake District

New Forest
Mass tourism Kenya – Mombasa coast
- Masai Mara Safari Game Reserve
Extreme tourism Antarctica

Eco-tourism Amazon rainforest, Brazil

 Geographical Skills Checklist
You should be able to… 
Basic Skills • Label and annotate diagrams, maps, sketches,
graphs, photos.
• Draw sketches from photos.
• Use and interpret aerial, oblique and satellite
images and photos.
Cartographic • Recognise and describe distributions and
(map) skills patterns on Atlas and OS maps.
• Draw label and interpret sketch maps.
• Recognise OS map symbols.
• Use four and six figure grid references.
• Calculate and measure straight and winding
distances using a scale.
• Give accurate directions using 8 compass
directions.
• Draw cross sections using contour lines.
• Describe shapes and patterns of settlement
considering physical features e.g. rivers, relief.
• Use maps in association with photos.
Graph skills • Construct line, bar, compound, pie and
scattergraphs.
• Complete numerical elements on a map e.g.
choropleth, isoline, proportional symbols.
• Interpret graphs, including those located on
maps.
• Read and interpret graphs to describe patterns,
trends and changes.