AQA GCSE Geography (2016) Mapping Guide - At a Glance Comparison of the AQA and Edexcel Specifications

Oct 20, 2026

AQA GCSE Geography (2016) Mapping Guide provides a structured comparison between AQA and Edexcel specifications, outlining what is the same and what changes across papers and assessment. It summarizes paper-by-paper content areas for physical and human environments, including natural hazards, weather and climate change, ecosystems, urban issues, and resource management, and highlights differences such as assessment structure and the decision making focus in Paper 3. Key benefits emphasize consistent command words, signposted skills, case studies, and stable fieldwork requirements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

At a glance comparison of the AQA and Edexcel specifications

Detailed mapping guide - What’s the same?

Detailed mapping guide - What’s new?

AQA GCSE Geography (2016) Mapping Guide At a glance comparison of the AQA and Edexcel specifications................................................................. Page 2 Detailed mapping guide-what’s the same? .................. Page 5 Detailed mapping guide-what’s new? .......................... Page 14 PEUK W923a © artwork: Mark Bolitho | Origami photography: Pearson Education Ltd/Naki Kouyioumtzis ©Sozaijiten AQA GCSE Geography (2016) Mapping guide At a glance comparison of the AQA and Edexcel specifications | AQA | Edexcel A | Edexcel B | | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1: Living with the physical environment | Paper 1: The physical environment | Paper 1: Global geographical issues | | Content | Content | Content | | • The challenge of natural hazards | • The changing landscapes of the UK | • Hazardous Earth | | • The living world | • Weather hazards and climate change | • Development Dynamics | | • Physical landscapes in the UK | • Ecosystems, biodiversity and management | • Challenges or an urbanising world | | • Geographical skills | • Integrated skills | • Integrated skills | | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | | 88 marks – 35% of GCSE | 94 marks – 37.5% of GCSE | 94 marks – 37.5% of GCSE | | Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment | Paper 2: The human environment | Paper 2: UK geographical issues | | Content | Content | Content | | • Urban issues and challenges | • Changing cities | • UK’s evolving physical landscape | | • The changing economic world | • Global development | • UK’s evolving human landscape | | • The challenge of resource management | • Resource management | • Integrated skills | | • Geographical skills | • Integrated skills | • Geographical investigations – fieldwork | | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | | 88 marks – 35% of GCSE | 94 marks – 37.5% | 94 marks – 37.5% | | Paper 3: Geographical applications | Paper 3: Geographical investigations | Paper 3: Decision making exercise | | Content | Content | Content | | • Issue evaluation | • Geographical investigations – physical fieldwork | • People and the biosphere | | • Fieldwork | • Geographical investigations – human fieldwork | • Forests under threat | | • Geographical skills | • UK Challenges | • Consuming energy resources
• Integrated skills | | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | Assessment overview | | Written exam: 1 hour 15 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Written exam: 1 hour and 30 minutes | | 76marks – 30% of GCSE
Pre-release booklet | 64 marks – 25% of GCSE | 64 marks – 25% of GCSE | PEUK W923a © artwork: Mark Bolitho | Origami photography: Pearson Education Ltd/Naki Kouyioumtzis ©Sozaijiten 2 AQA GCSE Geography (2016) Mapping guide Edexcel GCSE Geography A Key similarities • The thematic approach with three components; the physical environment, the human environment, and geographical investigations. • A lot of the content is similar, for example; weather hazards, climate change and the choice of two of UK’s physical landscapes from coasts, rivers and glaciation. • Three case studies in the same context: UK city, mega city in developing and oremerging country and development in an emerging country. • Fieldwork assessment in Paper 3 alongside an issue evaluation exercise. • Two fieldwork enquiries to be carried out in contrasting environments of both human and physical geography. • Fieldwork will be assessed on the student’s own experience of fieldwork and applied questions on an unfamiliar context. Edexcel GCSE Geography B Key similarities • A lot of the content is similar, for example; tectonic hazards, weather hazards, climate change, ecosystems, coasts, and rivers.

FAQs

How do the paper structures compare between AQA and Edexcel in the 2016 specifications?

The guide compares Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3 across AQA and Edexcel, showing differences in title focus and assessment allocation. It includes written exam durations and percentage-of-GCSE marks for each paper.

What major content topics are highlighted under physical and human environments?

The document lists key themes such as natural hazards, weather hazards and climate change, the living world/ecosystems, urban issues and challenges, the changing economic world, and resource management. It also includes geographical skills and integrated skills elements.

What similarities does the guide emphasize between Edexcel A and Edexcel B?

It notes strong overlap in thematic content, including tectonic and weather hazards, climate change, ecosystems, coasts, and rivers. It also highlights shared case study contexts and two fieldwork enquiries in contrasting human and physical environments.

Oct 20, 2026

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