GCSE Geography - Exam support 2022 - Paper overview and key guidance

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Dozel

Exam support material for GCSE Geography 8035 focused on the structure and assessment demands of Papers 1 to 3 in 2022. It summarizes marks, timing, and section choices, including the question types used across the papers. The content details key changes for 2022, then reviews 2019 grade boundaries for context. It also highlights performance patterns from themes students found most versus least successful, emphasizing examiner guidance on mastering specification terms, terminology coverage, and differentiating fieldwork stages.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Presentation Overview

Structure of the three examination papers

Changes to the 2022 papers

Grade boundaries (2019) and themes

Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment

Marks, sections, and question types

Key case studies and choices

Paper 2 – Challenges in the human environment

Marks, sections, and question types

2022 optionality changes

Paper 3 – Geographical applications

Marks, sections, and fieldwork focus

2022 unseen fieldwork change

Summary of changes for the 2022 papers

Grade boundaries 2019

What do we do well and areas less successful

Examiner’s report key advice

GCSE Geography: Exam support 2022 Geography team at Great Sankey Miss F Barry Mr Elliott (HOD) Mr James Miss Pantall Miss Sri-Udom Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Follow us on Twitter @AQACPD Geography 8035 8035/1 Paper 1 : Living with the physical environment 1h 30m 23 May 2022 am 8035/2 Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment 1h 15m 07 June 2022 pm 8035/3 Paper 3: Geographical applications 1h 14 June 2022 am Presentation Overview • Structure of the three examination papers • Changes to the 2022 papers – in summary • Grade boundaries (2019) as a general idea. • Main case studies. • Themes where students performed well/ areas where students struggled. • Focus on key terms and understanding questions. PAPER 1 – LIVING WITH THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 88 marks (including 3 marks for SPAG) 35% of GCSE Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Section A: answer all questions (33 marks) Page 2-26 (RG) The Challenge of Natural Hazards Section B: answer all questions (25 marks) Page 27-46 (RG) The living World – Only answer the ‘Hot’ Desert question Section C: answer any two questions from questions 3, 4 and 5 (30 marks) Page 54-82 (RG) Do not answer Q5 (Glacial) Coastal Landscapes (Q3) and River Landscapes (Q4) Question types: multiple-choice, short answer and extended prose . 4 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. PAPER 2 – CHALLENGES IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT 63 marks (including 3 marks for SPAG) 35% of GCSE Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Section A: answer all questions (33 marks) Page 94-110 (RG) Urban Issues and Challenges Section B: answer all questions (30 marks) Page 111-131 (RG) The Changing Economic World Section C: Do not answer this section . Question types: multiple-choice, short answer and extended prose . 5 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. PAPER 3 – GEOGRAPHICAL APPLICATIONS 56 marks 30% of GCSE 6 marks awarded for SPAG in Section A Time: 1 hour Section A: answer all questions (40 marks) Booklet given in class and time given to prepare. Booklet can be taken home and notes can be made on the booklet. Clean booklet given in the exam. Section B: answer all questions (16 marks) Unseen fieldwork questions practiced in class using past paper questions. 6 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Summary of changes for the 2022 papers PAPER 1 – No changes to the paper. Do not answer Cold Environments (Section B) or Glacial Landscapes (Section C) . PAPER 2 – Optionality introduced. Economic World taught and Resource Management not completed. Only answer Section A and B in the exam and not Section C. PAPER 3 – Section A is normal. Only unseen fieldwork included in the exam as no fieldwork has taken place due to the pandemic (Section B) . 7 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Grade boundaries 2019 (last examination) | Grade | % | | --- | --- | | 9 | 73 | | 8 | 65 | | 7 | 58 | | 6 | 51 | | 5 | 44 | | 4 | 38 | | 3 | 27 | | 2 | 17 | | 1 | 8 | 8 Copyright © AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. What do we do well and what areas are less successful. | Most successful themes | Least successful themes | | --- | --- | | • 9 mark questions • | Understanding of key | | • Student performance on questions | geographical terms . | | requiring use of photographs. • | Questions that require students to | | • Mathematical calculations were | bring their own understanding to a | | largely accurately carried out | stimulus – students often didn’t | | • Students clearly engaged well with | extend their responses away | | case studies and examples that | from the resource | | were local/familiar to them • | Engagement with text-based | | • Engagement with the resources in | stimulus | | the pre-release materials • | Using examples or case study | | • Making judgements in the issue | knowledge that supports the | | evaluation questions | students r

FAQs

What are the main differences in structure and choices across Papers 1, 2, and 3?

Paper 1 uses Sections A, B, and C with specific do/don’t answer requirements and a section where students answer any two questions from a given set. Paper 2 introduces optionality and instructs candidates to answer only Sections A and B. Paper 3 focuses on preparing for unseen fieldwork questions in the exam due to no fieldwork taking place.

What changes were made to the 2022 exam papers?

Paper 1 has no changes. Paper 2 adds optionality and notes that Economic World is taught while Resource Management is not completed, with candidates told not to answer Section C. Paper 3 keeps Section A normal but includes only unseen fieldwork in the exam because fieldwork was not completed during the pandemic.

What guidance is given about key geographical terms and terminology?

Students are advised to be familiar with specification-listed terms and to create a glossary of geographical vocabulary. The material stresses that gaps in terminology and coverage lead to lost marks, since each incorrect or unknown term/concept can accumulate lost points.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Dozel