GCSE Geography - Exam Topics and Further Careers 2021

Sep 5, 2026

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GCSE Geography covers global events and the real-world relevance of the subject to careers in charity, travel, international relations, and any role involving the environment, planning, or data interpretation. Learning is assessed using multiple-choice, short answers, and extended prose. The guide summarizes three exam papers: Living with the physical environment, Challenges in the human environment, and Geographical Applications, including hazards, ecosystems, UK landscapes, urban and economic issues, resource management, and required geographical skills and fieldwork, plus career pathways.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Exam overview

Geography skills and question types

Exam Paper One – Living with the physical environment

Natural hazards and climate change

The living world

Physical landscapes in the UK

Exam Paper Two – Challenges in the human environment

Urban issues and sustainable living

The changing economic world

Resource management: food, water and energy

Exam Paper Three – Geographical Applications

Map, graphical, numerical and statistical skills

Issue evaluation

Fieldwork and data-led conclusions

GCSE Geography GCSE Geography covers a range of interesting topics, which will help you learn about the wider world and global events. Geography can be related to jobs in charity, travel and international relations. It is a good link for any kind of career that involves the environment, planning, or collecting and interpreting data. Your knowledge will be then be tested using a range of question types: multiple-choice, short answer and extended prose. Exam Paper One – Living with the physical environment This paper is based on physical and environmental geography and is split into 3 sections. 1. The challenge of natural hazards – earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricane, extreme weather events, climate change 2. The living world – world ecosystems, rainforests, hot deserts 3. Physical landscapes in the UK – coasts, rivers You will develop your understanding of the formation of landforms and then investigate the need for management strategies to minimise the impacts of these physical events. Exam Paper Two-Challenges in the human environment This paper is based on human and environmental geography and is split into 3 sections. 1. Urban issues and challenges – increasing population growth, urbanisation and sustainable urban living 2. The changing economic world – development indicators, the global development gap and the role of transnational companies. 3. The challenge of resource management – investigation into global management of food, water and energy You will develop your understanding of HICs (high income countries) and LICs (low income countries) and the increasing development gap between them. Then investigate how sustainable management may be able to solve these problems. Exam Paper Three – Geographical Applications In this paper you are able to develop a range of geographical skills (including map, graphical, numerical and statistical skills) . A range of these will be practised in two, one day fieldtrips, one human and one physical. 1. Issue evaluation – This is a decision-making exercise where you consider physical and human interrelationships and give your proposed solutions on their likely impact on both people and the physical environment. 2. Fieldwork – You will collect primary data during fieldtrips , which will help you answer a hypothese and draw a conclusion based on your data collection. Students should remember that 10% of the marks come from mathematical skills and therefore they should be able to perform these accurately. What Careers Can I do with Geography?

FAQs

How is GCSE Geography assessed?

Assessment uses a range of question types, including multiple-choice, short answer, and extended prose.

What topics are covered in Exam Paper One?

Exam Paper One focuses on physical and environmental geography, including natural hazards, the living world, and physical landscapes in the UK such as coasts and rivers.

What skills and activities are included in Exam Paper Three?

Exam Paper Three develops geographical skills across map, graphical, numerical and statistical methods, supported by fieldwork through two one-day fieldtrips and includes issue evaluation.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Grenda