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Knowing the structure of your GCSE Geography exams is one of the most effective ways to improve your performance. Students who understand how the exam works — the papers, the timing, the mark allocations and the question types — can plan their time, target their revision and approach each question with confidence. This lesson provides a comprehensive overview of the Edexcel B (1GB0) exam structure so that you know exactly what to expect on exam day.
The Edexcel GCSE Geography B specification is assessed through three exam papers. There is no coursework or controlled assessment — everything is examined in these three papers.
| Paper | Title | Duration | Total Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Global Geographical Issues | 1 hour 30 minutes | 94 marks | 37.5% |
| Paper 2 | UK Geographical Issues | 1 hour 30 minutes | 94 marks | 37.5% |
| Paper 3 | People and Environment Issues — Making Geographical Decisions | 1 hour 30 minutes | 64 marks | 25% |
All three papers are sat at the end of Year 11. There are no modular exams or resit opportunities for individual papers.
Exam Tip: Paper 3 is worth 25% of your grade but has only 64 marks — this means each mark on Paper 3 is worth proportionally more than a mark on Papers 1 or 2. Focusing on Paper 3 technique can be a highly efficient way to boost your overall grade.
Paper 1 covers the global topics you have studied. It is divided into three sections, each covering one topic area.
| Section | Topic | Marks | Question Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | Hazardous Earth | ~30 | Short answers + extended writing |
| Section B | Development Dynamics | ~30 | Short answers + extended writing |
| Section C | Challenges of an Urbanising World | ~30 | Short answers + extended writing |
Plus approximately 4 marks for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG) across the paper.
| Section | Recommended Time | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Section A (Hazardous Earth) | 27 minutes | ~30 marks at roughly 1 minute per mark |
| Section B (Development Dynamics) | 27 minutes | ~30 marks |
| Section C (Urbanising World) | 27 minutes | ~30 marks |
| Review and checking | 9 minutes | Re-read answers, check for errors |
Paper 2 focuses on UK-based topics and includes your fieldwork questions.
| Section | Topic | Marks | Question Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | The UK's Evolving Physical Landscape | ~30 | Short answers + extended writing |
| Section B | The UK's Evolving Human Landscape | ~30 | Short answers + extended writing |
| Section C | Geographical Investigations (Fieldwork) | ~30 | Questions about your own fieldwork |
Plus approximately 4 marks for SPaG.
Section C is unique because it asks about your own fieldwork experience. You need to be prepared to write about:
You must have completed fieldwork in both a physical and a human environment. Questions may focus on either one — you cannot predict which.
Exam Tip: Many students lose marks in the fieldwork section because they give generic answers. The examiner wants to see that you actually carried out the fieldwork. Include specific details: the name of the river, the date of the visit, the number of pebbles measured, the equipment used. Generic answers like "we measured river velocity" without detail will score poorly.
Paper 3 is the most distinctive of the three papers. It is based on a pre-released resource booklet that you receive in advance, and it tests your ability to make geographical decisions by weighing evidence.
| Section | Content | Marks | Question Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | Questions based on the resource booklet | ~36 | Short answers, data interpretation, analysis |
| Section B | Decision-making question | ~24 | Extended writing requiring a justified decision |
| Section C | SPaG | 4 | Assessed within Section B |
The final question asks you to make and justify a geographical decision. You might be asked to:
This question requires you to:
Exam Tip: In the decision-making question, there is no single correct answer. The examiner is assessing the quality of your argument, not whether you chose the "right" option. A well-justified answer that chooses Option B will score just as highly as a well-justified answer that chooses Option A. The key is the quality of your evidence and reasoning.
Understanding what examiners reward is crucial for maximising your marks.
| Assessment Objective | What It Means | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of places, processes, concepts and environments | 15% |
| AO2 | Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues | 25% |
| AO3 | Use a variety of relevant quantitative, qualitative and fieldwork skills | 10% |
| AO4 | Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings | Variable |
| Feature | Lower-Grade Answer | Higher-Grade Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | Basic facts, often inaccurate | Accurate, detailed knowledge with case study evidence |
| Understanding | Describes what happens | Explains why it happens, using correct terminology |
| Application | Generic answer not linked to the question | Directly addresses the question using relevant examples |
| Analysis | Simple description of data | Identifies patterns, links between datasets, and anomalies |
| Evaluation | "It was good/bad" | Balanced assessment with specific strengths, weaknesses and justified judgement |
| Communication | Muddled, no paragraphs, poor spelling | Clear paragraphs, geographical terminology, accurate spelling |
| Question Type | Marks | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| State / Name / Give | 1 | One-word or one-phrase answer, no explanation needed |
| Describe | 2–4 | Say what is happening using data/evidence, no explanation needed |
| Explain | 2–4 | Give reasons why something happens, using geographical processes |
| Compare | 2–4 | Identify similarities AND differences, using data from both |
| Suggest | 2–4 | Use your geographical knowledge to propose possible reasons |
| Evaluate | 6–8 | Weigh up strengths and weaknesses, reach a judgement |
| Assess | 6–8 | Consider the extent to which something is true, with evidence |
| Discuss | 6–8 | Explore different viewpoints or factors, reach a conclusion |
| To what extent | 8 | Argue both sides, then give a balanced judgement with justification |
flowchart TD
A["START: Read all questions<br/>(2 minutes)"] --> B["PLAN: Allocate time per section<br/>(1 minute per mark)"]
B --> C["ANSWER: Work through sections in order<br/>Do not skip questions"]
C --> D["CHECK: Re-read answers, especially<br/>extended writing (final 5–10 minutes)"]
D --> E["SUBMIT: Make sure every question<br/>has an answer"]
Exam Tip: Before writing a long answer, spend 1–2 minutes planning in the margin. List the key points you want to make. This prevents waffle and ensures your answer is structured and complete. A planned 8-mark answer will almost always score higher than an unplanned one.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Assessment objective (AO) | The skills and knowledge the exam is designed to test |
| SPaG | Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar — worth up to 4 marks per paper |
| Command word | The word in a question that tells you what to do (e.g. describe, explain, evaluate) |
| Resource booklet | The pre-released document for Paper 3 containing maps, data and viewpoints |
| Extended writing | Questions worth 6–8 marks requiring structured paragraphs |
| Mark allocation | The number of marks available for a question |
| Weighting | The percentage of the total grade that each paper contributes |