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AQA GCSE Geography Paper 3 (Geographical Applications) specifically tests your geographical skills, but these skills can also appear on Papers 1 and 2. This lesson covers the essential mathematical, cartographic and graphical skills you need, with worked examples and practice strategies.
The AQA specification lists the following geographical skills:
| Skill Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Cartographic (map) skills | OS maps, grid references, scale, cross-sections, sketch maps |
| Graphical skills | Line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, scatter graphs, population pyramids, climate graphs |
| Statistical skills | Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, percentages |
| Numerical skills | Proportion, ratio, magnitude, frequency |
| Qualitative skills | Photographs, written sources, interviews, questionnaires |
| ICT skills | GIS (Geographical Information Systems) — understanding how layers of data are combined |
Exam Tip: Paper 3 is worth 76 marks (30% of the total GCSE). It is divided into two sections: Issue Evaluation (37 marks) and Fieldwork (39 marks). Skills questions appear in both sections.
You are expected to perform calculations without a calculator (although one is not specifically banned — check your exam centre's guidance). Practise these skills regularly.
Formula: Sum of all values ÷ Number of values
Example: Calculate the mean of: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24
Sum = 12 + 15 + 18 + 21 + 24 = 90 Number of values = 5 Mean = 90 ÷ 5 = 18
Method: Arrange values in order, find the middle value.
Example: 3, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22
Middle value (4th of 7) = 12 Median = 12
If there is an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values.
Method: The most frequently occurring value.
Example: 4, 6, 6, 8, 9, 6, 11
Mode = 6 (appears three times)
Formula: Highest value − Lowest value
Example: Data: 3, 7, 12, 15, 28
Range = 28 − 3 = 25
Formula: Upper quartile (Q3) − Lower quartile (Q1)
Method:
Example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
Q1 = median of 2, 4, 6, 8 = (4 + 6) ÷ 2 = 5 Q3 = median of 10, 12, 14, 16 = (12 + 14) ÷ 2 = 13 IQR = 13 − 5 = 8
Exam Tip: Always show your working for statistical calculations. Even if your final answer is wrong, you can still earn marks for using the correct method.
Formula: (Part ÷ Whole) × 100
Example: 45 out of 200 people cycle to work. What percentage is this?
(45 ÷ 200) × 100 = 22.5%
Formula: ((New value − Old value) ÷ Old value) × 100
Example: Population grew from 50,000 to 65,000. What is the percentage increase?
((65,000 − 50,000) ÷ 50,000) × 100 = (15,000 ÷ 50,000) × 100 = 30%
Example: 60% of the population is urban. Of the urban population, 25% live in slums. What percentage of the total population lives in slums?
0.60 × 0.25 = 0.15 = 15%
You may be asked to:
Scatter graphs show the relationship (correlation) between two variables.
| Pattern | Correlation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Points rise from left to right | Positive correlation | As GNI increases, life expectancy increases |
| Points fall from left to right | Negative correlation | As distance from CBD increases, land values decrease |
| No clear pattern | No correlation | No relationship between rainfall and crime rate |
When describing a scatter graph:
Exam Tip: An anomaly is a data point that does not fit the general trend. If asked to identify one, circle it and explain why it might differ.
| Type | Format | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| 4-figure | e.g., 4521 | Identifies a 1 km × 1 km grid square |
| 6-figure | e.g., 452213 | Identifies a point within the grid square (to 100 m) |
Remember: "Along the corridor, up the stairs" — give the easting (horizontal) first, then the northing (vertical).
For curved distances (e.g., along a road or river), use string or mark short straight sections.
| Contour Pattern | Relief |
|---|---|
| Lines close together | Steep slope |
| Lines far apart | Gentle slope or flat land |
| Concentric circles | Hill or summit |
| V-shapes pointing upstream | River valley |
| V-shapes pointing downstream | Spur or ridge |
Paper 3, Section B tests your knowledge of two contrasting fieldwork investigations that you have completed.
For each investigation:
| Element | What to Revise |
|---|---|
| Question / hypothesis | What were you investigating? |
| Location | Where did you carry out your fieldwork? Why was this a suitable location? |
| Data collection methods | What techniques did you use? (e.g., questionnaires, bi-polar surveys, river measurements, traffic counts) |
| Sampling strategy | Random, systematic or stratified? Why? |
| Data presentation | How did you display your results? (graphs, maps, tables) |
| Data analysis | What did your results show? Were there patterns or trends? |
| Conclusions | What did you conclude? Did your results support your hypothesis? |
| Evaluation | What were the limitations? How could you improve the investigation? |
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