OCR A-Level Geography exam papers and weighting (H481)
Guide overview All 15 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What each OCR A-Level Geography paper assesses
OCR A-Level Geography (specification H481) is three written papers and an independent investigation. Physical systems and Human interactions carry 22% each; Geographical debates carries 36% and is the longest paper at two and a half hours; the non-examined Independent Investigation carries the remaining 20%. It is a heavily optioned course: a student takes one landscape of three, one global system and one global governance topic of two each, and two geographical debates of five. Every option is banked here, so pick the ones you are sitting on the topic selection page and the rest drops away.
| Paper | Covers | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Component 01 Physical systems |
Coastal Landscapes Glaciated Landscapes Dryland Landscapes Earth's Life Support Systems |
1 hour 30 minutes | 66 marks | 22% |
|
Component 02 Human interactions |
Changing Spaces; Making Places Trade in the Contemporary World Global Migration Human Rights Power and Borders |
1 hour 30 minutes | 66 marks | 22% |
|
Component 03 Geographical debates |
Climate Change Disease Dilemmas Exploring Oceans Future of Food Hazardous Earth |
2 hours 30 minutes | 108 marks | 36% |
|
Components 04/05 Investigative geography |
Independent Investigation | Non-examination assessment | 60 marks | 20% |
Every topic, and where it is examined
| Topic | Component | Examined on | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Landscapes | Component 01: Physical systems, one landscape of three plus the compulsory life support systems | Component 01 | 260 |
| Glaciated Landscapes | Component 01: Physical systems, one landscape of three plus the compulsory life support systems | Component 01 | 267 |
| Dryland Landscapes | Component 01: Physical systems, one landscape of three plus the compulsory life support systems | Component 01 | 255 |
| Earth’s Life Support Systems | Component 01: Physical systems, one landscape of three plus the compulsory life support systems | Component 01 | 271 |
| Changing Spaces; Making Places | Component 02: Human interactions, the compulsory places topic plus one of each optional pair | Component 02 | 276 |
| Trade in the Contemporary World | Component 02: Human interactions, the compulsory places topic plus one of each optional pair | Component 02 | 174 |
| Global Migration | Component 02: Human interactions, the compulsory places topic plus one of each optional pair | Component 02 | 159 |
| Human Rights | Component 02: Human interactions, the compulsory places topic plus one of each optional pair | Component 02 | 147 |
| Power and Borders | Component 02: Human interactions, the compulsory places topic plus one of each optional pair | Component 02 | 168 |
| Climate Change | Component 03: Geographical debates, two of five | Component 03 | 323 |
| Disease Dilemmas | Component 03: Geographical debates, two of five | Component 03 | 271 |
| Exploring Oceans | Component 03: Geographical debates, two of five | Component 03 | 346 |
| Future of Food | Component 03: Geographical debates, two of five | Component 03 | 347 |
| Hazardous Earth | Component 03: Geographical debates, two of five | Component 03 | 361 |
| Geographical Skills | Examined across all three papers | Component 01, Component 02, Component 03 | 115 |
Assessment details from the OCR Level 3 Advanced GCE in Geography H481, version 1.6, March 2025. OCR specification.
OCR A-Level Geography Active Recall Guide
3,740 questions across every paper on the specification.