AQA GCSE Geography guide FAQ (8035)
Guide overview All 20 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
AQA GCSE Geography: questions and answers
Specification 8035. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
I only do some of these topics. Is the rest wasted?
No. On Paper 1 you take Tropical Rainforests plus either Hot Deserts or Cold Environments, and one or two of the three UK landscapes. On Paper 2 you take one of Food, Water or Energy.
Every option is in the guide because schools choose differently. Work yours and skip the rest.
Which topics are on which paper?
Paper 1 is natural hazards, tectonic and weather hazards, climate change, ecosystems, the rainforest and hot desert or cold environment options, and the UK physical landscapes. Paper 2 is urban issues, the changing economic world and resource management. Paper 3 is the issue evaluation and fieldwork. The breakdown is here.
What is the pre-release booklet?
AQA publishes a resources booklet twelve weeks before Paper 3 and the issue evaluation is set on it. You cannot revise the booklet in advance of its release, but you can revise the geography it will draw on, which is the rest of the course.
Do I need my own fieldwork?
Yes. Paper 3 asks about the two fieldwork enquiries your school carried out, so you need your own data, methods and conclusions. The guide covers the enquiry process and the techniques, which are common to every centre.
Are the map and graph skills covered?
Yes, and they are the largest topic. Ordnance Survey maps, grid references, scale and distance, relief, cross-sections, graph selection and interpretation, measures of central tendency, and reading unfamiliar data.
Do I need case studies?
Yes, and your school will have taught specific ones. The guide covers the processes and concepts they illustrate. Use your own named examples for case study questions.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. Geography marks turn on named places and specific figures. The method page sets out the evidence.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes, particularly for Paper 3 where the resource booklet and the timing are the difficulty. AQA publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 1,429 exam-style questions covering the whole of AQA GCSE Geography including every optional topic, with the answers printed after each topic.
My child only studies some of these.
That is correct. Paper 1 and Paper 2 each carry choices made by the school. All the options are in the guide because schools choose differently, and the unused ones are skipped.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. AQA GCSE Geography is 8035.
My child says the skills paper cannot be revised.
It is the most revisable part of the course. Map skills, graph selection, statistics and the fieldwork enquiry process are specific, learnable content, and they earn marks on all three papers.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£7.00 for the whole specification. A GCSE Geography revision guide is usually £6 to £10.
How much time does it take?
105 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 35 hours for everything, less once the unused options are skipped.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from AQA, their own fieldwork notes, and an OS map for practising map skills.
AQA GCSE Geography Active Recall Guide
1,429 questions with their answers, 105 subtopics, one file.