Detailed Delve: Paper 2 AQA GCSE Geography examiner report

In this blog I am going to summarise the key points across different questions types on Paper 2.

Don't forget that this year AQA have included exemplar answers with commentary highlighting good and weak answers which is really useful for your own or departmental CPD.

MCQs

What was done well?

• Map skills MCQS – grid references and use of scale
• Maths calculations
• Map interpretation

Areas for improvement

• Working out the direction a photo is taken by comparing it to a map

Point marked questions

What was done well?

• Completing graphs and charts
• Describing trends from graphs
• Maths calculations
• Knowledge of key terms and processes (which is opposite to Paper 1!)
• Applying knowledge and understanding to a source

Areas for improvement

• Reading questions carefully, i.e. giving pull factors instead of push, or calculating the wrong type of average
• Some lack of understanding of more sophisticated key terms
• Calculating percentage change
• Some repetition of information in question

4-mark questions

What was done well?

• Question about urban greening (Section A) – good use of figure and linkage to opportunities, some reference to own case studies
• Question about manufacturing in NEEs (Section B) – good use of case studies to back up points

Areas for improvement

• Question about urban greening (Section A) – some students just recalled an example they knew but didn’t apply it to the demands of the question, or make reference to the figure; some answers had no development about the benefits of the urban greening schemes, whilst others had huge inaccurate assumptions; some listed vague benefits, such as jobs and income
• Question about manufacturing in NEEs (Section B) – lots of vague benefits given along the lines of the multiplier effect (although not specifically referencing it

6-mark questions

Section A

Question about managing environmental issues in NEE cities – tested AO2/3…

Weaker answers – repetition of source material without developing it.

Better answers – backed up resource stimulus with own examples; often with good reasoning about low-income populations, or government priorities.

Section B

Question about uneven development and international migration – tested AO2/3…

Weaker answers – generic statements about development issues and people moving.

Better answers – were able to talk about the link between development issues and migration; used the resource effectively and backed up with own knowledge.

Section C

Question about UK demand for food (opportunities and challenges) – tested AO2/3…

Weaker answers – just listed how and why the demand for food was changing; made vague statements such as it has a higher carbon footprint (but not saying why); generic statements about jobs and money.

Better answers – linked the change in consumer habits in the UK to job creation in LICs and NEEs, but also to environmental issues (food miles), competition for UK farmers from overseas, use of chemicals, etc.

Question about large-scale scheme (food and water option) or fossil fuel extraction (energy option) – tested AO1/2…

Weaker answers – generic pros and cons of large-scale schemes, but not backed up by exemplars; much of answer is just lifted from the resource.

Better answers – used named examples to highlight the pros and cons of large-scale schemes to improve food/water security and the impact on quality of life; detailed discussion of benefits and drawbacks of fossil fuel extraction (often using the example of fracking) and the link to climate change.

9-mark questions (always test AO1/2/3)

Section A (+3 SPaG)

Question about water and energy conservation to make cities more sustainable…

Weaker answers – limited knowledge of conservation strategies; unable to link them to urban sustainability.

Better answers – used named examples to back up points made (despite not being asked for in the question stem); detailed discussion of the energy and water strategies used in specific sustainable developments; discussion of the importance of water and energy conservation; evaluation throughout.

Section B

Question about transport infrastructure and regional inequality…

Weaker answers – didn’t know much about current projects; some misunderstanding of the term ‘economic futures’; uses generic benefits such as jobs and more money.

Better answers – reference to case study material to support arguments (despite not specifically required to); good use of figure with HS2 impacts discusses; lots of reference to the north-south divide, and to other infrastructure projects across the UK; linking transport improvements to economic change; good conclusions.