Exam Board: AQA
This course covers both human and physical geography and builds on the knowledge developed at KS3. Alongside the knowledge-based learning a variety of wider skills are developed, such as:
The qualification is divided into three externally examined components:
Paper 1: Living with the physical environment (1 hour 30 minutes—35% of the overall qualification)
Topics include: ‘The Challenges of Living with Natural Hazards’, ‘The Living World’ and ‘Physical Landscapes of the UK’.
Paper 2: Challenges of the human environment (1 hour 30 minutes—35% of the overall qualification)
Topics include: ‘Urban Issues and Challenges, ‘The Changing Economic World’, ‘The Challenge of Resource, Management’ pressures’ and ‘Geographical Skills’
Paper 3: Geographical applications (1 hour 15 minutes—30% of the overall qualification)
Topics include: ‘Issue Evaluation, ‘Fieldwork’ (the course involves you conducting both human and physical fieldwork) and ‘Geographical Skills’.
A GCSE in Geography will develop a range of transferable skills including communication and strong presentation skills, competent IT skills, independent research, the ability to work effectively in a team in a variety of roles, effective time management, and combining information from a variety of sources with excellent writing skills. These could be useful in the following areas: an expedition leader, a travel writer, a TV researcher, a conservation worker, an architect, an urban planner, an environmental consultant, a financial risk assessor, a banker, an accountant, a lawyer, a transport/logistics, manager, a diplomat, Voluntary Service Oversea (VSO), a human rights officer, the armed forces, a surveyor, a town planner, an environmental engineer (all fields of engineering), marketing, a social worker, a hydrologist, hazard prediction and management and a weather presenter.