The new A Level specification will excite students’ minds, challenge perceptions and stimulate their investigative and analytical skills. Whilst new units have been added to reflect the world today, you will see it has retained themes linked to many of the topics you enjoyed and studied at GCSE, including Hazards and Urban Development.

The course has been designed to include up-to-date case studies and debate topics in the UK and in the wider world. Content enables students to learn both physical and human topics consecutively to progress through the course and means that both elements can be assessed equally across the 2 years of study. All of this will help you to become a true ‘Geographer’ and gain the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm sought by higher education and employers in the future. 

Course content and assessment criteria 

Year 12 

• Human Geography  
• Changing Places and Population and the Environment  
• Physical Geography   
• Water and Carbon Cycles and Coasts  
• NEA   
• Planning, introduction and methods  

 Year 13 

• Human Geography   
• Global Systems and Governance  
• Physical Geography  
• Hazards  
• NEA   
• Data collection, write-up and final submission  

Assessment 

Paper 1 

• Section A: Water and Carbon Cycles  
• Section B: Coastal Systems  
• Section C: Hazards  
• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes, 120 marks, 40% of A-Level  

Paper 2 

• Section A: Global Systems and Governance  
• Section B: Changing Places  
• Section  C: Population and the Environment  
• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes, 120 marks, 40% of A-Level  
• NEA: 3000-4000 word independent investigation, 60 marks, 20% of A-Level 120 marks

 

Exam Board: AQA 

Entry Requirements: 5 in geography, 5 in maths, 5 in English Literature or language

Suitable course if you are interested in: globalisation, governments, development, coasts, tectonic hazards, identity and place

Future paths: environmental management, urban planning, engineering, teaching, global relations, tourism, politics 

This subject goes well with: sciences, psychology, business, history, maths, technology