Year 11
GCSE January Mock Exam
Your guide to GCSE
Geography exam revision and
everything you need to know!
AQA A Syllabus
Top tips
1. Circle the command word- is it asking you to describe, explain,
annotate, suggest reasons?
2. In a ‘describe’ use adjectives- big, small, wide, deep, concentrated,
dispersed. If asked to ‘describe changes’ use the ‘er’ words- larger,
smaller, quicker. If describing maps or photos- say what you see. Id
describing graphs- look at the axes and read data to support your
description.
DON’T EXPLAIN IN A DESCRIBE QUESTION AS IT WILL NOT GAIN YOU
MARKS.
3. If asked to ‘explain’ or ‘suggest reasons’ this is where you need to
show your knowledge.
 This is because….
 This is due to...
 As a result of this…..
Always try to develop a reason fully, particularly if there are many
marks available. Consider doing this using the following terms….
 For example…
 Such as…
 On the other hand…
 Furthermore…
 So this leads to….
4. If asked to refer to a case study DO SO. If asked to refer to more
than one- DO SO. Think carefully about which case study best meets
the needs of the question. Be factual if possible by supporting a
comment with data/facts.
5. Map skills- You may be required to select evidence from a map, add
information to a map, or interpret a landform or feature identified in
a map. Practise map skills including reading and providing 4 fig. And 6
fig. grid references, using scale to calculate distances and reading a
key.
Rocks, resources and scenery
1. What are the different landforms produced by different rock types? Can you
describe and explain how they are formed?
e.g. Karst (limestone) scenery, granite plateaus and tors, chalk escarpments &
clay vales.
2. Different rocks have contrasting economic uses- many are extracted through
quarrying. What are the impacts of quarrying? Can you describe and explain
positive and negative impacts? Can you suggest, using examples, how
quarrying can be managed during and after extraction?
Water on the land
1. Can you describe how a river VALLEY and its CHANNEL change downstream?
2. Can you explain the formation of river landforms including a waterfall, gorge
and meander & flood plain? Can you confidently use the processes to add to
your explanation?
3. Can you construct a hydrograph and interpret what it shows? Can you suggest
reasons for differences between hydrographs?
Ice on the land
1. Can you describe and explain the formation of glacial features? Features of
erosion could include U-shaped valleys and corries while features of deposition
could include erratics, drumlins and moraines.
2. Do you understand the glacial budget and how it contributes to glacial advance
and retreat?
Changing rural environments
1. How and why do rural villages change?
2. What is a commuter village?
3. Can you describe and account for rural depopulation in Cumbria?
Tourism
1. What attracts tourists?
2. How do tourist destinations change over time? Can you describe and explain
(Butler’s) resort model?
3. What is mass tourism? What are the impacts (positive and negative) of mass
tourism? Could you illustrate with an example?