YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHY: MARCH 26TH 2013
HOW TO PREPARE PROPERLY FOR AS GEOGRAPHY EXAM QUESTIONS
The end of unit test for Settlement Dynamics has shown a need for a realistic
understanding of the quality you need to put into exam answers. The end of unit test
included a 45-minute exam question from the October/November 2011 AS
Geography paper:
12 (a) (i) Give the meaning of the term ‘urbanisation’. [3]
(ii) Outline two possible causes of the rapid urban growth experienced by cities,
such as those listed in LEDCs. [4]
(b) Explain the slow rate of urban growth in MEDCs. [8]
(c) With reference to examples from either LEDCs or MEDCs, assess the attempts
made to solve the problems associated with rapid urban growth. [10]
A. Feedback from the exam question
1. Total marks gained by students ranged from 2/25 (lowest mark) to 14/25
(highest mark) with the majority of marks below 10. These results are totally
inconsistent with the detailed study of Settlement Dynamics over several weeks
of this term, in which all the material has been thoroughly covered. What can
we learn from this?
2. There seems to be an unrealistic idea that an A Level exam question carrying
major marks can simply be answered with one or two ideas. Wrong! A
question carrying 8 or 10 marks required a carefully structured mini-essay in
which you develop your ideas in detail, giving examples and analysis. For
example, three students gave an answer to question (b) in three sentences or less.
For such a minimal response they got a mark of 1/8 ! Do not be under any
illusions: an eight mark question – one third of the marks out of 25 – requires a
considered, detailed answer, with full discussion, examples and analysis.
3. A successful answer is not just about producing longer answers to the questions,
however: you must address the question exactly. In other words, you must pay
attention to the key words in the question and meet the question head-on. In
question (c) for example, you must identify problems associated with rapid
urban growth. It is entirely missing the point to talk about stopping urban
growth, as two students did, or give an example of a MEDC city which has
grown gradually, not rapidly, or simply mention one problem when you have
been asked to discuss a range of problems. The average score for this question,
which carries most marks, was 3/10: simply because students are not answering
the question in a reasoned way.
4. There is clearly no evidence of any planning in the answers to the main
questions (b) and (c). These questions carry 18 of the 25 marks. Every time you
see an exam question that is a major marks question, please understand that you
must plan your response to it. You cannot simply write the first thing that comes
into your head, or you can say goodbye to a pass mark.
5. A level Geography exam questions require 45 minutes of intense work: planning,
discussing, analysing, and bringing forward clear examples from case studies
you have learned. There is little evidence from this practice exam question that
students are being realistic about the amount of work needed in these 45 minutes.
B. Easter homework: revision and essay work on Settlement Dynamics
It is very clear from the practice exam question that most students are unprepared
for a test on this topic, so further work is needed. Therefore two extended essays
will be written during the Easter break, on the themes dealt with in the main
questions (b) and (c) in the 2011 exam paper.
Essay 1: Explain the slow rate of urban growth in MEDCs.
If you do not mention population issues in Essay 1, amongst other factors, then you
are missing the whole point (nobody mentioned population at all in the exam
answers!) Cities in MEDCs grew many years ago due to rural-urban migration so
that a majority of citizens are now city dwellers. Added to this is the fall in birth and
death rates. Planning restrictions, counter-urbanisation, industrial decline, etc., etc.
A proper answer please!
Essay 2: With reference to examples from either LEDCs or MEDCs, assess the
attempts made to solve the problems associated with rapid urban growth.
Essay 2 obviously invites examples from LEDCs because that is where rapid urban
growth has taken place in the examples you have been given! Do not even consider
using MEDCs as an example. This question should give you the opportunity to
explore schemes put in place to tackle urban problems. Although this question does
require that the problems are outlined, it is more about the attempts to solve them,
than a lengthy description of the problems themselves.
Please be very clear about the following instructions:
Each essay should be a minimum of three pages long, properly planned on a
separate piece of paper and the plan submitted together with the essay.
This work will be due on Tuesday April 9th, the first lesson after the Easter
holiday. (Those who are in the habit of not doing the work, please note: if you do
not return the work on this day, parents will be contacted.)
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