GCSE Geography
An Effective Guide to Revision
Stage 1
Complete a revision audit. This means listing everything covered in your syllabus then deciding how much you
remember about it. This will give you an idea of what areas you need to focus on.
Stage 2
Once you have identified areas of weakness you need to start revising them. There are a range of techniques
available to gather information for revision.
Stage 3
Take the test – practise your exam technique by completing past GCSE papers and questions.
Everyone prefers to revise in different ways. Here a few techniques you should consider.
Revision Cards
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Make notes on an area of study. This could involve highlighting information in a revision book or writing
information out. Grade C+ students avoid copying huge chunks of text. They read the information – then
summarise it.
Once you have gathered notes summarise your notes on revision cards - blank postcards or post-it
notes are good for this. You can then stick them all around your bedroom, toilet, bathroom etc!
Read your cards through regularly. Once you’re confident about knowing the information write key
words about the topic on a card. Then revise from these. As your knowledge base builds up you will need
fewer prompts to remember information.
Mind Maps
A mind map is a spider diagram, which contains information in the form of pictures and text. Mind maps can be
used to plot information relevant to the different topics in geography.
Once you start revising make sure you record your revision.
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Geography Revision Action Plan
Date of exams:
Paper 1/2:
Physical Paper (Water on the Land; The Coastal Zone; The Restless Earth)
Paper 3/4:
Human Paper (Population; The Development Gap; Tourism)
How many times
revised?
1
2
3
Unit
2
Case Study
(name relevant case
studies)
Using the material you’re given (data, graphs, maps, photographs)

The most important thing is to use any stimulus material included with your exam paper. It’s there for a
reason!
Maps: Quoting map evidence means giving a grid reference. If you’re asked for evidence of a vegetation type
or an example of a residential area, then it can be appropriate to use a four figure reference (ie give a square
or squares), but for a specific feature you will need to give a six-figure reference. Use the points of the
compass (‘south west of’ or ‘in the northern half of the extract’, not top/bottom/edge of map). Use the scale
on the map to describe distances (the squares on an OS map at 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 are one kilometre).
All GCSE Geography exams contain questions relating to Ordnance Survey map extracts. Make sure you can
use:
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Four figure grid references
Six figure grid references
Contours to work out height on a map
Scale
Map symbols and keys
Compass directions
Graphs: Take care to read the scale properly (a small see-through plastic ruler can be useful). Take note of
the labels on the axes and the units used (eg if a hydrograph has litres per second ‘l/s’ for discharge, don’t
write about ‘cumecs’ - cubic metres per second).
Tables: Again, a ruler can be useful for accurate reading. Pay attention to labels and units of measurement
used.
Newspaper cuttings: Here you have to sift out the material you need to answer the question. Ask yourself if it
is a factual piece reporting events or an opinion piece commenting on events (eg an editorial). Is the source
likely to be reliable or biased in some way?
Source: If the source of an article or data set is given, this could be useful information. Data from a
campaigning group such as Greenpeace, the CPRE or Friends of the Earth needs to be treated differently from
official government statistics. Be aware of the possibility of bias. Newspapers don’t have time to double-check
research and data from opinion polls isn’t always a true reflection of people’s views and intentions (sampling
issues).
Planning answers
If you’re answering a question which requires an extended piece of writing, say more than four to six marks
worth, then it pays to plan your answer out.
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Planning gives your answer a sensible sequence.
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Planning focuses on the question as asked.
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Making a plan helps you to recall material and select from it.
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A plan should help you to avoid writing ‘all you know’.
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Score out your plan by putting a line through it when you’re finished with it.
Case studies and examples
Exam questions allow you to use studies you have made from the real world.
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Although you need to know the geographical models and concepts on your syllabus/specification, you
also need to be able to apply them to the real world.
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Check the syllabus/specification for any that you must know.
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Always use specialist geographical terms wherever possible in your answers.
Try not to just provide a named example. You will get more marks if you really use the case studies you have
studied.
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An example is not just a place name; it needs to be used to add to an answer. You won’t get marks for
saying ‘for example China’. You need detail.
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It is better to start with one detailed example, than to list a lot superficially.
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You should have in-depth case studies for all of the key topics - don’t miss any out when revising.
Hypothetical examples should be avoided.
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Physical Paper - The Restless Earth
Key Idea
The Earth’s crust is unstable,
especially at plate margins.
Unique landforms occur at plate
margins.
People use these landforms as a
resource and adapt to the
conditions within them.
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Volcanoes are hazards
resulting from tectonic
activity.
Their primary and
secondary effects are
positive as well as negative.
Responses change in the
aftermath of an eruption.
Supervolcanoes are on a much
bigger scale than other volcanoes
and an eruption would have global
consequences.
Earthquakes occur at constructive,
destructive and conservative plate
margins.
The effects of earthquakes and
responses to them differ due to
contrasts in levels of wealth.
Tsunamis are a specific secondary
effect and can have devastating
effects in coastal areas.
Specification Content
Distribution of plates; contrasts
between continental and oceanic
plates.
 Destructive, constructive and
conservative plate margins.
 Location and formation of fold
mountains, ocean trenches,
composite volcanoes and shield
volcanoes.
A case study of one range of fold
mountains.
The ways in which they are used – farming,
Hydro Electric Power, mining, tourism and
how people adapt to limited
communications, steep relief, poor soils.
 Characteristics of different types
of volcanoes.
 A case study of a volcanic eruption
– its cause;
 Primary and secondary effects;
 Positive and negative impacts;
 Immediate and long term responses
 Monitoring and predicting volcanic
eruptions.
The characteristics of a supervolcano and
the likely effects of an eruption.
Examples/Case Studies
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Location and cause of earthquakes.
Features of earthquakes –
epicentre, focus, shock waves
 Measurement of earthquakes using
the Richter and Mercalli Scales.
A case study of an earthquake in a rich
part of the world and one from a poorer
area
 Their specific causes; primary and
secondary effects;
 Immediate and long term responses
 The need to predict, protect and
prepare.
 Contrasts in effects and responses
will be clear
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A case study of a tsunami – its cause,
effects and responses.
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Himalayas
Andes
Alps
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Mt. St. Helens,
Washington State,
USA
Eyjafjallajokull,
Iceland
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Yellowstone
National Park
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Kobe, Japan (1995)
Japan, 2011
Haiti. 2010
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Kobe, Japan (1995)
Japan, 2011
Haiti. 2010
Japan, 2011
Indian Ocean Tsunami,
2004
Water on the Land
Key Idea
The shape of river valleys changes
as rivers flow downstream due to
the dominance of different
processes.
Distinctive landforms result from
different processes as rivers flow
downstream.
The amount of water in a river
fluctuates due to a number of
reasons.
Rivers flood due to a number of
physical and human causes. Flooding
appears to be an increasingly
frequent event.
The effects of and responses to
floods vary between areas of
contrasting levels of wealth.
There is discussion about the costs
and benefits of hard and soft
engineering and debate about which
is the better option.
Rivers are managed to provide a
water supply. There are a variety
of issues resulting from this.
Specification Content
Processes of erosion – hydraulic
action, abrasion, attrition,
solution; vertical and lateral
erosion.
 Processes of transportation –
traction, saltation, suspension
and solution.
 Deposition and reasons for it.
 Long profile and changing cross
profile.
Landforms resulting from erosion:
 Waterfalls and gorges;
Landforms resulting from erosion
and deposition
 meanders and ox-bow lakes;
Landforms resulting from deposition:
 Levees and flood plains.
Factors affecting discharge – amount
and type of rainfall, temperature,
previous weather
conditions, relief, rock type
(impermeable, permeable, porous and
pervious) and land use.
The causes of flooding: physical –
prolonged rain, heavy rain, snowmelt,
relief; and human –
deforestation, building construction.
The frequency and location of flood
events – in the UK in the last 20 years.
A case study of flooding in a rich part of
the world and one from a poorer area –
the different effects of and responses
to flooding.
Hard engineering strategies – dams
and reservoirs, straightening.
Soft engineering – flood warnings,
preparation, flood plain zoning, ‘do
nothing’. The costs and benefits of
these.
The UK – increasing demand for water;
areas of deficit & areas of surplus; A
case study of a dam/reservoir to
consider resulting economic, social &
environmental issues & the need for
sustainable supplies.
Examples/Case Studies
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High force waterfall, River
Tees
Mississippi
Bangladesh, 2004
Tewkesbury, 2007
The Three Gorges Dam, China
Mississippi
The Coastal Zone
Key Idea
The coast is shaped by weathering,
mass movement, erosion,
transportation and deposition.
Distinctive landforms result from
different processes.
Rising sea level will have important
consequences for people living in
the coastal zone.
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Coastal erosion can lead to
cliff collapse.
This causes problems for
people and the environment
There is discussion about how the
coast should be managed. There is
debate about the costs and
benefits of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’
engineering.
Coastal areas provide a unique
environment and habitat. There is a
need for conservation and this
leads to conflict with other land
uses.
Specification Content
Weathering processes –
mechanical, chemical. Mass
movement – sliding and slumping.
Constructive and destructive
waves.
 Processes of erosion – hydraulic
power, abrasion, attrition and
solution.
 Processes of transportation –
longshore drift, traction,
saltation, suspension and solution.
 Deposition and the reasons for it.
 Landforms resulting from erosion
– characteristics and formation
of headlands and bays, cliffs and
wave cut platforms, caves, arches
and stacks.
 Landforms resulting from
deposition – characteristics and
formation of beaches, spits and
bars.
Reasons for rising sea level. A case study
to illustrate the economic, social,
environmental and political impact of
coastal flooding.
A case study of an area of recent or
threatened cliff collapse – rates of
coastal erosion; reasons why some areas
are susceptible to undercutting by the
sea and collapse; how people may worsen
the situation; the impact on people’s lives
and the environment.
Management strategies:
 Hard engineering – sea walls,
groynes, rock armour.
 Soft engineering – beach
nourishment, dune regeneration
and marsh creation. Managed
retreat.
A case study of coastal management to
assess the costs and benefits of
strategies adopted.
A case study of a coastal habitat – its
environmental characteristics; the
resulting habitat and species that inhabit
it and reasons why.
Strategies to ensure the environment is
conserved, but also allow sustainable use
of the area.
Examples/Case Studies
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Jurassic Coast, Dorset, UK
Wallasea Island
Population Change
Key Idea
Over time the global population
increases and the population
structures of different countries
change.
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A range of strategies has been
tried by countries experiencing
rapid population growth.
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An ageing population impacts on the
future development of a country.
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Population movements impact on
both the source regions of
migrants and the receiving
countries.
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Specification Content
The exponential rate of world
population growth.
Countries pass through different
stages of population growth as
shown in the five stages of the
Demographic Transition Model
(birth rate, death rate and natural
population changes).
Changing population structure. The
impact of increasing urbanisation,
agricultural change, education and
the emancipation of women on the
rate of population growth.
The social, economic and political
implication of population change and
the need to achieve sustainable
development.
The effectiveness of population
policies adopted in different
countries since the 1990s to include
birth control programmes and other
strategies adopted.
A case study of China’s policy since
the 1990s and one of a non birth
control population policy.
The relationship between the
population structure and population
decline and the impact on the
future economic development.
The problems associated with an
ageing dependent population.
Government strategies to cope with
an ageing population and the
incentives suggested for
encouraging an increase in a
country’s birth rate.
A case study of the problems and
strategies in one EU country with
an ageing population.
Migration is a result of decision
making push and pull factors which
can have positive and negative
impacts.
Economic movements within the EU,
refugee movements to the EU and
the impacts of such movements.
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Examples/Case Studies
The Development Gap
Key Idea
Specification Content
Examples/Case
Studies
Contrasts in development
means that the world can be
divided up in many ways
Contrasts using different measures of development to
include:
 GNP
 GNI per capita
 Human Development Index (HDI)
 Birth and death rates
 Infant mortality
 People per doctor
 Literacy rate
 Access to safe water
 Life expectancy.
Correlation between the different measures.
Limitations/ways of using a single development
measure.
 Different ways of classifying different parts of the
world.
 The relationship between quality of life and standard
of living.
 Different perceptions of acceptable quality of life in
different parts of the world.
 Attempts made by people in the poorer part of the
world to improve their own quality of life.
 Environmental factors – the impact of natural
hazards.
 A case study of a natural hazard.
 Economic factors – global imbalance of trade
between different parts of the world.
 Social factors – differences in the quantity and
quality of water available on peoples’ standards of
living.
 Political influences – the impact of unstable
governments
The imbalance in the pattern of world trade and the
attempts to reduce it.
The contributions of Fair Trade and Trading Groups.
The reduction in debt repayments through debt abolition
and conservation swaps.
The advantages and disadvantages of different types of
aid for donor and recipient countries.
The role of international aid donors in encouraging
sustainable development.
A case study of one development project.
 Conditions leading to different levels of development
in two contrasting countries of the EU.
 The attempts by the EU to reduce these different
levels of development.
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Global inequalities are
exacerbated by physical and
human factors.
The reduction of global
inequalities will require
international efforts.
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The countries of the
enlarged EU show
contrasting levels of
development which have led
to a number of political
initiatives aimed at reducing
inequalities
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Tourism
Key Idea
The global growth of tourism has
seen the exploitation of a range of
different environments for holiday
makers.
Specification Content
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Effective management strategies
are the key to the continuing
prosperity of tourist areas in the
UK.
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Mass tourism has advantages for
an area but strategies need to be
in place to reduce the likelihood of
long-term damage.
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Extreme environments are
susceptible to environmental
damage from the development of
tourism.
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Sustainability requires the
development of ecotourism
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Reasons for the global increase in
tourism.
The potential of cities, mountains and
coastal areas for the development of
tourism.
The economic importance of tourism to
countries in contrasting parts of the
world.
Contribution of tourism to the UK
economy.
Impact of external factors on visitor
numbers to the UK.
Tourist area/resort life cycle model.
A case study of either a UK National
Park or a UK coastal resort. The reasons
for its growth as a tourist destination.
The effectiveness of strategies to
cope with the impact of large numbers
of tourists.
Plans to ensure the continuing success
of the tourism industry in the area.
The meaning of mass tourism.
A case study of an established tropical
tourist area which attracts large
numbers of visitors.
The positive and negative effects of
mass tourism on the economy and
environment.
Strategies for maintaining the
importance of tourism in the area and
reducing its negative effects.
The attractions of extreme
environments to tourists.
The increased demand for adventure
holidays.
The impact of tourism on an extreme
environment.
A case study of one extreme area and
the extent to which it can cope with the
development of a tourist industry.
The need for stewardship and
conservation.
A case study of the ways that
ecotourism can benefit the environment,
the local economy and the lives of the
people.
A consideration that this form of
tourism can contribute to sustainable
development.
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Examples/Case
Studies
Key words and command words
Command Words
When completing your GCSE Geography exam you must read the question carefully and answer it in the right
way to make sure that you get as many marks as possible. Always use geographical terms in your answers e.g.
compass directions, use the scale of the map, give grid references.
Here are some of the command words that you may be given:
Annotate - add notes or labels to a map or diagram to explain what it shows.
Compare - look for ways in which features or places are similar or different. e.g. a city in an LEDC compared to
a MEDC
Complete - add to a map or graph to finish it off.
Contrast - look for the differences between features or places. Often the question will ask you to compare
and contrast.
Define - explain what something means e.g. freeze-thaw.
Describe - give details about what a map or diagram shows.
Discuss - usually wants a long answer, describing and giving reasons for or explaining arguments for and against.
Draw - a sketch map or diagram with labels to explain something.
Explain or account for - give reasons for the location or appearance of something.
Factors - reasons for the location of something such as a factory.
Give your ( or somebody else’s) views- say what you or a particular group think about something , for example
should limestone quarries be allowed in the Peak District.
Identify - name, locate, recognise or select a particular feature or features, usually from a map, photo or
diagram.
Mark - put onto a map or diagram.
Name, state, list - give accurate details or features.
Study - look carefully at a map, photo, table, diagram etc. and say what it shows.
With reference to /refer to examples you have studied - give specific details about your case studies.
With the help of/using the information provided - make sure you include examples from the information,
including grid references if it is a map.
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