Edexcel A-Level Geography
Explore your course, one topic at a time.
Course version · 601/8417/6Version from Sept 2016Change version
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Explore your topics
8 topics
Course topics8 topics
- The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity4 objectives
- The Carbon Cycle and Energy Security4 objectives
- Landscape Systems, Processes and Change8 objectives
- Superpowers4 objectives
- Tectonic Processes and Hazards6 objectives
- Shaping Places6 objectives
- Globalisation6 objectives
- Global Development and Connections8 objectives
Assessment and exam guidance
What Gets Top Grades
Knowledge & Understanding
Demonstrates comprehensive and accurate knowledge
- Uses correct subject-specific terminology
- Shows detailed understanding of concepts
- Makes accurate connections between topics
- Demonstrates depth beyond surface-level knowledge
Application
Applies knowledge effectively to new contexts
- Selects relevant knowledge for the question
- Adapts understanding to unfamiliar scenarios
- Uses examples appropriately
- Shows awareness of context
Analysis & Evaluation
Develops sophisticated analytical arguments
- Constructs logical chains of reasoning
- Considers multiple perspectives
- Weighs evidence to reach justified conclusions
- Acknowledges limitations and nuances
Key Command Words
Give a single fact or term
Name, select, or recognise
Set out main features briefly
Give an account of what something is like or what happens
Give reasons with developed cause→effect chains
State similarities AND differences (both required)
Examine in detail showing cause→effect→consequence chains
Weigh up BOTH sides, reach JUSTIFIED conclusion
Make judgments about importance with justification
Show formula→substitution→calculation→answer with units
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Confusing causes with consequences.
- •Overlooking the role of governance and conflict.
- •Failing to provide balanced evaluation of strategies.
- •Confusing carbon stores with carbon sinks.
- •Overlooking the role of the ocean as a major carbon sink.
- •Failing to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic fluxes.
- •Confusing erosional and depositional landforms.
- •Misunderstanding the difference between glacial and fluvial processes.
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Use specific examples from different regions.
- •Structure answers with clear cause-effect links.
- •Consider both hard engineering and soft management approaches.
- •Use diagrams to illustrate the carbon cycle clearly.
- •Give specific examples of carbon sinks and their capacities.
- •Link human activities to specific changes in fluxes.
- •Use annotated diagrams to explain landform formation.
- •Learn case studies of glaciated landscapes.
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