AQA A-level Geography

Explore selected parts of your course through skills practice, process lessons and sourced case evidence.

Physical and human examinations each contribute 40%; the independent investigation contributes 20%.

The independent investigation is 3,000–4,000 words. Use this site for unrelated methods training, not assessed investigation writing.

2027 assessment route

7037 version 1.2, 2 September 2019 · checked 2026-10-07

Assessment objectives

• AO1: Knowledge and understanding (30–40%)
• AO2: Application, analysis and evaluation (30–40%)
• AO3: Quantitative, qualitative and fieldwork skills (20–30%)

Save your taught options

Topic coverage by component

These links cover selected parts of the specification. Use your school course and the official specification to check the full requirements.

Fieldwork and independent assessment

At least four days of fieldwork, including human and physical geography. Centre declaration is required.

The investigation must use an individually defined question and field data. Group collection does not remove the requirement for independent analysis and writing.

Case and example requirement slots

Check the requirements for each example you study. Assign saved examples to these roles from Your practice.

• Rainforest water and carbon: Cycles; Environment; Human interaction
• Local river catchment: Stores and flows; Field evidence; Flooding or supply
• Local desert environment (option): Processes; Field evidence; Management
• Desertification setting (option): Causes; Human responses
• Local coastal environment (option): Processes; Field evidence; Challenges
• Contrasting coast beyond the UK (option): Risks; Opportunities; Responses
• Local glaciated environment (option): Processes; Field evidence; Challenges
• Contrasting glaciated setting beyond the UK (option): Risks; Opportunities; Responses
• Multiple hazards beyond the UK (option): Hazard interaction; Community responses
• Local hazardous setting (option): Community experience; Responses
• Region experiencing ecological change (option): Change; Community responses
• Local ecosystem (option): Human interaction; Sustainable development
• Specified transnational corporation: Organisation; Production; Country impacts
• Traded food or manufactured product: World trade
• Antarctica as a global common: Threats; Treaties; Governance
• Local changing place: Lived experience; Representation; Connections
• Contrasting changing place: Significant contrast; Representation; Connections
• First contrasting urban area (option): Well-being; Physical environment; Sustainability and attitudes
• Second contrasting urban area (option): Well-being; Physical environment; Sustainability and attitudes
• Population change country or society (option): Pattern; Causes; Implications
• Local place and health (option): Environment; Socioeconomic character; Experience
• Global or regional resource security (option): Water, energy or ore; Welfare; Management
• Specified place and resource availability (option): Water, energy or ore; Environment; Cost and use
• Major water supply scheme (option): Dam or barrage; Distribution; Environmental impacts
• Major energy development (option): Distribution; Environmental impacts
• Major mineral extraction scheme (option): Specified ore; Distribution; Environmental impacts

Carbon cycle processes, desert processes, population and health, Antarctica governance and complete place studies are not taught by the current short concept library.

AQA publishes AO ranges; the interface must not turn these into invented exact percentages.

Case-study sections and explicit TNC, commodity and resource developments are mapped. Other geographical exemplification within detailed content is not exhaustively inventoried.

What is available here

Explore maps and data, practise methods, use case evidence and try an original assessment pack.

Skills practice · Written-answer practice · Create an original assessment

Mapped content areas

• Water and carbon
• Landscape systems
• Global connections
• Changing places
• Hazards
• Fieldwork and statistics

Check your taught examples

• A tectonic hazard eventName and date the event.; Separate the tectonic process from exposure and vulnerability.; Use contrasting examples where your specification requires them.
• Coastal managementIdentify the defended or realigned coastal stretch.; Explain how the intervention changes risk and sediment or habitats.; Evaluate consequences for different people and timescales.
• Water supply and securityDefine the supply area and period.; Connect physical availability, demand and infrastructure.; Evaluate financial, energy, ecological and distributional effects.
• RegenerationDefine the project boundary and baseline.; Distinguish announced objectives from completed outcomes.; Evaluate outcomes for residents, workers and businesses separately.
• Energy supply and transitionsDistinguish capacity from generation.; Identify the technology, location and time period.; Assess reliability, access and environmental consequences.
• An ecosystem and its managementIdentify the ecosystem’s scale and processes.; Explain interactions and human pressures.; Do not attribute every change to a single cause.
• Migration and population changeDefine the origin, destination and period.; Distinguish internal migration from international movement.; Use evidence about differing household choices.
• Global production and connectionsTrace flows of goods, investment, labour or information.; Distinguish exports from domestically retained value.; Explain uneven opportunities and dependencies.
• International environmental governanceIdentify the agreement and its geographical scope.; Explain institutions, rules and implementation.; Distinguish a rule from evidence of effectiveness.
• Place and changing meaningsDefine the neighbourhood or place.; Combine numerical indicators with lived experience.; Compare whose perceptions and outcomes the evidence represents.