In this blog I am going to summarise the key points across different questions types on Paper 1.

Don't forget that last year AQA started to include exemplar answers with commentary highlighting good and weak answers which is really useful for your own or departmental CPD.

MCQs

What was done well?

• Skills questions were answered successfully, e.g. most students interpreted graphs well for this

Areas for improvement

• MCQs testing knowledge – some students couldn’t select the correct definition - particular for the process of transportation

Point marked questions

What was done well?

• Skills-based questions were answered well, particularly maths calculations, photo/graphic interpretation
• Students were able to spot trends on graphs and could back these up with data
• They were able to extract information from a text source effectively
• Good knowledge on rainforest adaptations
• Understanding of how temperatures vary with latitude (but some misunderstanding of why)
• Good comparison of river discharge

Areas for improvement

• Lack of understanding of certain concepts for the development mark, e.g. CCS process
• Some answers were vague or generic - the 2-marker about how rainforests can support so much biodiversity was answered poorly with few students gaining the second mark
• Many students didn't know how climatic conditions impact soils in the rainforest - some misconceptions about the heat making the soils dry, or the soils being very fertile
• Some misreading of the questions, e.g. in the sand dune question many students talked about changes in height rather than vegetation
• Marking information on a map in the correct place, e.g. hurricane question

4-mark questions

Question on reducing the effects of tropical storms - tested AO1 and AO2 - generally answered well.

Weaker answers...

• misunderstood the focus and talked about how to reduce climate change instead

Better answers...

• had good development of a range of protection, such as sea walls and storm shelters
• also consider monitoring and prediction strategies
• made use of examples, such as Hurricane Watch in the USA

Question on landform development (Coasts - stacks; Rivers - waterfalls; Glacial - corries) - tested AO1 and AO2 - coastal option answered better than others, glacial option answered poorly.

Weaker answers..

• had gaps in their sequences
• didn't know what a stack was (talked about a pile of rocks)
• contained very little reference to specific processes
• had basic labels rather than detailed annotation
• mistook fluvial processes for coastal (e.g. some students through waterfalls were water falling over the cliff top)
• didn't understand the geological structure needed for waterfall formation
• didn't understand corrie formation - this was very poorly answered with lots of misconceptions

Better answers...

• included decent diagrams with accurate sequencing
• described the specific processes accurately (both erosional and weathering)
• had very good annotation
• included a range of key terms, e.g. plunge pool, retreat, capstone

6-mark questions

This year all of the 6 markers on Paper 1 assessed AO2 and AO3 - using a stimulus figure and their own understanding.

Section A

Question about how extreme weather in the UK can have social and economic impacts - generally answered well with most students achieving Level 2 or above.

Weaker answers...

• repeated the text without development
• exaggerated the severity of outcomes, often linked to poor application of the multiplier effect, e.g. talking about famine in the UK, or a few days of hot weather resulting in thousands of tourists flocking to the country
• tended to address one side, rather than both social and economic impacts

Better answers...

• identified the positive impacts of increased tourism in the short-term, e.g. increased customers for seaside businesses
• explored of the economic impacts of drought in terms of crop failure and the knock-on impacts of that
• quoted relevant case study details (mainly Beast from the East and Somerset Levels)

Section B

Question about the value of tropical rainforests - overall poorly answered with too much reliance on figure.

Weaker answers...

• just repeated the words or phrases from the hexagon diagram

Better answers...

• elaborated on the hexagon prompts, e.g. talked about medical research and in particular development of cancer treatments
• explained the role as a carbon sink
• talked about the importance of rainforest biodiversity
• applied their own case study material to support arguments

Section C

Question about hard engineering strategies for coastal management - this was answered better than the rivers option.

Weaker answers...

• focused narrowly on superficial aspects like cost or visual impact
• gave a basic outline of how the strategies worked, with some general simple pros and cons

Better answers...

• used figure to talk about two or more strategies in depth
• elaborated about how they reduced coastal erosion and their relative effectiveness
• talked about financial cost and negative aesthetic impact
• were able to talk about the knock-on effects of groynes further along the coast in terms of terminal groyne syndrome
• compared hard engineering to soft engineering to broaden their analysis
• included contextualised examples, e.g. Mappleton on the Holderness coast to reinforce their points

Question about soft engineering strategies for river management - answered less well than the coasts option.

Weaker answers...

• had confusion between hard and soft engineering, as well as between strategies at the coast and along rivers
• had misconceptions about how tree planting reduces the flood risk - focused on trees as physical barriers, rather than on interception, root uptake, etc
• very basic ideas based on two strategies from the stimulus

Better answers...

• used geographical terminology, e.g. lag time, interception, surface run-off
• described how flood warnings help in terms of giving more time to prepare
• assessed the limitations, e.g. flood warnings do not prevent flooding but can reduce casualties and damage
• talked about tree planting being a long-term mitigation strategy which would take several years to be effective
• used named examples to reinforce their arguments, e.g. Boscastle, and evaluated their costs against their social, economic and environmental benefits

Question about strategies to manage the impact of tourism in a glaciated upland area - answered less well than the coasts and rivers options.

Weaker answers...

• placed excessive emphasis on litter, detracting from more complex issues
• focused on climate benefits of the 'Park and Sail' scheme
• misunderstood the focus and talked about irrelevant detail

Better answers...

• talked about the impact of 'Fix the Fells and it role in preventing further erosion of trails and sustaining visitor interest by maintaining access
• considered how 'Park and Sail' improves air quality and reduces traffic congestion
• used extra examples to highlight sustainable transport schemes, e.g. Snowdonia’s use of Sherpa buses
• talked about the impact on second home ownership for local communities
• talked about controlling visitor numbers through zoning strategies, concentrating tourism in honeypot sites, and limiting pressure on more remote areas

9-mark questions

These always test AO1, AO2 and AO3.

Section A (+ 3 SPaG)

Question about how impacts of and responses to tectonic hazards vary due to wealth - generally answered well.

Weaker answers...

• made generic points, even when mentioning case studies
• got confused between HIC and LIC case studies, and also between tectonic and weather hazards
• included inaccurate statistics
• gave a narrative account, missing the focus of the question
• were one-sided, focusing only on the impacts or the responses, rather than both
• talked about how HICs can predict earthquakes!
• didn't use capital letters for placenames or failed to use paragraphs

Better answers...

• were thorough, focused, and supported by accurate case study knowledge
• explored both effects and responses with precise statistics, including fatalities, injuries, homelessness, infrastructure damage, economic cost, and the involvement of aid agencies and governments
• demonstrated an understanding of how factors such as national wealth, magnitude, population density, and preparedness influenced outcomes
• were well-structured and demonstrated thoughtful reasoning, using case studies to support arguments
• drew clear comparisons, effectively interlinking consequence and response to tectonic hazards while incorporating AO3 terminology and evaluative statements

Section B

Hot deserts option about to what extent human activity causes desertification - more students chose this one but it was answered less well than cold environments option.

Weaker answers...

• included basic causes without analysis
• made limited reference to rainfall
• focused on adaptation instead of environmental degradation
• were at times confused between the two options, and focused on challenges for development, rather than desertification

Better answers...

• used the images to discuss overgrazing and fuelwood collection and the impacts of these
• explained how removing vegetation led to soil erosion
• explored a range of causes of desertification (human and physical) and evaluated the extent to which human causes were responsible
• evaluated the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, e.g. Great Green Wall
• implied that humans can have a positive impact through strategies that fight desertification

Cold environments option about to what extent the physical environment creates challenges for development - students did better on this than the hot deserts question.

Weaker answers...

• relied too heavily on the photos and made generalisations about the cold
  
• focused on problems with road access
• talked about how no food can be grown so there is a risk of starvation (forgetting that there is a very healthy fishing industry!)
• talked about the lack of any industry - forgetting fishing, mineral exploration, tourism, etc

Better answers...

• demonstrated understanding of harsh climates, including sub-zero temperatures below –30°C and the complications of permafrost
  
• explained infrastructure challenges such as housing construction and the need for elevated pipelines to transport water, energy, and valuable resources like oil via the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (good use of the figure)
• considered economic opportunities such as fishing and tourism, against physical challenges.
• considered accessibility infrastructure limitations in detail
• used named placed to support points, e.g. Svalbard or Alaska
• talked about how people adapted to working in the harsh conditions and how reduced daylight was a factor