Exam tips

Interpreting questions
Questions are instructions and if you ignore any part of a question you will lose
marks. Here is an example of a question: "Describe te distribution of te
immigrant population in te city sown in !igure "."
Describe is a command word # it tells you ow you sould respond.
$e %immigrant population& identi'es te sub(ect or topic of te question. It tells
you wat to focus on.
$e word distribution is a sub(ect quali'er # a precise instruction about te aspect
required. $e prase %in te city sown in !igure "& is also a sub(ect quali'er
)precise instruction*. +ou must use tis if your answer is to be rele,ant.
-ommand words in examination questions
.igt # you&,e worked ard all year/ anded in your assignments on time and
re,ised all of te modules in te speci'cation0syllabus. $en you go into te exam/
turn o,er te paper and misread te questions1
2tudents lose marks because tey are busy trying to recall e,eryting tey know
about a topic and forget to tink about wat te question is really asking for.
Examiners try to set questions tat are clear in wat tey ask for and can be
answered by e,eryone wo as followed te course and prepared properly for te
exam. It souldn&t be possible for a question to be interpreted in se,eral ways.
Examiners use stock words or prases in questions known as command words #
tese are te instructions to do someting in a question. It is important tat you
know wat tey mean.
3ay attention to ow many marks are gi,en to a question. 4ne sort sentences can
ne,er gain 5 marks1
E,en wen a question is only wort one or two marks/ do answer in sentences.
6lways use specialist geograpical terms were,er possible in your answers.

7sing te material you&re gi,en )data/ graps/ maps/ potograps*
$e most important ting is to use any stimulus material included wit your exam
paper. It&s tere for a reason1
8aps: Quoting map e,idence means gi,ing a grid reference. If you&re asked for
e,idence of a ,egetation type or an example of a residential area/ ten it can be
appropriate to use a four 'gure reference )ie gi,e a square or squares*/ but for a
speci'c feature you will need to gi,e a six#'gure reference. 7se te points of te
compass )%sout west of& or %in te nortern alf of te extract&/ not
top0bottom0edge of map*. 7se te scale on te map to describe distances )te
squares on an 42 map at ":9:/;;; or "::;/;;; are one kilometre*.
<raps: $ake care to read te scale properly )a small see#troug plastic ruler can
be useful*. $ake note of te labels on te axes and te units used )eg if a
ydrograp as litres per second %l0s& for discarge/ don&t write about %cumecs& #
cubic metres per second*.
$ables: 6gain/ a ruler can be useful for accurate reading. 3ay attention to labels
and units of measurement used.
=ewspaper cuttings: Here you a,e to sift out te material you need to answer te
question. 6sk yourself if it is a factual piece reporting e,ents or an opinion piece
commenting on e,ents )eg an editorial*. Is te source likely to be reliable or biased
in some way>
2ource: If te source of an article or data set is gi,en/ tis could be useful
information. Data from a campaigning group suc as <reenpeace/ te -3.E or
!riends of te Eart needs to be treated di?erently from o@cial go,ernment
statistics. Ae aware of te possibility of bias. =ewspapers don&t a,e time to
double#ceck researc and data from opinion polls isn&t always a true reBection of
people&s ,iews and intentions )sampling issues*.
3lanning answers
If you&re answering a question wic requires an extended piece of writing/ say
more tan four to six marks wort/ ten it pays to plan your answer out.
3lanning gi,es your answer a sensible sequence.
3lanning focuses on te question as asked.
8aking a plan elps you to recall material and select from it.
6 plan sould elp you to a,oid writing %all you know&.
2core out your plan by putting a line troug it wen you&re 'nised wit it.

-ase studies and examples
Exam questions allow you to use studies you a,e made from te real world.
6ltoug you need to know te geograpical models and concepts on your
syllabus0speci'cation/ you also need to be able to apply tem to te real world.
-eck te syllabus0speci'cation for any tat you must know.
6lways use specialist geograpical terms were,er possible in your answers.
$ry not to (ust pro,ide a named example. +ou will get more marks if you really use
te case studies you a,e studied.
6n example is not (ust a place nameC it needs to be used to add to an answer. +ou
won&t get marks for saying %for example -ina&. +ou need detail.
It is better to start wit one detailed example/ tan to list a lot super'cially.
+ou sould a,e in#dept case studies for all of te key topics # don&t miss any out
wen re,ising.
Hypotetical examples sould be a,oided.
-ommand words: 6 glossary
6ccount... <i,e reasons for.
6nalyse... Areak down te topic into parts and gi,e an in#dept account. -omment.
6nnotate... 6dd labels.
6ssess... $is is an e,aluati,e question # weig up te importance of te sub(ect.
$is means tere are a number of possible explanations. +ou need to gi,e te main
ones and ten say wic you tend to go for.
ArieBy... Ae concise and straigtforward. Don&t spend muc too muc time on tis
part )but don&t list # sentences still required*.
-lassify... 7se classi'cation in your answer )ie di,ide into groups or categories*.
-ompareD Eat is wanted is a point by point identi'cation of similarities and of
di?erences )%compare& includes looking at contrasts/ wile a command to %contrast&
means only looking for di?erences*. 7se comparati,e ad(ecti,es eg. larger tan/
smaller/ more steep/ less densely.
-omment... 2ummarise te ,arious points and gi,e an opinion.
-ontrast... on its own/ means only looking for di?erences.
Decide D or make a decision D Here you are usually asked to compare di?erent
possible solutions to a problem. $is means assessing te strengts and
weaknesses of te alternati,es. In te end/ you a,e to decide wic solution is
best. 2ometimes you may be asked to suggest ow alternati,e solutions can be
combined. It is important to make a clear decision. +our decision may not be a
perfect solution F but it sould be te best from amongst te alternati,es.
De'ne ... 4r explain te meaning of ... $ese words ask for a relati,ely sort
answer )ceck te marks gi,en* F usually two or tree sentences F were te
precise meaning of te term is identi'ed )usually doesn&t need an example0case
study*.
Describe ... $is is one of te most widely used command words. 7nless te
question says %describe and explain&/ don&t be tempted to explain )(ust a,oid
writing %because& in your answer*.
%Describe te caracteristics of ...& means wat does te feature look like/ eg in te
case of a landform # sape/ dimensions/ composition/ location in relation to oter
featuresC for a population pyramid sape/ dimensions/ composition of coorts/
relation to oter examples of pyramids.
%Describe te canges in ...& is often used wit a grap or series of graps )eg
D$8*. 6ccurate ,erbs are required/ and using words like rapidly/ steeply/ gently/
gradually. )4ne word to a,oid is %steadily& as any grap sape can be %steady&.*
%Describe te trends in...& means more of an o,erall picture is required F not a %blow
by blow& account of wat te grap sows. 8a(or exceptions to te trend sould be
included.
%Describe te di?erences between ...& means only di?erences are required F no
credit is gi,en for similarities or for descriptions of one of te items. 8igt best be
done wit indi,idual sentences eac identifying a di?erence.
%Describe te relationsip between ...& means only te links between te two items
are required +ou must identify and establis te link clearly.
%Describe te distribution of ...& mostly used wit a map or set of maps. Describe
te location of ig concentrations of a ,ariable togeter wit signi'cant low
concentrations or isolated %islands& witin te distribution. .emember te idea is to
describe te o,erall pattern.
%Describe te e?ects of ...& means a factual account of wat as occurred/ after or
as a result of wate,er te question as identi'ed.
Describe and comment on D $is demands a iger le,el of response tan (ust
%describeD&. 7sually te description is straigtforward/ wit (udgements about te
description getting most of te marks.
Discuss D 7sually you are expected to build up an argument about an issue and to
present more tan one side of te e,idence wit supporting examples. $is creates
a written debate identifying bot positi,e and negati,e points and ten you must
reac a conclusion from te debate. +ou sould bot describe and explain. $ry to
create a balanced answer.
%Discuss te extent to wic D& requires a (udgement about te ,alidity of te
e,idence or outcome.
%Discuss ,arying attitudes to D& tere is a ,ariety of ,iewpoints )eg decision
makers and oters a?ected* and priorities to be included in te answer.
E,aluate D or assess D $is is similar to te idea of %discuss&.
6ssess requires a statement of te o,erall quality or ,alue of te feature0issue
being considered. E,aluate asks te candidate to gi,e an o,erall statement of
,alue.
In bot cases you need to state a ,iewpoint/ after consideration of te e,idence. In
bot cases your own (udgement0opinion is wanted. 6ltoug an opinion cannot be
marked incorrect/ credit is gi,en for te (usti'cation of te position you&,e taken
up. It usually best not to adopt an extreme ,iewpoint )a balanced answer is best*.
Examine... Gook closely.
Explain D <i,e reasons or causes. Description is not enoug )and may not be
needed at all*. 2ow an understanding of wy or ow someting as occurred.
<i,e an explanatory )or reasoned* account of D or describe and explain... $is is a
combination of a %describe& question/ and a %suggest reasons for& question. $e
logical way to answer is to describe 'rst and ten pro,ide an explanation for te
feature/ but sometimes it is possible to pro,ide te reasons 'rst and ten describe
te consequent feature.
How... Describe. Eat metods are in,ol,ed>
Identify... 2tate or name... 3oint out and name. $ese words ask for a sort answer
to a simple task suc as: a* %Identify te landform from te potograp ...& b*
%Identify te ,alue of ... from te grap& c* %=ame an example of ...& Don&t (ust
answer wit a single word # it is always better to put te answer in a brief
sentence.
Interpret... Aring out te meaning of...
In wat ways... Describe. Identify a pattern.
HustifyD 7sually applies to decision#making questions. Een you a,e made your
decision you must (ustify wy tat course of action was better tan te
alternati,es. Explain wy your cosen course is better tan te options tat you
re(ected. 6lso explain ow your coice meets te criteria set out for you in te
question )or wic you ad to describe earlier in your answer*.
Gocate... 2tate were it is.
4utline... =ote te main features.
Quote map e,idence... <i,e examples/ including grid references/ from map
pro,ided. 7se compass points. 7se scale.
.ank... 3ut in order of siIe.
2elect... -oose.
2tudy 'gure "... If you&re asked to look at a diagram/ ten you must use tat to
elp you answer te question wic follows.
2uggest... 3ut forward an idea or reason.
$o wat extent... 6gree and disagree )for and against*. $ere are a number of
possible explanations # gi,e tese. $en say wic you tend to fa,our.
Eit reference to speci'c examples0cases... +ou must refer to a speci'c place/
preferably a case study you know in some detail. Don&t (ust say someting ,ague
like %for example AraIil&C muc better to say %te $ucuruJ dam sceme in 6maIonia/
AraIil/ were...& .