Edexcel IGCSE Geography mapping file. Download our comprehensive teaching resources and revision toolkit today. Use the mapping table to align with the Edexcel IGCSE examination board. Updated and aligned to the Issue 3 (2017 for first examination in 2019) specification.
| Edexcel IGCSE Specification | GCSE Document Reference | Additional Content | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Physical Geography | ||
| Topic 1 | River Environments | ||
| 1.1. | The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological system | Water Management | |
| 1.2. | Physical processes give rise to characteristic river landforms | River Landscapes | |
| 1.3. | River environments are of great importance to people and need to be sustainably managed. | River Landscapes | |
| Topic 2 | Coastal Environments | ||
| 2.1. | Physical processes and human intervention give rise to characteristic coastal landforms | Coastal Landscapes | |
| 2.2. | Distinctive ecosystems develop along particular stretches of coastline | Coastal Landscapes | |
| 2.3. | Coastal environments are of great importance to people and need to be sustainably managed | Coastal Landscapes | |
| Topic 3 | Hazardous Environments | ||
| 3.1. | Some places are more hazardous than others | Introduction to Hazardous Environments | |
| 3.2. | Hazards have an impact on people and the environment | Tropical Storms & Tectonic Hazards | |
| 3.3. | Earthquakes present a hazard to many people and need to be managed carefully | Tectonic Hazards | |
| Paper 2 | Human Geography | ||
| Topic 4 | Economic Activity and Energy | ||
| 4.1. | The relative importance of different economic sectors and the location of economic activity varies spatially and changes over time | Introduction to the Economic World | |
| 4.2. | The growth and decline of different economic sectors have resulted in a range of impacts and possible resource issues | Introduction to the Economic World | |
| 4.3. | Countries increasingly experience an energy gap and therefore seek energy security by developing a balanced energy mix and sustainable energy use | Resource Management: Energy | |
| Topic 5 | Rural Environments | ||
| 5.1. | Rural environments are natural ecosystems that are exploited by human activities | Introduction to Resource Management | |
| 5.2. | Rural environments have contrasting physical, social and economic characteristics and are experiencing significant changes | Population Structure, Density, and Settlements | |
| 5.3. | Rural environments need to adapt to be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable | Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources | |
| Topic 6 | Urban Environments | ||
| 6.1. | A growing percentage of the world's population lives in urban environments | Population Structure, Density, and Settlements | |
| 6.2. | Cities face a range of social and environmental challenges resulting from rapid growth and resource demands | Population and Development | |
| Section C | |||
| Fragile Environments | Understanding Ecosystems | ||
| Climate Change | Climate Change | ||
| Globalisation and Migration | Global Patterns of Urban Change and Urban Growth | ||
| Development and Human Welfare | Population Development |
Look at you, you’ve almost got your IGCSE Geography certificate! Well done, you’re so close. As exam season
gets closer, you’re likely to be feeling a bit overwhelmed by how many exams
you have to sit in such a short period of time. How are you supposed to regurgitate
all that information so quickly? Worry not, help is here! Here is all you need
to know about preparing for your Edexcel IGCSE Geography exams and how we can
help you.
You may have heard that there are many different examination boards – some of your friends might be taking
the very same GCSEs but with different exams. The secret is that although there
are so many exam boards, the content across them is fairly standardised. After
all, a volcano is still a volcano whether you take AQA or Edexcel Geography!
However, there are some small differences in the ways that exam boards assess
your knowledge and knowing them can go a long way in helping you prepare. The
Edexcel exam board particularly emphasises multiple-choice questions as a means
of assessment. You should definitely take this into account when writing your
revision plan – try and incorporate as many practice quizzes as you can!
About the Board
What does Edexcel stand for and where does it come from? Edexcel is actually a play on the beginnings of
two words: education and excellence. In 2003 it became the first privately
owned examination board in the UK after an agreement between the Edexcel
Foundation and Pearson Plc. The Edexcel IGCSE Geography course is a
linear subject, so you will only acquire your grade if you take all of your
examinations and pass which happens at the end of the course (not throughout
it).
How long will the course take to complete?
Edexcel IGCSE Geography usually takes two academic years to complete. However, some have managed to complete
the course in one year and others have been known to start studying early and take three years.
Is any prior knowledge required?
Edexcel specifies that you are not required to have any prior qualifications in geography in order to take
this course. However, they also do state that the subject course has been designed to follow the
National Curriculum and that it does assume that basic
geographical knowledge has been developed throughout earlier stages which
prepares all students for the IGCSE.
What will I study?
Edexcel offers GCSE as well as IGCSE for students in the UK and abroad
which takes a thematic approach and breaks down concepts into physical geography and human geography
(like most other exam boards).
For IGCSE Geography, you will write two papers, the first is on Physical Geography and spans River environments,
coastal environments, as well as Hazardous environments. You'll also be require to include fieldwork from one of these topics.
Then, for Paper 2, you'll focus on Human Geography across three topics, namely: Economic activity and energy, Rural environments,
and Urban Environments.
What is the examination process like?
When sitting your exams, Paper 1 comprises 40% of your total IGCSE. It's worth 70 marks and takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to write. The question types are multiple-choice, short-answer, data-response, and open-ended questions. You'll need to complete Section A, which is two out of three questions related to river, coastal, and hazardous environments, and one question out of three of fieldwork questions on river, coastal, or hazardous environments.
Paper two is focused on Human Geography. It comprises 60% of your total IGCSE marks and is worth 105 marks. In one hour, forty-five minutes, you'll cover multiple-choice, short-answer, data-response, and open-ended questions. Section A, requires you to answer two out of three questions on economic activity and energy, rural environments, and urban environments. Then, for Section B, you'll need to choose one out of three fieldwork questions on economic activity and energy, rural environments, and urban environments.
Unlike Paper 1, Paper two has a third section: Section C. Here, you must choose one of three questions related to Fragile environments, climate change, globalisation and migration, or development and human welfare.
Study Tips
To achieve the best possible
results, you should revise for your GCSE Geography exams a few hours each day –
ideally two to three. Make sure to balance your revision sessions with a
healthy lifestyle. Both eating well (vegetables and fruits) and exercising
regularly (get out into fresh air!) will help keep you fresh and motivated
during the exam season. Meanwhile, if you want to keep revision sessions
dynamic and most effective then start engaging with your content actively.
Don’t just read for 2-3 hours per day. Instead, take notes, write up some
flashcards and draw some mind maps. Not only will you have more fun doing this,
but your brain is also more likely to retain the information that way.
As your revision progresses, start working on your time management skills by doing timed practice papers. You can usually use past exam papers for this exercise – it’ll also be useful as you’ll learn about how GCSE Geography exam questions are phrased. At GCSE Geography, we are devoted to helping you succeed in your exams. To do so we’ve got plenty of engaging resources waiting for you, so let’s begin!