How to Answer a 5 mark "Evaluate" Question (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography): Revision Note
Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2025
First exams 2027
Exam code: 0460 & 0976
How to answer 5-Mark questions
In CIE IGCSE Geography (0460), "Evaluate", "To what extent" or "Assess the extent" questions appear as the (b)(ii) part of Section B (Questions 2 and 4)
They are found in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 and are worth 5 marks
Unlike the longer 7-mark questions on this paper, these are point-marked, not levels-marked
There is no best-fit judgement made by the examiner
You are awarded marks for specific content points, with one mark specifically reserved for your evaluation or judgement
How the marks are awarded
Up to 4 marks for relevant points
Either four simple points, or fewer points which are developed further (a point plus its development counts as 2 marks)
1 mark is reserved specifically for a stated evaluation or judgement
This means you cannot get full marks from a list of facts alone, however accurate they are
The judgement mark only comes from an evaluative statement
Structuring your answer
Give three to four relevant points (strategies, factors, or ideas), briefly developed rather than just named
Finish your answer with a clear evaluative sentence
A word like "however", "overall" or "ultimately" is often the signal that you have reached your judgement
Common judgement you may need to make for management/strategy questions include:
Which option works best and why
What determines success (e.g. level of economic development, available technology or finance),
A limitation shared by all the strategies
Assessment objectives
These 5 mark questions are used to assess AO3: Evaluation and decision-making
This means you are expected to:
Evaluating the importance of geographical factors, processes and change
Recognise the limitations of data, theories and models
Evaluate the impact of different values and attitudes in environmental management; making and justifying decisions
Weigh up the options available to decision-makers
Evaluating the success of management strategies, including sustainable approaches
Worked Example
Evaluate the different ways in which the impacts of tropical storms (cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons) can be managed.
[5]
Answer using four simple points and a final evaluation/judgement
Shelters for people to take refuge in during a storm [1] Warning systems (e.g. satellite tracking) to alert people in advance [1] Evacuation planning — moving people away from high-risk areas before landfall [1] Storm defences built to protect coastal areas. [1] However, storms cannot be prevented, only managed. The success of strategies often depends on a country's wealth, as HICs can afford better warning systems and defences than LICs. [1]
An alternative answer with development of two points rather than four simple points
Shelters for people to take refuge in during a storm [1] these are effective at managing the impacts because they are built to withstand the strong winds and high rainfall. [d] Warning systems (e.g satellite tracking) to alert people ahead of the storm [1] which means that they can evacuate to safety or prepare their homes to reduce the impact. [d] However, storms cannot be prevented, only managed. The success of strategies often depends on a country's wealth, as HICs can afford better warning systems and defences than LICs. [1]
Mark Scheme and Guidance
4 marks for any four relevant strategies, one mark each
1 mark is reserved specifically for evaluation or judgement
Fewer, more developed points also work: a point plus its development can earn 2 marks, in any combination that reaches the 4-mark cap for content
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Do not spend all five minutes listing strategies — the fourth mark for content is easy to reach, but many students lose the fifth mark entirely by never writing a judgement. Build in your evaluation from the start: as you name each strategy, keep asking yourself "but does this actually work, and for whom?" One clear evaluative sentence at the end is enough to secure that mark.
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