How Many A Level Geography Papers Are There?

If you’re taking (or considering taking) A-Level Geography, one of the first questions you’ll have is, ‘How many exam papers will I sit?’ 

The answer depends on which exam board your school or college follows. Knowing the exam structure (and the type of assessment) from the start helps you plan revision, manage your time, and understand what each paper is really testing.

In this guide, we'll break down the assessment structure, weighting and topics for all the major UK exam boards — AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and Eduqas.

Save My Exams has helped thousands of students ace their A-Levels, and we know that clarity about exam structure is key to exam success.

Key Takeaways

• AQA: 2 written papers covering physical and human geography, plus the NEA.

• Edexcel: 3 written papers covering physical, human, and synoptic content, plus the NEA.

• OCR:  3 written papers covering physical systems, human interactions, and geographical debates, plus the NEA.

• Eduqas: 3 written papers covering physical and human geography, plus the NEA.

• WJEC: 5 written papers over 2 years, covering physical, human and fieldwork skills, plus the NEA

• All boards require a Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) — an independent investigation worth 20% of your grade.

• Exams make up the other 80%, with paper lengths ranging from 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.

AQA A Level Geography Assessment Structure 

Source: AQA A Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

AQA (opens in a new tab) keeps things relatively straightforward with 2 written exams plus 1 NEA component.

Paper 1: Physical Geography

This paper tests your knowledge of physical geography topics, including water and carbon cycles, coastal systems, and hazards.

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Marks: 120 marks

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Water and carbon cycles, hot deserts or coastal systems or glacial systems, or hazards

Paper 2: Human Geography

Paper 2 focuses on human geography topics like global systems, changing places, and population issues.

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Marks: 120 marks

• Weighting: 40% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Eco and global systems and governance, changing places, contemporary urban or population and the environment or resource security

NEA: Independent Investigation

The coursework component lets you carry out your own geographical investigation based on fieldwork.

• Word count: 3,000-4,000 words

• Marks: 60 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

Revision tips for AQA: Make sure to practise drawing diagrams for the physical systems and preparing strong case study notes with statistics for human geography.

Edexcel A Level Geography Assessment Structure

Source: Edexcel A Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

Edexcel has 3 written papers plus 1 NEA component, giving you more exams to sit but spreading the content more evenly.

Paper 1: Physical Geography

This paper covers tectonic processes, landscape systems, and the carbon and water cycles.

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Marks: 105 marks

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Tectonic processes and hazards, landscape systems (glaciated or coastal), the water cycle and water insecurity and the carbon cycle and energy security

Paper 2: Human Geography

Paper 2 examines human geography topics, including globalisation, migration, and superpowers.

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Marks: 105 marks

• Weighting: 30% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Globalisation, shaping places (regenerating or diverse places), superpowers or migration, identity, and sovereignty

Paper 3: Synoptic Investigation

Paper 3 will focus on a geographical issue within a place-based context. 

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Marks: 70 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

• Format: Pre-released resource booklet plus exam questions

NEA: Independent Investigation

• Word count: 3,000-4,000 words

• Marks: 70 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

Revision tips for Edexcel: Edexcel rewards connections. Make ‘theme maps’ linking physical and human geography, and practise using the resource booklet under timed conditions.

OCR A Level Geography Assessment Structure

Source: OCR A Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

OCR also has 3 written papers plus 1 NEA component, with a structure designed to test different geographical skills.

Paper 1: Physical Systems

This paper focuses on physical geography systems and processes.

• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

• Marks: 66 marks

• Weighting: 22% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Landscape systems (coastal or dryland or cold environments), earth's life support systems (water, carbon, or ecosystems)

Paper 2: Human Interactions

Paper 2 examines how humans interact with their environment.

• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

• Marks: 66 marks

• Weighting: 22% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Changing spaces, making places, global connections, global governance (human rights or power and borders or migration, identity, and sovereignty)

Paper 3: Geographical Debates

This longer paper tests your ability to debate geographical issues (e.g. climate change, migration).

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

• Marks: 108 marks

• Weighting: 36% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Climate change, disease dilemmas, exploring oceans, future of food, hazardous earth (choose 3 out of 5 options)

NEA: Independent Investigation

Your coursework project is based on a geographical question.

• Word count: 3,000-4,000 words

• Marks: 60 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A-Level

Revision tips for OCR: Practise extended essay writing and evaluation. Use a ‘for vs against’ grid to rehearse balanced arguments for debates.

WJEC A-Level Geography Assessment Structure

Source: WJEC A-Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

WJEC has 4 written papers plus 1 NEA component. This specification is divided into a total of 5 units, which allows for some staged assessments. Students can take Units 1 and 2 in the first year and the remaining 3 units in the second year or all 5 units at the end of the two years.

Unit 1: Changing Landscapes

This paper focuses on physical geography systems and processes.

• Duration: 2 hours

• Marks: 96 marks

• Weighting: 24% of your A Level

• Topics covered: Changing landscapes (coastal or glaciated) and compulsory tectonic hazards. 

Unit 2: Changing Places 

This paper focuses on places and their dynamic characteristics and fieldwork related to both physical and human geography.

• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes 

• Marks: 64 marks

• Weighting: 16% of your A Level

• Topics covered: changing places and unseen fieldwork data

Unit 3: Global Systems and Global Governance 

This paper focuses on water and carbon cycles, migration and the governance of Earth's oceans. 

• Duration: 2 hours

• Marks: 96 marks

• Weighting: 24% of your A Level

• Topics covered: water and carbon cycles, migration, global governance and 21st-century challenges.

Unit 4: Contemporary Themes in Geography 

This paper covers physical geography and how humans interact with landscapes.

• Duration: 2 hours

• Marks: 64 marks

• Weighting: 16% of your A Level

• Topics covered: compulsory tectonic hazards and two additional topics selected from ecosystems, economic growth, energy, or weather and climate.

Unit 5 NEA: Independent Investigation

You will conduct your own geographical investigation based on fieldwork.

• Word count: 3,000-4,000 words

• Marks: 80 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A Level

Eduqas A Level Geography Assessment Structure

Source: WJEC Eduqas A Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

Eduqas also has 3 written papers plus 1 NEA component.

Paper 1: Changing Landscapes and Changing Places

This paper covers physical geography and how humans interact with landscapes.

• Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

• Marks: 82 marks

• Weighting: 20.5% of your A Level

• Topics covered: a choice between either coastal or glaciated landscapes; however, changing places is compulsory.

Paper 2: Global Systems and Global Governance

Paper 2 examines water and carbon cycles along with migration and global governance.

• Duration: 2 hours

• Marks: 110 marks

• Weighting: 27.5% of your A- Level

• Topics covered: compulsory water and carbon cycles, migration, and governance of the Earth’s oceans.

Paper 3: Contemporary Themes in Geography

This paper covers physical geography.

• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

• Marks: 128 marks

• Weighting: 32% of your A-Level

• Topics covered: compulsory tectonic hazards and two additional topics selected from ecosystems, economic growth, energy, or weather and climate.

NEA: Independent Investigation

The student will complete one written independent investigation, which will be based on the collection of both field data and secondary information.

• Word count: 3,000-4,000 words

• Marks: 80 marks

• Weighting: 20% of your A-Level

Comparing the Exam Boards

Here's a quick comparison to help you see the differences at a glance:

All exam boards test similar geographical concepts, but they package them differently.

AQA's two-paper structure is the most straightforward, making it easier to organise your revisions into physical and human topics.

Edexcel's synoptic paper requires you to bring together knowledge from across the course, which can be challenging but also rewarding.

OCR and Eduqas provide you a choice in Paper 3, letting you focus on the topics you find most interesting.

WJEC allows you to spread the exams over two years, rather than all at the end of two years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all A-Level Geography exam boards include coursework?

Yes, all four major exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC/Eduqas) include an independent investigation as part of the assessment.

This is called the NEA (Non-Exam Assessment), and it typically involves fieldwork and a written report of 3,000–4,000 words.

The weighting is 20% of your final grade.

Can I choose which exam board I take?

No, unfortunately, you can't choose your exam board yourself.

Your school or college decides which exam board to use for A-level Geography.

Different schools have different preferences based on teaching expertise, resources, and what they think works best for their students.

If you are uncertain about which exam board your school follows, please feel free to ask your geography teacher.

Are A-Level Geography papers hard?

A-level geography papers are challenging, but they're designed to be accessible if you've learnt the content and practised exam technique.

The difficulty comes from the breadth of content (you'll study everything from plate tectonics to migration patterns) and the need to apply knowledge to unfamiliar case studies and data.

Success comes from consistent revisions, practising past papers, and developing your essay-writing and data-analysis skills.

With the right preparation, you can absolutely excel in A-Level Geography.

Final Thoughts

So, how many A-Level Geography papers are there? The answer is, depending on your exam board, two, three, or five written exams plus coursework.

AQA uses 2 papers, and WJEC uses 5 papers, while Edexcel, OCR, and Eduqas use 3 papers each with slightly different focuses.

All boards include an independent investigation (NEA) worth 20% of your final grade.

The first step to exam success is knowing what you're up against. Check with your school which exam board you're following, then use this guide to understand exactly what each paper tests.

Start your revision early. Focus on understanding concepts rather than just memorising facts. Practise applying your knowledge to different scenarios.

You've got this!

To explore each topic in more depth, take a look at Save My Exams’ A-Level Geography Revision Resources

References

• Accredited A Level Specification Summary (opens in a new tab)

• AQA A-Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

• Edexcel A-Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

• Eduqas A Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

• OCR A-Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)

• WJEC A-Level Geography Specification (opens in a new tab)