Oxford AQA IGCSE Geography specification (9230)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your Oxford AQA IGCSE Geography exam. It lays out exactly what you need to learn, how you'll be assessed, and what skills the examiners seek. Whether you're working through the course for the first time or revising for your final exams, the specification helps you stay focused and confident in your preparation.
We've included helpful revision tools to support you in putting the specification into practice. Wherever you're starting from, you'll find everything you need to feel prepared, from the official specification to high-quality resources designed to help you succeed.
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In the next section, you'll find a simplified summary of the official Oxford AQA IGCSE Geography specification, along with a breakdown of key topics, assessment structure, and useful study resources. We've also included links to topic-level guides and revision tools to help you put the specification into practice.
Contents
Disclaimer
This page includes a summary of the official Oxford AQA IGCSE Geography (9230) specification, provided to support your revision. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, Save My Exams is not affiliated with the awarding body.
For the most complete and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend consulting the official Oxford AQA specification PDF.
Specification overview
The OxfordAQA International GCSE in Geography enables students to explore both physical and human geography in a global context. The course fosters understanding of natural hazards, ecosystems, climate change, urban growth, development, resource management, and global issues. Through fieldwork and data analysis, learners develop geographical enquiry skills and a critical awareness of interactions between people and environments. The specification encourages students to think like geographers, apply knowledge to real-world scenarios, and progress confidently to A Level or further education:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.
Subject content breakdown
3.1 Living with the physical environment
- Natural hazards: tectonic hazards, tropical storms, climate change—causes, impacts, and management.
- The living world: ecosystems, tropical rainforests (adaptations, deforestation, sustainability), hot deserts (desertification and mitigation).
- Physical landscapes:
- Coastal: processes (erosion, transport, deposition), landforms, management strategies.
- Choose one: hot desert landscapes or river landscapes—landforms, processes, challenges, and management.
3.2 Challenges in the human environment
- Urban issues: causes of urbanisation, megacities, urban challenges and planning in LICs/NEEs, global cities (e.g. London, New York).
- Economic world: development measures, strategies to reduce the gap, case studies of development in LICs/NEEs.
- Global issues (choose one):
- Water and energy: supply/demand, insecurity, strategies, sustainable resource use.
- Population and communication: causes and impacts of population growth and migration, port and ICT developments.
3.3 Geographical and fieldwork skills
- Geographical skills: cartographic (OS maps), graphical (graphs, charts), numerical and statistical (central tendency, spread).
- Fieldwork:
- Unfamiliar contexts: applying enquiry skills to unseen scenarios.
- Individual enquiry: planning, researching, collecting and analysing data, drawing conclusions and evaluating enquiry process.
Assessment structure
Paper 1: Living with the physical environment
- 1 hr 30 min; 80 marks; 36%
- Sections:
- A: Natural hazards (30 marks)
- B: The living world (20 marks)
- C: Coastal landscapes (15 marks)
- D: Choice between Hot deserts or River landscapes (15 marks)
Paper 2: Challenges in the human environment
- 1 hr 30 min; 80 marks; 36%
- Sections:
- A: Urban issues (30 marks)
- B: Economic development (20 marks)
- C: Choice between Water & energy or Population & communication (30 marks)
Paper 3: Geographical and fieldwork skills
- 1 hr 15 min; 60 marks; 28%
- Sections:
- A: Geographical skills (20 marks)
- B: Fieldwork skills in unfamiliar contexts (20 marks)
- C: Individual fieldwork enquiry (20 marks)
Assessment Objectives
- AO1: Knowledge (16%)
- AO2: Understanding (24%)
- AO3: Interpretation and evaluation (35%)
- AO4: Skills and techniques (25%)
Grading
- 9–1 scale; all papers must be taken in the same series (linear qualification):contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
Key tips for success
Doing well in your Oxford AQA IGCSE Geography isn't just about how much you study, but how you study. Here are a few proven tips to help you stay on track
- Start with a clear plan: Break the subject into topics and create a revision schedule that allows enough time for each. Start early to avoid last-minute stress.
- Focus on understanding, not memorising: Use our revision notes to build a strong foundation in each topic, making sure you actually understand the material.
- Practise regularly: Attempt past papers to familiarise yourself with the exam format and timing. Mark your answers to see how close you are to full marks.
- Be strategic with your revision: Use exam questions by topic to focus on weaker areas, and flashcards to reinforce important facts and terminology.
- Learn from mistakes: Whether it's from mock exams or practice questions, spend time reviewing what went wrong and why. This helps prevent repeat mistakes in the real exam.
- Stay balanced: Don't forget to take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep, a healthy routine makes revision much more effective.
With the right approach and consistent practice, you'll build confidence and improve your chances of exam success.
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