geography coursework layout

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• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language. Follow the links below to find lots more useful advice on writing great essays.

• How to write dazzlingly brilliant essays
• How to write more original essays
• Techniques from creative writing that can improve your essays

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

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• Field Trips - Guide to IGCSE Cousework

Guide to IGCSE Coursework

Alternative to coursework.

• Plan an enquiry.
• Collect data for an enquiry.
• Present data from an enquiry.
• Evaluate and analyse the data collected and draw conclusions.

COLLECTING DATA

• PRIMARY DATA is data collected by the students themselves during an enquiry by measuring or counting etc.
• SECONDARY DATA is data taken from other sources e.g. government statistics, the Internet etc.
• It is quicker than measuring every item.
• It is therefore cheaper.
• Often the population size is too great to measure all of them (e.g. pebbles on a beach).
• It is unnecessary to measure a whole population since a carefully chosen sample can give you an accurate result.
• It is sometimes impossible to gain access to a complete population (i.e. some people may refuse to be interviewed for a questionnaire).
• We may wish to take a snapshot of a population at a certain time (e.g. traffic flow in a city between 8am and 9am).

TYPES OF SAMPLING

Human geography enquiry skills.

• Wording of questions (must be grammatically correct).
• Length of questions (not too long).
• Number of questions (not too many).
• 0-10 minutes
• 11-20 minutes
• 21-30 minutes
• More than 30 minutes
• Polite and charming (even if someone refuses to answer your questions).
• Have a document from your school explaining who you are and what you are doing.
• Smartly dressed.
• Working in pairs and never alone.
• Spheres of influence.
• The use of services.
• Shopping Habits.
• Leisure activities.
• Building height.
• Building age.
• Building condition.
• Flows may differ in the mornings and afternoons with the movement of office workers.
• Flows will vary through the week with differences at weekends or on weekdays.
• In busy areas you will need two counters.
• You should stand with your back to a wall or shop so that people cannot pass behind you as you are counting.
• In very busy areas recorders can stand back to back to count people moving in both directions.
• Counts should be started at the same time so that many recorders in different locations can be coordinated.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

• River Studies
• Beach Studies
• Meteorology
• Measure a 10m length of the river.
• Measure the time it takes for a float (e.g. a tennis ball) to travel the distance.
• Do this several times at various points across the river.
• Calculate an average speed. This is the speed of your float at the water's surface.
• Multiply your result by 0.8 to give the river's true speed.
• HOW TO MEASURE A RIVER'S WIDTH AND DEPTH
• HOW TO CALCULATE A RIVER'S DISCHARGE
• HOW TO MEASURE THE GRADIENT OF A SLOPE

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IB Geography IA: 60 Examples and Guidance

Charles Whitehouse

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program offers a variety of assessments for students, including Internal Assessments (IAs), which are pieces of coursework marked by students’ teachers. The Geography Internal Assessment accounts for 25% of Standard Level students ’ final grade and 20% of Higher Level students ’ final grade.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the IB Geography IA, including the structure, assessment criteria, and some tips for success.

What is the Geography IA?

The Geography IA is a written report based on a fieldwork question, taken from any suitable syllabus topic, information collection, and analysis with evaluation. The fieldwork should be based on primary and secondary data collection and be on a local scale, investigating two or three hypotheses.

It has a maximum word limit of 2,500 words. Footnotes (up to 15 words), annotations (up to 10 words), map legends, tables, and appendices are not included in the word count. Tutors suggest that you will likely spend around 20 hours on the IA, whether you are a Higher or a Standard Level student.

Have a look at our comprehensive set of IB Geography Study Notes, IB Past Papers and IB Geography Questions , developed by expert IB teachers and examiners!

What are the assessment criteria?

The IB Geography IA Guide indicates that there should be 6 different sections to the IA, each of which carries a certain number of marks. The word counts are suggestions, so students can be flexible with each limit, as long as the overall report stays under 2,500 words.

Source : Lanterna Geography IA Guide

Fieldwork question and geographic context: The fieldwork question should be well focused with a detailed, accurate explanation of the geographic context and be related to the syllabus. A good location map should be presented.

Method(s) of investigation: There should be a clear description and justification of the method(s) used for information collection. The method(s) used should be well suited to the investigation of the fieldwork question.

Quality and treatment of information collected: The information collected should be directly relevant to the fieldwork question and be sufficient in quantity and quality to allow for in depth analysis. The most appropriate techniques should be used effectively for both the treatment and display of information collected.

Written analysis: The report should reveal a very good level of knowledge and understanding. There should be a clear and well reasoned, detailed analysis of the results with strong references to the fieldwork question, geographic context, information collected and illustrative material. There should be a good attempt to explain any anomalies.

Conclusion: There should be a clear conclusion to the fieldwork question, consistent with the analysis.

Evaluation: Methods of collecting fieldwork information should be evaluated clearly. There should be valid and realistic recommendations for improvements or extensions. There may be some suggestions for modifying the fieldwork question.

60 Example Fieldwork Questions

Here are a few examples of research questions or topics that could be used for a fieldwork-based IB Geography Internal Assessment (IA). Your teachers may have specific questions that they wish you to answer, based on a school-organised field trip, so make sure to check with your teacher or an IB Geography tutor to see how much choice you have over your investigation.

• How does land use vary in different parts of a city? Students could collect data on land use (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial) in different neighborhoods of a city, and analyse the patterns and causes of land use change. Analysing patterns and causes of land use change involves statistical methods and spatial analysis that an IB Maths tutor can assist you with.
• What are the factors affecting water quality in a local river? Students could collect data on water quality indicators (e.g. pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity) in different locations along a local river, and investigate the sources and impacts of water pollution.
• How does urban heat island effect vary in different part of a city? Students could measure temperatures in different parts of a city, and investigate the causes and consequences of urban heat islands, and the ways to mitigate them.
• How does the urban morphology of a city affect the travel behavior of its inhabitants? Students could collect data on the urban morphology (e.g. land use, transportation networks) of a city, and analyze how it affects the travel behavior of residents, such as mode of transportation, trip frequency, and travel time.
• How does vegetation vary along an elevational gradient? Students could collect data on vegetation types and structure along an elevational gradient (e.g. a hill or mountain) and analyze the factors that influence the distribution and diversity of vegetation.
• How does the land use changes affect the biodiversity of a wetland area? Students could collect data on land use changes around a wetland area and the biodiversity of the area and investigate the links between land use changes and the biodiversity of the area.
• How do the factors affecting the air quality vary in different parts of a city? Students could collect data on air quality indicators (e.g. particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide) in different parts of a city, and investigate the sources and impacts of air pollution.
• How does the intensity of noise pollution vary in different parts of a city? Students could measure sound levels in various locations of a city, at different times of the day, and assess how urban activities contribute to noise pollution.
• What are the effects of a dam on downstream water flow and biodiversity? Students could collect data on water flow rates and biodiversity before and after a dam and evaluate the impact of the dam on the local ecosystem.
• How do soil properties change across an agricultural field? Students could take soil samples across a field and analyze their properties (e.g., texture, nutrient content, pH), exploring how these changes might affect crop growth.
• How does traffic density vary at different times and locations within a city? Students could count vehicles in selected locations at various times, and relate the variations in traffic density to factors such as road layout, proximity to key amenities, and peak commute times.
• What factors influence the distribution and abundance of a particular species in a local forest? Students could conduct field surveys to observe the chosen species, note its abundance and distribution, and correlate these with environmental and biotic factors present.
• How does access to public transportation vary within a city? Students could map out public transportation networks and stops, and examine how access to these varies spatially within the city and affects commuting behaviors.
• How does tourism impact the social, economic and environmental aspects of a beach? Students could conduct a field study at a popular beach, collecting data on tourism-related activities, interviewing tourists and locals, and analyzing the impacts of tourism on the beach and its surrounding area. An online IB English tutor can help in the analysis of qualitative data from interviews and the construction of a narrative that explores complex socio-economic dynamics.
• What is the impact of coastal defences on beach morphology? Students could analyze beach profiles and sediment distribution in areas with and without coastal defences, and assess the effectiveness of these structures in mitigating coastal erosion.
• How are land use and urban sprawl related? Students could use satellite images to map urban growth over time and relate it to land use changes, investigating the social, economic, and environmental impacts of urban sprawl.
• How do characteristics of a local market reflect the cultural and economic aspects of the community? Students could survey goods sold, prices, and buyer-seller interactions in a local market, and infer the economic status, lifestyle, and cultural influences within the community.
• What is the impact of waste management practices on a local river's health? Students could investigate the waste management policies of their city, assess their implementation, and correlate this with water quality data from the local river.
• How does a local wind farm affect the landscape and local residents? Students could investigate local attitudes towards the wind farm, assess visual impacts on the landscape, and research the wind farm's contribution to the local electricity supply.
• What are the impacts of sea-level rise on a local coastal community? Students could assess the risk of coastal flooding, survey residents about their concerns and preparedness, and evaluate adaptation measures.
• How does the availability of green space vary in a city? Students could map the distribution of parks and other green spaces, and assess their accessibility, quality, and use.
• What impacts does a local factory have on air and water quality? Students could collect data on air and water pollution near the factory, and analyze the factory's compliance with environmental regulations.
• How does soil erosion vary in different parts of an agricultural landscape? Students could measure soil erosion indicators (like depth of topsoil) in various parts of a farm, and investigate the causes and impacts of soil erosion.
• What are the demographic characteristics of different neighborhoods in a city? Students could collect data on population characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, income) in different neighborhoods, and analyze spatial patterns and inequalities.
• How is a local glacier changing, and what are the impacts of these changes? Students could measure glacier dimensions and melting rates, and assess impacts on water resources, hazards, and tourism.
• How does energy use vary in different types of households in a community? Students could conduct surveys to collect data on energy use (electricity, heating, transport), and analyze the factors influencing energy consumption and potential for energy savings.

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• How do different farming practices affect soil health and crop yield? Students could compare soil properties and crop yields in fields using different farming practices (e.g., organic, conventional), and assess their sustainability.
• What are the social and economic impacts of a new infrastructure project in a city? Students could survey local residents and businesses to assess the perceived benefits and disadvantages of the project, and analyze its impacts on traffic, noise, property prices, and urban development.
• What are the effects of deforestation on a local watershed? Students could use satellite images to map deforestation, and collect data on streamflow, sedimentation, and water quality to assess the impacts of deforestation.
• How are climate and microclimate conditions varying across a city? Students could measure temperature, humidity, and wind speed in different parts of a city, and analyze the influence of urban features on microclimate.
• What is the impact of a local mine on the landscape and local communities? Students could examine landscape changes caused by the mine, assess its impacts on local water resources, and survey local communities about their perceptions and concerns.
• How does the composition of waste vary in different neighborhoods of a city? Students could conduct a waste audit in different neighborhoods and analyze the relationship between waste composition and socioeconomic factors.
• What impacts does tourism have on a local historic site? Students could survey tourists and local residents, and assess impacts on the site's preservation, local economy, and social dynamics.
• How do urban green roofs affect building energy use and local biodiversity? Students could measure temperature and biodiversity on a green roof, and assess its benefits for energy conservation and habitat provision.
• What are the impacts of a local natural disaster on a community? Students could survey residents and local officials about the disaster impacts and response, and assess community resilience and preparedness.
• How are invasive species affecting a local ecosystem? Students could identify and map invasive species, and assess their impacts on native species and ecosystem functions.
• What is the impact of local fishing activities on marine biodiversity? Students could survey fishers and examine catch data to assess fishing practices and their impacts on marine biodiversity.
• How do river characteristics change along its course? Students could measure river variables (like width, depth, speed, sediment load) at different points along its course, and assess the causes and impacts of these changes.
• How does light pollution vary in a city, and what are its impacts? Students could measure night sky brightness in different parts of a city, and investigate the sources of light pollution and its impacts on human health and wildlife.
• What is the impact of a new shopping mall on local businesses and traffic? Students could survey local businesses and measure traffic levels before and after the mall's opening, and assess its economic and social impacts.
• How does air quality vary near major roads in a city? Students could measure air pollution levels at varying distances from major roads, and assess the impacts on human health and the environment.
• How is a local wetland changing, and what are the impacts of these changes? Students could map wetland extent and species over time, and assess impacts on flood control, water quality, and biodiversity.
• How does public perception of climate change vary in a community? Students could conduct surveys to assess local attitudes and knowledge about climate change, and investigate the factors influencing these perceptions.
• What is the impact of a local power plant on regional air quality and health? Students could collect data on air quality in the region, correlate it with power plant output, and investigate any related health impacts in local communities.
• What are the impacts of a major highway on surrounding communities and the environment? Students could examine noise levels, air quality, and local residents' perceptions to understand the highway's influence on their quality of life and the environment.
• How does the level of particulate matter vary within a city? Students could measure particulate matter in different areas of the city, and assess its sources, risks, and potential mitigation measures.
• What impacts does a local landfill have on groundwater quality? Students could measure water quality indicators in wells near the landfill, and evaluate the landfill's impact on local groundwater resources.
• How does pedestrian footfall vary in different areas of a city at different times of the day? Students could count pedestrians in various locations at different times, and analyze the factors influencing pedestrian patterns.
• What are the impacts of a local ski resort on the mountain environment? Students could assess changes in vegetation, wildlife, and water resources, and evaluate the resort's environmental management strategies.
• What is the impact of urban development on a local bird species? Students could monitor bird populations, habitat changes, and human disturbance, and assess the impacts of urbanization on the birds.
• How does beach litter vary with visitor numbers and beach management practices? Students could count and categorize litter items on a beach, and assess the sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies for beach litter.
• What are the effects of climate change on local farming practices and crop yields? Students could interview farmers, analyze climate and crop yield data, and assess the vulnerabilities and adaptations of local agriculture to climate change.
• How does the level of carbon dioxide vary within a city? Students could measure carbon dioxide levels in various parts of the city, and assess its sources, risks, and potential mitigation measures.
• What is the impact of a wind energy farm on local bird and bat populations? Students could monitor bird and bat mortality around wind turbines, and assess the ecological impact and mitigation strategies of the wind farm.
• What are the impacts of river damming on the local communities and environment? Students could study the changes in river flow, local biodiversity, and community perceptions to understand the effects of damming.
• How does water availability and quality vary in different parts of a city? Students could measure various water parameters across different city regions and evaluate the access to and quality of water resources.
• What are the socio-economic and environmental impacts of oil extraction in a local area? Students could evaluate the effect on local employment, economy, environment, and quality of life due to the presence of an oil extraction site.
• How does the availability of amenities vary in different neighborhoods of a city? Students could map amenities such as schools, hospitals, parks, and grocery stores, and assess the level of access and its correlation with socioeconomic factors.
• What are the impacts of urban farming on local food security and community well-being? Students could interview urban farmers, survey consumers, and assess the benefits and challenges of urban farming.
• What are the impacts of sea traffic on the water quality in a coastal city? Students could measure water quality parameters in a harbor area, and assess the impacts of ship-generated pollution and waste.
• What are the impacts of different land uses on soil erosion and water quality in a watershed? Students could study different land use areas, measure soil erosion and water quality, and assess the impacts of land use change on the local environment.
• What is the impact of rapid urbanization on a city's waste management system? Students could assess waste generation, collection, and disposal practices in the city, and analyze the challenges and solutions for urban waste management.
• What are the impacts of climate change on a local endangered species? Students could monitor the species' population, habitat, and threats, and assess its vulnerability to climate change.
• How does the quality of housing vary in different neighborhoods of a city? Students could survey housing conditions and resident satisfaction in different neighborhoods, and assess the causes and impacts of housing inequality.
• What are the impacts of a local forest fire on the ecosystem and local communities? Students could measure changes in vegetation, wildlife, and soil, and survey residents about the impacts and recovery from the fire.
• How do different types of surface affect urban runoff and water quality? Students could measure runoff quantity and quality from different surfaces during rain events, and assess the impacts on urban flooding and water pollution.
• What are the impacts of plastic waste on a local marine environment? Students could count and categorize plastic items on a beach and in the water, and assess their sources, impacts, and solutions.
• What are the effects of a local conservation area on wildlife populations and local communities? Students could monitor wildlife populations, habitat quality, and local attitudes, and assess the effectiveness and impacts of the conservation area.
• What is the impact of a new rapid transit line on commuting patterns and air quality in a city? Students could survey commuting behavior before and after the transit line opening, and measure changes in air quality.
• How are local coral reefs changing, and what are the impacts of these changes? Students could monitor coral cover, species, and health, and assess the impacts on fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection.
• What are the effects of urban green spaces on local climate and biodiversity? Students could measure temperature, humidity, and biodiversity in green spaces and built-up areas, and assess the benefits of green spaces.
• How is the quality of public transportation perceived by its users in a city? Students could survey public transportation users about their satisfaction and suggestions, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the transportation system.
• What is the impact of tourism on a local indigenous community? Students could survey community members about their perceptions and experiences, and assess the social, economic, and cultural impacts of tourism.
• How does urban design affect the physical activity levels of residents in a community? Students could survey residents about their physical activity habits and their use of urban features like parks and bike lanes, and assess the influence of urban design on physical activity.
• How does the spatial distribution of crime vary in a city? Students could analyze crime data, investigate the correlation with socioeconomic factors, and evaluate the effectiveness of crime prevention measures.
• What is the impact of local pesticide use on groundwater quality and biodiversity? Students could measure pesticide residues in groundwater and assess their presence in local flora and fauna to evaluate the ecological and health effects of pesticide use.
• What are the impacts of a local festival on waste generation and local economy? Students could measure the amount and types of waste generated during the festival, survey festival-goers about their spending, and assess the environmental and economic impacts of the event.
• How does the quality of street lighting vary within a city? Students could measure light intensity and coverage in various parts of a city, and assess the impacts on safety, energy use, and light pollution.
• What are the impacts of a local invasive species on biodiversity and ecosystem functions? Students could monitor the spread of the invasive species, and measure its impacts on native species and ecosystem services.
• How are sea surface temperatures changing in a local bay or estuary? Students could measure sea surface temperatures over time, and assess the impacts on local marine life and human activities.
• What are the impacts of a local renewable energy project on electricity prices and local attitudes? Students could analyze electricity price data, survey local residents about their perceptions and experiences, and assess the benefits and challenges of the renewable energy project.

These are just a few examples, and it is important to note that the research question or topic should be selected based on your local context and your interests. Check with your teacher when you come up with your own fieldwork question to ensure it is suitable.

How can I do well?

To do well in the IB Geography Internal Assessment, students should take the time to choose a research question that is both relevant and interesting to them. This will allow them to demonstrate their understanding of key geographical concepts and skills. It is also crucial to utilise the best IB resources available to do well in your IA.

It is important to plan and conduct research carefully, using appropriate methods for data collection and analysis. The data collected should be analyzed and interpreted critically, and the methods used should be evaluated for their reliability and validity. You can use statistical tests, such as Spearman’s rank, confidence intervals and mann-whitney U tests, to demonstrate effective analytical skills. The findings should be communicated clearly and effectively, using appropriate tables, charts, maps, and pictures.

The research question or topic should be reflected on, and meaningful conclusions should be drawn that are supported by the evidence collected. Refer back to your hypothesis and the context of the investigation in the conclusion.

The IA should be presented in a clear and well-organised format, using a recognized referencing style and including all required elements. It is essential to proofread and edit the IA thoroughly, and to seek feedback from your teacher or IB tutor . Your teacher can provide advice on one initial draft, so make sure it is the best it can be, to receive meaningful feedback. This requires good time management is key, so that the IA can be completed on time and to a high standard.

How is the IA graded?

It is graded by the student’s teacher, who is trained and certified by the International Baccalaureate organization. The report is then sent to a moderator, who will check that the report adheres to the IB guidelines and that the grade awarded is appropriate.

Source: IB Geography Subject Brief

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Written by: Charles Whitehouse

Charles scored 45/45 on the International Baccalaureate and has six years' experience tutoring IB and IGCSE students and advising them with their university applications. He studied a double integrated Masters at Magdalen College Oxford and has worked as a research scientist and strategy consultant.

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Guidelines and steps for writing a coursework | Tips for good writing

What is a coursework and why to write a coursework.

A coursework is a written or practical work done by student in form of thesis, dissertation, project or paper as a part of course. This is often an essential requirement for being awarded a degree and counts towards successful completion of the course. A coursework is assessed by class instructors or by other teachers in the school. Many students cannot clearly define what is a coursework. In a nutshell, at the “A” and GSCE level , a coursework is written in the form of projects or essays. There are few guidelines and good practices which should be followed while writing a coursework. Perfect examples of a coursework include extended essay, field studies, practical activities, design studies and internal assessment test set. Conversely, each coursework have differing objectives from one course unit to another. In addition, a coursework may incorporate work for which the experiments, topics, themes or parameters of a project or essay have been designed by the teacher, or specified in the syllabus, or selected by the students themselves. Therefore, a coursework is presented in a form of a research assignment meant to reflect the understanding of topics and concepts by the student. Students can handle their coursework either at school under the controlled conditions in class sessions, and/or as homework.

Coursework writing varies from one subject to another as the need differs for each subject. For example, an English coursework differs from a geography coursework. Whereas the former requires the student to present coursework in an essay format where a student has to select a title of their choice. Whereas the latter highly focuses on collecting, and examining, inferring and reporting data, answering a certain geographical question. For example, in English coursework, a student is often assigned to choice of themes or text excerpt to write on a format of their choice. One can either employ a comparison approach or the cause-effect method. Conversely, coursework in subjects, such as geography coursework, requires scholars to conduct investigations. For example, students can explore on the desert features, river formation or usage of social facilities such as halls, schools and hospital and report the findings.

Some rules & guidelines for writing a coursework

So how to start a coursework? Just like any other academic piece, there are some rules and guidelines that determine what makes a coursework good and exceptional. It is significant for scholars to consider all the following points for writing a coursework to score good grade and avoid having their paper disqualified:

• Students are not allowed to seek help from the instructors or from fellow students unless it is a group coursework or instructed. Though, an instructor is only permitted to deliver directions on how to handle a coursework paper as well as pointing out specific areas that are critically checked by examiners.
• Students should avoid plagiarism. It is a rule that is considered as a serious academic offense if committed. Under this rule, a student is expected to submit an original work written and not copied from other source. This is checked by using various softwares that checks for plagiarism. Therefore, students should make sure there work is their own words by signing a declaration asserting that it is your own piece of work. Buying coursework is also an offense if it is discovered.
• Also, a student has to confirm the word count on their paper to ensure it has the instructed word limits without the consideration of the appendices, references and footnotes.
• Students have to be keen and careful when they are selecting the topics to avoid writing on a wrong topic that is not covered in the coursework. A topic already covered should also be checked or discussed with concerned faculty before writing.

 All these rules are constantly restated in coursework prompts and rubrics to ensure one does not derail and violate them when they are figuring out on how to start a coursework.

Deciding good topic for a coursework

The capability to choose a good topic to write on is a vital skill in coursework writing. All the work and efforts will revolve around the chosen topic. If given the liberty to choose, then the topic should be something you would love to write about.

• Sometimes instructors can assign you to handle a specific topic, but often, as a writer, you are required to develop or select a topic that interests you is the one you may enjoy writing about. For example, you may decide to settle on a topic from either an area you understood well in the syllabus or from an area in the course that you enjoyed.
• However, before deciding on your topic, you need to examine whether you can control, measure and change the topic by conducting a fair taste. It is advisable not to select topics that appear ambiguous or which have a wider scope as it might affect the developing of a precise thesis statement, as they make it difficult to reach the word limit as well as failing to satisfy the topic. Also, students are allowed to seek guidance and assistance on choosing suitable topic to write in a situation where you are not sure on what to write about. For example, you can check previous assignments done by other students to get idea about their approaches on particular topics.

Steps for writing a coursework

• Before writing a coursework, a student has to plan based on duration and the materials needed and as instructed in coursework tips. Concerning the deadline, a student must not wait until the last-minute for the paper to start writing. Last minute rush in completing a paper can cause students to make common grammar mistakes that will affect their final grade.
• Deadlines are normally indicated in all the  coursework assignments and a student has to understand when the deadlines are due for the final assignments as well as time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher.
• Proper time planning will spare you plenty of time to make corrections based on teacher’s remarks, as well as creating time for final editing and proofreading.
• To achieve this, you have to set up your own deadlines that are far or within the actual deadline to ensure you complete your coursework writing in time.
• Research is about collecting significant and supporting literature from both primary and secondary sources. You will be required to collect data and know methods of data collection as a part of this step. Conducting surveys and preparing good questionnaires will be a much needed skill in many cases.

• The actual writing of your paper commences after gathering sufficient data that will do justice to the topic.
• Student has to write down the paper structure before writing. Though, the outline provided in the essay instructions where students are expected to follow.
• A standard essay format comprises of an introduction, body and conclusion.  In particular, structure planning in important for big projects, because there is a likelihood of having disorganized and waffling writing since it entails a lot of information to convey that needs to be arranged. This has a significant impact on your data analysis and presentation.
• Consequently, one has to perfect their writing abilities to produce a high quality paper that bases around the standard essay format. For complex projects in science, you need to be more analytical and interpretive to get the accurate inferences of the data collected in your writing.
• In addition, you look for a quiet and conducive environment that is free from unnecessary distractions to earn the greatest concentration required for thinking and writing. Switching off TV  and logging out from all social media accounts help in reducing external distractions.

Supporting Materials – deal breaker for writing a coursework 

Supporting materials are defined as the evidencing materials that are included in the writing to reinforce the theories explained. For example table, graphs, charts, and images are mostly applicable and relevant in subjects such as geography and sciences. Supporting materials are written in the appendix part of a paper to avoid cluttering of information in the main part of the paper. For instance, the coursework focus is survey oriented, you could put the raw survey responses, survey templates, questionnaires, in an appendix and present the analysis and discussions in the main body of the coursework.

Finalizing Your Coursework

The steps on how to finish a coursework is easy as it necessitates one to edit their papers prior to the submission. Prior to the submission, students would have time to proffered and confirm features such as word count, word choice, grammar errors, spellings as well as the punctuation mistakes. It is advisable to carry out a manual proofreading as the modern spell checking and grammar checking software can overlook some common mistakes. Importantly, a student is required to include in-text citation according to the writing style used. A well-written coursework is thought-provoking, enjoyable for the reader and enhances the reader’s knowledge.

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How to Get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA

In A-Level by Think Student Editor May 22, 2023 Leave a Comment

An NEA is worth 20% of your overall grade in A-Level Geography. It may not seem like much at first, but that’s 1/5 of your qualification – so you definitely want to make sure it boosts your overall grade! As well as this, there will be hundreds of other students writing A-Level Geography coursework, so yours needs to stand out amongst the others. But, if you were like me, this might be the first time you’ve ever had to complete coursework for an A-Level. So how do you do well?

In this article, I’ll be taking you through (as a former A-Level Geography student) all the dos and don’ts for your geography NEA, and the advice you need to get an A*!

Table of Contents

What is an A-Level Geography NEA?

The geography NEA is the mandatory coursework, that is a part of A-Level Geography. All UK exam boards require A-Level Geography students to produce an NEA. It is also referred to as an “Independent Investigation”.

For an NEA, you will choose a question related to physical or human geography, and then you will collect data to help you answer this question . Most NEAs are around 3,000- 4,000 words. They are essentially research papers!

For inspiration make sure you check out this Think Student article with 75+ NEA ideas!

How is an A-Level Geography NEA structured?

At the front of your geography NEA, you will have to attach a cover sheet provided by your exam board. This will usually have your name, candidate number, centre number, and your title question on it. It must be signed by you and your teachers.

An A-Level Geography NEA typically has around 7 sections :

• Introduction to the investigation
• Methodology/data collection
• Data presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation
• Evaluation of the investigation
• Bibliography

Exam boards are not too strict on formatting, however, so as long as you have all the major areas covered, you can format these how you like.

Your bibliography should contain all the references for any secondary material you used as part of your NEA. When you submit an NEA, you will be asked to declare that the work you have produced is 100% your own, and your NEA will be checked for plagiarism . Make sure to reference properly!

As for the rest of the NEA sections, I’ll be explaining them in more detail later in the article, so don’t worry!

How do you get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Getting an A* in your A-Level Geography NEA is not easy, but it’s definitely not impossible.

The UK exam boards will have their NEA criteria up on their website. NEA marking criteria is usually broken down into 4 “levels” (with level 1 being the least marks and level 4 being the most marks), for each section of the NEA.

To achieve an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA, you’ll need to meet the level 4 criteria in most if not all sections of your NEA.

As a former A-Level Geography student, below I’ll share with you my advice on how to achieve the top marks in your NEA.

The A-Level Geography NEA introduction

The introduction to your A-Level Geography NEA is one of the most important parts – it sets up the rest of your investigation and shows examiners why they should keep reading!

Your introduction will outline your argument and will vaguely demonstrate what you are going to say and why this is important. Remember, you don’t want to say too much, because you’ve got the rest of the NEA to write!

Your introduction should also link to your title question; how is your argument going to relate to and answer your question?

The key to a good geography NEA introduction is to be concise and keep it simple. You should ask yourself: ‘if someone who doesn’t do A-Level Geography read my introduction, would they know what I’m going to talk about?’

How to write an A* A-Level Geography NEA introduction

Your introduction should break down your purpose for the investigation. It isn’t like your typical essay introductions which are 100-200 words – your NEA introduction should be up to 500 words.

It could be helpful to break down your title question into three or four “key inquiry questions”, which you can answer throughout your NEA.

You should also explain your title question, why you chose it and how your research is useful in thinking about the future of the research your question tackles.

Your introduction is the opportunity to provide the examiner with details about your location; you could use maps (as these count as a form of data presentation), point out key geographical features, etc. You should give some local (relevant to your area) context and global context for the issue your question is answering.

To round off the introduction, include some basic geographical theory. For example, if your NEA investigation focuses on erosion, explain the different theories of erosion and how these apply to your investigation. This is an important demonstration of knowledge!

Remember, you can format your NEA however you like (within reason), so you can put this information in whichever order you like. Just make sure you cover all the key areas of your investigation!

The A-Level Geography NEA methodology

Your NEA methodology is a breakdown of how you collected the data you use and present in your coursework.

Your methodology will be one of the most detailed parts of your NEA. This may be surprising, but it’s because your methodology is used to show that your data is legitimate and collected properly.

A methodology is included in the majority of research papers, and your A-Level Geography NEA is no exception! Make sure you put time and care into writing your methodology properly, or it could undermine your investigation.

How do you write an A* methodology for an A-Level Geography NEA?

The way you physically present your methodology is up to you, but it should cover all the qualitative data (non-measurable data), and quantitative data (measurable/numerical data).

For example, I presented my methodology as a big table across 2 pages of my NEA. Definitely don’t underestimate the size of your methodology – it’s what verifies that your data is legitimate!

In your methodology, you should include:

• The types of data you collected
• Where you collected this data (collection points)
• The equipment you used to collect your data
• A description of the method
• How often you collected data (intervals)
• The sampling technique (stratified, systematic, etc.)
• A justification for your method

As part of your methodology, you should also include what are called “ethical considerations” and a “risk assessment”.

Ethical considerations essentially means showing awareness of any ethical problems with your data collection methods. As an example, if you used a survey as a data collection, a problem with that may be that the participants’ privacy is not protected. Therefore, an ethical consideration would be to anonymise the survey.

A risk assessment is an awareness of the risks that are involved with data collection (such as getting lost, injured, weather events, etc.), and what you will do to prevent these risks. For example, having an emergency contact.

Data presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation in an A-Level Geography NEA

The data section of your NEA is the longest chunk and is worth the most marks. Now that you’ve set up your investigation, this is the section where you present all of your findings and interpret them, by explaining what they show and why.

Don’t panic if not all of the data you collected can be used – I certainly had a bunch of random data I didn’t need by the end! Try to use as much data as possible, and different types of data.

This section helps establish your argument; it’s essentially the evidence for your conclusion as well as just being the body of your NEA.

Since this is a long section, it’s helpful for you and your examiner to split it up into chunks using subheadings. It’s not a good idea to signpost, for example putting the subheading “Analysis”. Instead, you might divide up your data by the location, or the method you used to collect it.

How do you present data to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Data presentation in a geography NEA is probably the most unique part of the process – you get to present your data however you want (in accordance with the exam board guidelines, of course)!

In the data presentation section, you need to display all the data you collected for your investigation. This can be in charts, graphs, tables, photos, and more.

The data needs to be readable, so your graphs should be labelled correctly, and your photos should have captions. If you’re using any data that isn’t yours, remember to reference it correctly.

It’s also a good chance to add a bit of colour, to make your A-Level Geography NEA look great!

How do you analyse and evaluate data to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

Your data analysis, interpretation, and evaluation section of your geography NEA is the most important section.

You should pick out key elements of the data and explain what they mean with regard to your NEA investigation question. How does the data you collected argue for/against your question?

Where applicable, it’s a good idea to calculate and explain medians, means, modes, and averages, to show that you aren’t just repeating what’s already in your presentation. You need to do something with the raw numbers, you definitely shouldn’t just relay your exact findings.

When you’re analysing, ask yourself the question: what does my data mean?

When you’re evaluating, ask yourself the question: how does my data answer my investigation?

By keeping these questions in mind when you’re interpreting your data, you can show the examiner that you can prove why your data is important and that you have a good understanding of analysis and evaluation.

Should you include statistical tests to get an A* in an A-Level Geography NEA?

The short answer to this question is: absolutely!

By now, you will have practiced a few statistical tests as part of the rest of A-Level Geography, such as Spearman’s Rank, the T-Test, Mann-Whitney U test, and standard deviation.

You should aim to use one or two stats tests when presenting the data, you collected for your geography NEA. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ stats test, so choose whichever is applicable for your data.

Statistical tests are a good demonstration of your analytical, interpretative and evaluative skills . By including a couple, you are showing the examiner that you have a clear knowledge of what the tests mean and why they’re useful!

If you struggle with the calculations, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Obviously other people can’t do it for you (remember that as part of submitting your geography NEA, you will have to testify that your work is entirely your own), but you can always ask to be shown how to do them!

Evaluating your A-Level Geography NEA investigation

Your A-Level Geography NEA investigation evaluation is slightly different to the evaluation of your data. In this section of your NEA, you should evaluate the success of the overall investigation.

You should discuss your locations and the methods you used to collect your data (both primary AND secondary data!). What was good about them? What wasn’t so good? If you had been somewhere else and used different methods, how might the outcome of your investigation have changed?

It’s also important to acknowledge the validity of your conclusions.

For example, you may not have had time or access to the correct resources to collect some really important data, that would’ve affected your outcome and potentially changed it. Showing an awareness of this helps build a more sophisticated and mature argument.

It’s important to note than an evaluation is not the same as a conclusion! You shouldn’t be summarising your research. Instead, explain the positives and negatives of your research choices.

The A-Level Geography NEA conclusion

Your conclusion is crucial because it ties together your methods, research, and analysis. Remember those “key inquiry questions” I mentioned earlier? Well now is the time to answer them!

Your NEA conclusion will answer your title question and provide the examiner with a neat, rounded summary of your investigation. By reading the conclusion, someone should be able to know the key parts of your argument and why they are important.

A conclusion is also a place to propose solutions – what can we do in future that we aren’t doing now? How might future events like climate change impact your research?

If there are relevant questions that could impact the outcome of your investigation, but you don’t have time to consider them in detail, put them in your conclusion. This shows the examiner that you have an awareness of micro- and macro-scale issues!

How do you write an A* A-Level Geography NEA conclusion?

Like most essay conclusions, your geography NEA conclusion will summarise your main arguments, what you found, and what your data means. It can also be a good place to ask any of the questions you still don’t have answers to.

You could start by going through your inquiry questions and writing “sub-conclusions” in response to them. Then, you should move on to the big conclusion: answering your title question.

In your conclusion, you should highlight the key things you found as a result of your research, broadly and specifically. Showing consideration to the “big” and “small” issues is good for showing your critical thinking skills!

Your conclusion should be about the same length as your introduction, give or take. If you start running out of things to say, don’t add things unnecessarily to fill the word count – your conclusion should be the most clear and concise part of your NEA.

Examples of A-Level Geography NEAs

Most, if not all, exam boards will have an “exemplar” coursework on their website. For example, I’ve linked the OCR exemplar coursework for you here , so check your exam board website for their exemplar!

The exemplar coursework is written and submitted by a real student, but it’s important to follow the mark scheme, not just copying someone else’s coursework. Your NEA will be checked for plagiarism!

Similarly, most schools keep exemplar coursework from each year, so if you need some inspiration, ask your teachers for the coursework they have.

If you’re struggling for ideas of what to write on for your Geography NEA, check out this Think Student article with 75+ ideas!

*To learn more about the A-Level Geography NEA, check out the specifications from the main exam boards, AQA , Pearson Edexcel and OCR by clicking on their respective links.

Leaving Cert Papers, News, Notes, Tips and Resources

Guide to Geography

note: this is based on the old course and was written 4 years ago

Geography is a fairly easy subject to do well in. You can’t really fail it, but at the same time, an A is hard work. Common sense will be enough to pass and if you’ve done geography for the JC, it’s pretty similar at LC level, just a bit more detail and more focus on the human environment rather than the physical one. A lot of it is bluff work and common sense, however to obtain a high mark, a bit of detail and accuracy is needed.

What you have to learn (~41%) Short questions are mostly bluff work but i’d say 4% out of the 16% going for it requires some learning/work. Then you have choices which invites you to bluff! – You have to answer 3 longish questions (80mks each) from a choice of about 12 and finally – do an essay-type question (80mks). I’d say 50% or more of each question is bluff work. The geography project you have to hand up during the year is worth 20%, a good 15% is bluff work though. Overall, that totals roughly 41% learning.

What you can bluff… (~59%) Firstly, you have the short questions which are basically bluff work and common sense and you’re only marked on 10 out of 12. That’s worth 16% overall, a good 12% is bluff work. As i’ve said above, you then answer 3 long questions and 1 essay question, all of which could be bluffed for 50% of the marks. The project is very bluffable too – about 15% of 20% could be bluffed. That gives us an overall total bluffing mark of 59%.

Conclusion: The majority of Geography is bluff work/common sense. That said, don’t fall in to the trap of thinking it’s an easy A1 – it’s not. However it’s easy to pass with very little work. The project you hand up during the year also makes things easier as that’s 20% done and dusted and 20% less to worry about come June.

44 thoughts on “Guide to Geography”

sorry but that assessment of goegraphy is ridiculous its not all bluff obviously whoever wrote it is a very foolish person.

Sorry the idea that most of the geography exam can be bluffed is completely off the wall altogether. It goes against everything my teacher has been teaching me. SRPs are needed for every answer, these can’t be bluffed. An examiner can tell a bluffer a mile away. Quite simply bluff your way through the exam and you’ll get your C.

That is a load, in a fairness, lets be realistic here! You have to learn a ton of stuff in geography, to say it is a bluff subject means you must never have done it………………or maybe you did pass??………………….

I really don’t agree that it is mostly bluff! That is just beyond crazy am sorry!!! 😯 ❗

Sorry pal, you are talking at of your backside!!

i am an actual geography teacher, and this idea that geography can be bluffed is a joke.you have obviously made up those percentages, and the marking scheme (as any geography student would know) is made up of s.r.p’s which are actual pieces of significant relevent information, so you have to know your facts to get your points!! and the number of facts should run alongside the marks allocated per question, i.e. 10 mark question, takes 5 s.r.p’s to answer!! so you obviously made up your facts, so why dont you leave the teaching to the properly qualified!!!

Well after readin that i would have to say that u would b wrong to say it is a bluff!!! It is an exam that needs much practice in gettn the right SRP’s!!! Sure the project got me 20% and the short q’s may be easy once gne thru in the papers!!! Bt to achieve a high grade in it is really difficult now i must sit it tomorrow!!!

That was my opinion, they were percentages i made up after going through exam papers, i call it as it is and in my view, geography was one of the easier subjects to pass.

I got a ‘b’ something in my leaving cert, didn’t kill myself studying either. As i keep saying, if you want A1’s, don’t look at me, i was never an A1 student in any leaving cert subject.

Any A1 student, or examiner, teacher etc… will of course tell you nothing can be bluffed – that’s to be expected, naturally, as all of those guys demand the best.

But when i was sitting my leaving not so long ago, geography was the easy touch and i know most of the people in my group put much more effort in to other subjects.

here dats a load of bull i tried dat for d moks an failed…

who ever is writin this is a plank,,, i studyin my ass off all day n i came on this to get a few tips n u say its all a BLUFF… ur havin a bubble mate/// 👿

The reality is… anyone who does nothing will fail – simple as. I set this site up because it’s always useful to get advice/experience/help online… and there’s a severe lack of it…

You guys think you know better, by all means set up a site and i’ll happily link to it 😉

I dont know about what your sayin, but i didnt study or do much work at all in the last 2 years and i have my geography tomorow..i was comin on to find some tips to and bluff isnt really gonna help somwon out now is it.. alot of it is common sense but i think in my opinion most of the knolage of it comes from the JC..i got 84% in my mock ordinary level and i was well happy with that wouldnt mind getin it tomorow! id say the best thing to do at this stage is read them rapid revision books there pretty good!

ok well i sat the geog exam yesterday at higher lever, AND IT WAS NOT BLUFF!! it was tough!!!! tougher than the mock id say everone wud agree!! i thought yea i got a B3 in the mock, it should go up in the real thing, but i went in there with the wrong intentions, thinkin it was “bluff”, but i did myself no favours, if anythin I stayed at a B3 or went down, only for the project i’d be damned. . there was no A1 in that for me, so bluff your way thru that!!!!!

yes well i sat the geography exam too on friday and to be honest i just waffled my way through it.. big surprise if i passed haha !

Can anyone help me with Wednesday history’s exam? I was really happy with my answer on the Eucharistic Congress. But not with my answer on the Communications in Ireland in topic 6 which althougb I mentioned the impact of rte, I feel I may have bluffed a little. Myh answer on Stalin and Lenin is kind of hazy, I knew all my stalin stuff, but was weak on Lenin, though I mentioned him, I feel I focused a lot on Stalin. I loved the Vietnam set question and think I got high marks on it. My research project I think might get close to 20%. Does this 20% make a difference to the grade? Lets say if the worst happened and I only got 50% in the written paper(I need a high grade in this) and I had the 20% in the project. Is the 20% and 50% added together to give you, your final grade – 70%? I’m so worried about this 🙁

Geography Can Compltly Be bluffed You can twist most of the regional questions and still get the marks..I did it!

Geography can be bluffed. In the mocks, wen it’s marked harder, i did the atomispheric 80 mark question with out learning it in school yet and i got 65marks wit just common sense

dis is all a loda shit dont ye have anything betta 2 do

ur a bluff. that was the biggest bluff “advice” i have ever seen. write about something you know and dont be a bluffer ur whole life.

So I’m guessing it can’t be bluffed no? I’m repeating the leaving and I took it up this year will i be able to get through it with at least a B3 in honors or is that just a dream? x

sccgirl has it right

its True its hard to faiol geography.. but it is extremely difficult to get a c!

can it really be that easy? my geog teacher is the biggest stresser in the whole world and always goes on about S.R.Ps saying that they’ll get u most of the marks once its accurate. I’m sh*te at geography and find it rli hard to study too, so is a B3 (ish)easy to achieve through bluffin?? XxX

It is that easy, you can make up most points about things, but there is some learning

just study from the exam papers is the best way to go

Well i tried bluffin my way thru the Geography xmas exam which ws on the 2008 H.L. geog paper n all i got was 28% so basically DONT BLUFF Lol i aint bluffn on d mocks dahs 4 sure…:D

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i agree geography is soo not easy but it is kinda common sence..!!

This person's comment is poorly punctuated and poorly written, as well as containing the imaginary word “relevent”, rather than the correct “relevant”; therefore I would hope that this person is not a teacher.

Sir youclearly did not take geography since… it has been on the Leaving Cert course. Which is probably since the begining. There are similar areas focussed on, with more human/social stuff, but that means you need 15 statisitics per 30 mark question. These are the essay questions, and may come up in different forms, so you need about 30 for each topic. Out of over 100 topics/chapters… You work that one out. Saying there is “a bit” more detail in it compared to the JC is like saying there is “a bit” more detail in the Sistine Chapel (spelling?) compared to an A JC art project.

you can't just bluff in geography. there is a hell lot to learn because there is so much detail. if you bluffed in an exam you would fail and many people do. it's actually really hard to do well and get an A1. This is the worst tip ever and if anyone follows it they will fail, so don't. this is a pile of bull.

are you fucking shitting me easy my bollocks have you even taken this subjet or are you just makin up numbers

Im a student , passed mocks with flying colours , all bluff work. dead right , small bit of learning for real thing along with alota common sense and im in for a good grade

Bad Advice but it is true that if you got a A in the Junior Cert. you could bluff the leaving Cert. to a C grade (i.e. 59%). Besides in general all L.C. exams are getting easier every year and in geography the questions seem not to stray too far from the core information, which was studied for the Junior Cert.

dead right you can bluff a pass … but not an A..GIVE THE GUY A BREAK

What the hell? Bluff? Geography teachers are also scientists!! You can’t bluff facts! You can bluff in physical geography when giving examples such as a waterfall but you CANNOT bluff ‘mostly’.

I have my christmas test in geography tomorrow, it is sooooo much harder in irish! its not common sense

Hes right in the sense some of it is common sense,but to say you can pass it with common sense is a bit far fetched.With JC knowledge you might pass but i have to say failing geography would take skill and more time than it takes to pass it.It is easy to do well in it,but getting above the B3 is very difficult.SRP’s cannot be bluffed,they are facts that every examiner will know because they will be correcting hundreds of papers,not just an individuals.

I agree with what you’re saying actually! In my year Geagraphy is a subject thats often left until last by many students! In my opinion it’s easy to pass but very difficult to achieve an A in! I know for my mocks I did literally no study for it and passed easily, a bit of common sense goes a long way in Geography, a lot longer than in any of my other subjects anyway!

i totally agree, i got a B1 in the mocks and genuinely didnt do a tap .. i expect and A through sheer guess work

If you go to your classes and re-read the sample answers youll get a decent grade

XD I have to disagree with most of these comments, since you can most definitely bluff your way through the paper to pass. You just need to study to actually get a good grade.. XD Yes, you do have to have SRPs but as long as you make it sound real and concise, you can mask the bluff ^.^ All it takes is listening in class to be able to bluff.. 😀

your all a bunch of idiots what he’s saying is so true if you have paid any attention in class youl be able to piss through the exam without studying , I didnt study for my mocks this year and I got 58% without the field study being there obviously so shut up you stress heads it’s not that hard to make up an srp from common sense if you have a few brain cells! I’d say this article is pretty accurate and he never said you could get an A if you read it properly you illiterate morons youl notice he says if you want a high Mark you HAVE TO STUDY so dont comment without at least reading the article properly!!!!

ffs. if i hear my teacher say “oh jimmy, you need 12 srp’s” I KNOW I NEED THEM. but how i can i distinguish what is an SRP and how can I expand all my srp’s to 1 page and 1/2 ? everytime i do a long question essay, i can only do it in 1 line bullet points. if anybody has the book “Planet’s and People” then you will know how I feel. i think that book is very hard to understand. im not sure if it has to do with my Dyselxia or what, but i’m really frustrated about doing geography. at this point, all i want is a D3

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UCL Department of Geography

Guideline, length and submissions

• The marks for coursework received up to two working days after the published date and time will incur a 10 percentage point deduction in marks (but no lower than the pass mark);
• The marks for coursework received more than two working days and up to five working days after the published date and time will receive no more than the pass mark (40% for UG modules, 50% for PGT modules);
• Work submitted more than five working days after the published date and time but before the second week of the third term will receive a mark of zero but will be considered complete.

If a student experiences circumstances which prevents them from meeting a deadline that are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond their control, they should submit an Extenuating Circumstances (EC) Form to the Department of Geography. If the request is accepted, the student may be granted an extension. If the deadline has already passed, the late submission may be condoned (i.e. there will be no penalty for submitting late). Students are strongly advised to notify the department in advance if Extenuating Circumstances are likely to prevent them from meeting a coursework submission deadline.

Students wishing to apply for Extenuating Circumstances must complete the Extenuating Circumstances form found on the GEOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE e-NOTICEBOARD and email it to  [email protected]  with appropriate supporting evidence (e.g. Letter from your doctor or medical practitioner).

All Extenuating Circumstances applications will be considered by the Departmental Extenuating Circumstances Panel and students will be advised of the outcome within one week of the meeting to discuss your case.  See also Extenuating Circumstances and Reasonable Adjustments (section 10).

The specific requirements for coursework vary between different modules, and you should seek advice from course teachers and/or personal tutors. Most course teachers expect students to discuss with them proposed topics for individual study, the methods of approach, and the sources or literature available; you can see course teachers for this purpose during their office hours; however they will not read drafts of coursework.  After that, it is your work, and we normally see it only in our capacity as examiners.

Although we encourage you to discuss coursework with others, the final product must be your own work. You are welcome, for example, to discuss coursework papers with other students, but there should not be substantial overlap in the text of the coursework papers submitted.

Course lecturers will advise you of the word limits and format to be followed in their individual courses, but the normal format for presentation is as follows:

• Page size should be A4.
• Illustrations should be included within the text, to fit within the A4 format. All illustrations must be discussed in the text. They should be identified as ‘Table 2’ or ‘Figure 1’ etc, and all must have a short descriptive title. The source should always be stated below the table/figure.
• Scans or electronic copies of maps, tables, etc., are often acceptable, but the source must be noted.
• Appendices of statistical data, etc., may be used, but tables or figures should normally be placed within the text. Appendices should be kept to a minimum and should not be used to get round the word limit.
• Title, as well as the course number, course title, and the candidate’s name and year of study, should appear on the front outside cover.
• You must proof-read and correct all errors. Only one side of the paper should be used; double or 1.5 times line spacing should be used; and the print size should not be smaller than that used for this document (12 point).
• References in the text should be in the author/date (‘Harvard’) format. A list of references cited should be provided at the end of the paper, using the format described in classes for course GEOG1008 Writing and Analysis in Geography.

Please refer to the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences Guidance for penalties for over-length work .

For all submitted coursework students should state the number of words in the text (excluding tables and figures, footnotes, the bibliography and appendices but including quotations and references in the text) in their cover sheet.

For submitted coursework, where a maximum word count has been specified, the following procedure will apply:

• The length of coursework will be specified in terms of a word count or number of pages;
• Assessed work should not exceed the prescribed length;
• For work that exceeds a specified maximum length by less than 10%, the mark will be reduced by five percentage marks, but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the pass mark, assuming the work merited a Pass;
• For work that exceeds a specified maximum length by 10% or more, the mark will be reduced by 10 percentage marks, but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the pass mark, assuming the work merited a Pass;
• In the case of coursework that is submitted over length and is also late, the greater of the two penalties will still apply.

In addition to these regulations, the Department of Geography specifies the following rules:

Abstracts, appendices and text boxes

• If an abstract is included in the assignment, it must be included in the word count unless the instructions for the specific assignment state explicitly otherwise.
• If appendices form part of the assignment, they must be included in the word count unless the instructions for the specific assignment state explicitly otherwise (e.g. dissertations — refer to the dissertation handbook for specific guidance).
• Unless instructions for the assignment explicitly state otherwise, blocks of prose placed in boxes, whether labelled as textboxes, figures or tables, must be included in the word count

The following will not be included in the word count:

• Assignment title
• Author name/examination code
• Page numbers
• Reference lists
• Footnotes, but only when used to reference primary source material
• Figures captions and table titles. A figure caption or table title should be restricted to a succinct description of the figure or table to which it refers. Figures and tables themselves are not counted as part of the assignment length (although see note above about text boxes). All other material not covered in the above lists will be included in the word count unless the instructions for the specific assignment state explicitly otherwise.

If you have any doubts about this, please check with the course convenor.

Coursework and project submission dates are all available on the Moodle pages for each module. Please pay careful attention to details in individual modules and make sure you are aware of the deadline stated on Moodle. All coursework, projects and dissertations must be submitted via Moodle to Turn-It-In before 12pm on the due date. It is your responsibility to ensure that the work is submitted on time. Work will not be accepted by email.

If a student experiences circumstances which prevent them from meeting a deadline that are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond their control, they should submit an Extenuating Circumstances (EC) Form to the Department of Geography. If the request is accepted, the student may be granted an extension. If the deadline has already passed, the late submission may be condoned (i.e. there will be no penalty for submitting late). Students are strongly advised to notify the department in advance if Extenuating Circumstances are likely to prevent them from meeting a coursework submission deadline.

Students wishing to apply for Extenuating Circumstances must complete the Extenuating Circumstances form found on the GEOGRAPHY UNDERGRADUATE e-NOTICEBOARD and email it to [email protected] with appropriate supporting evidence (e.g. Letter from your doctor or medical practitioner).

All Extenuating Circumstances applications will be considered by the Departmental Extenuating Circumstances Panel and students will be advised of the outcome within one week of the meeting to discuss your case.  See also Extenuating Circumstances and Reasonable Adjustments (section 10).

Academic Support and Feedback Hours

General Enquiries 

Email:  [email protected]

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7679 0500

Department of Geography University College London North-West Wing Gower Street London WC1E 6BT

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