Assessment Type 3: Examination (30%)

Students undertake a 130-minute written examination consisting of two sections.

Section 1 focuses on geographical skills and Section 2 focuses on application of skills developed through the study of Topics 1 and 3.

Section 1 (approximately 50%)

In Section 1, students focus on solving problems and making decisions by applying a range of geographical skills to interpret written and visual material, including maps, provided in the examination. They draw on skills, understanding, and knowledge gained from individual and class fieldwork activities and apply this in unfamiliar contexts.

The geographical skills assessed in Section 1 are selected from the following:

• select or identify data appropriate to a geographical context or issue
• evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fieldwork techniques
• evaluate the limitations of data collected
• identify appropriate visual representations of data
• interpret secondary sources of data and information
• use maps and spatial technologies (latitudes, longitudes, grid references, legends or keys, directions, and contours)
• interpret images, including aerial, oblique, and ground photographs, and satellite images
• understand and apply scale (enlargement, reduction, area, and distance)
• analyse and interpret statistics, fieldwork data, maps, profiles, cross-sections, and transects
• identify and analyse patterns and trends, infer relationships, and make predictions
• make recommendations, form conclusions, and solve problems
• use subject-specific terminology.

Section 2 (approximately 50%)

In Section 2, students answer open-ended questions about:

• Topic 1: Ecosystems and people
• Topic 3: Population change.

Students use examples of contemporary case studies from class activities and interpret and analyse sources provided in the examination paper. They apply their understanding of geographical information and of the complex interactions between physical and human environments.

All specific features of the assessment design criteria for this subject may be assessed in the external examination.