2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A Paper 2 and Mark Scheme Combined (1GA0/02: The Human Environment)

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2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A Paper 2 and Mark Scheme Combined (1GA0/02: The Human Environment)

🌍 Paper 2: Overview & Content

Paper code: 1GA0/02.
Title: The Human Environment.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Total marks: 94 raw marks — this includes up to 4 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and use of specialist terminology (SPaG / specialist terms).
Qualification weighting: The paper accounts for 37.5% of the total GCSE Geography A qualification.

According to the specification, Paper 2 covers three broad topics:

Topic / Section	Content / Focus
Topic 4: Changing cities	Urbanisation, city growth, urban environments — how cities change, causes and consequences of urban growth, urban processes (e.g. decentralisation, suburbanisation), urban issues and management.
Topic 5: Global development	Global patterns of development and inequality, differences between more-developed and less-developed countries, measures of development (e.g. HDI, GNI), factors influencing development, effects of globalisation and trade, challenges & strategies to reduce global inequalities.
Topic 6: Resource management	Management of resources (natural, energy, water, food etc.) — but the exam requires you to choose one of the subtopics: Energy resource management or Water resource management.

Students must answer all questions from Section A (Changing cities) and Section B (Global development).
For Section C (Resource management) — students answer one of the two optional questions (either energy or water).

The Human Environment paper uses a variety of question formats:

Multiple‑choice / multiple‑response questions
Short‑answer questions
Data‑response / calculation questions (e.g. interpreting graphs, charts, percentages)
Open‑response questions requiring explanation / description / analysis
Extended writing questions (8‑mark and sometimes higher) for essays / structured answers

Candidates are tested on:

Knowledge and understanding of human‑geography concepts (urbanisation, development, resource issues) — basic facts, definitions, global patterns/case studies.
Ability to interpret and analyse data (graphs, tables, statistics) — e.g. population data, urban growth trends, resource use data.
Application of geographical knowledge to real-world issues: causes and consequences, advantages/disadvantages, sustainability, management strategies.
Evaluation and reasoned argument — especially in extended writing: weighing pros/cons, evaluating strategies, suggesting solutions, considering multiple perspectives.
Communication: clear writing, correct terminology, structured responses; plus accuracy in spelling/grammar/terminology (SPaG marks).

Master core concepts across urban geography, global development, resources — know definitions, processes, causal relationships.
Learn case studies / facts and figures — real-world examples from different places (cities, countries, resource contexts), global development indicators, resource‑use data.
Practice data interpretation — reading graphs, charts, maps; doing basic calculations (percentages, ranges), comparing trends, explaining patterns.
Practice extended writing — build skills in structuring answers: introduction, explanation, analysis, evaluation, conclusion; show balanced arguments; address all command prompts.
Use geographical terminology correctly — using the right subject‑specific vocabulary can earn SPaG / specialist‑term marks.
Time management — with 94 marks over 1.5 hours, pace yourself: shorter answers first, leave enough time for longer responses; plan answers for essay‑style questions before writing.

Specifications

Author	Proficient Academic Tutor
Published	09 Dec 2025
Included files	PDF
2025 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A Paper 2 and Mark Scheme Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A 1GA0/02 The Human Environment 2025 exam Paper 2 1GA0/02 1GA0 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A Paper 2 and Mark Scheme