7036 · AQA AS Level
7036/21
Human geography and geography fieldwork investigation
Geography · June 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.5 / 5
160
180 min
Fieldwork and Geographical Skills
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
160
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates.
While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Quantitative & Diagrammatic Skills
Weight: 6100%Study Skills Skills Application
Weight: 583%Cartographic &
Weight: 350%Evaluative Recommendations
Weight: 233%Writing
Weight: 117%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A
Approx. 66% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 59% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 52% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 45% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 39% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Apply knowledge to an unfamiliar context; concise, practical points score best.
Break into parts and explain how each contributes to the whole question focus.
Match the expected response style for “Assess” questions.
Weigh arguments for and against with evidence; end with a supported judgement.
Match the expected response style for “Outline” questions.
Match the expected response style for “extent” questions.
Match the expected response style for “agree” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Fieldwork and Geographical Skills
40 marks this session
Changing places – relationships, connections, meaning and representation
27 marks this session
The water cycle
21 marks this session
Fires in nature
20 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Changing places – relationships, connections, meaning and representation
The water cycle
Fieldwork and Geographical Skills
The carbon cycle
Storm hazards
Fires in nature
Seismic hazards
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1: Physical geography and people and the environment:
Paper 2: Human geography and geography fieldwork investigation:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Fieldwork and Geographical Skills
40 marks this session
Practise in RevuiChanging places – relationships, connections, meaning and representation
27 marks this session
Practise in RevuiThe water cycle
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiFires in nature
20 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates.
- 2Message
While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2023 2023
Geography
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates. While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates.
While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
- Total marks
- 160
- Duration
- 180 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.5 / 5
Session analysis
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates. While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1: Physical geography and people and the environment:
Paper 2: Human geography and geography fieldwork investigation:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
63% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Long Essay
(20-mark)
60·3·38%
Medium Essay
(6 to 9-mark)
51·6·32%
Data Analysis & Skills
26·5·16%
Short Answer
17·7·11%
Multiple Choice
(MCQ)
6·6·4%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Section A (…
0.89 m/minPaper 1 Section B (…
0.89 m/minPaper 2 Section A (…
0.89 m/minTotal marks
120
Total time
135 min
Avg pace
0.89
Cumulative marks ladder
The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Coastal landscape development
90%90%
Storm hazards
85%85%
Sustainable urban development
80%80%
Difficulty Verdict
This exam series represented a moderately high difficulty level for most candidates. While standard recall questions were straightforward, the high-tariff essays and quantitative skills questions pushed students to think critically under timed conditions.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 1h 30min
- Total marks
- 80
- Weighting
- 50%
- Question types
- Multiple-Choice, Short Written (Suggest/Outline), Analyse/Assess (Data/Skills), Statistical/Calculations, Medium-Tariff Evaluative Questions (9-mark), Extended-Tariff Synoptic Essays (20-mark)
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.