SPECIMEN MATERIAL
A-Level
GEOGRAPHY
PAPER 2
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Mark Scheme
Specimen Material
V1.1
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – SPECIMEN MATERIA
Mark Schemes Are Prepared By The Lead Assessment Writer And Considered, Together With The
Relevant Questions, By A Panel Of Subject Teachers. This Mark Scheme Includes Any Amendments
Made At The Standardisation Events Which All Associates Participate In And Is The Scheme Which
Was Used By Them In This Examination. The Standardisation Process Ensures That The Mark
Scheme Covers The Students’ Responses To Questions And That Every Associate Understands And
Applies It In The Same Correct Way.
As Preparation For Standardisation Each Associate Analyses A Number Of Students’ Scripts.
Alternative Answers Not Already Covered By The Mark Scheme Are Discussed And Legislated
For. If, After The Standardisation Process, Associates Encounter Unusual Answers Which Have
Not Been Raised They Are Required To Refer These To The Lead Assessment Writer.
It Must Be Stressed That A Mark Scheme Is A Working Document, In Many Cases Further
Developed And Expanded On The Basis Of Students’ Reactions To A Particular Paper. Assumptions
About Future Mark Schemes On The Basis Of One Year’s Document Should Be Avoided; Whilst
The Guiding Principles Of Assessment Remain Constant, Details Will Change, Depending On The
Content Of A Particular Examination Paper.
Further Copies Of This Mark Scheme Are Available From Aqa.Org.Uk
2
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – ADDITIONAL SPECIME
Level Of Response Marking Instructions
Level Of Response Mark Schemes Are Broken Down Into Levels, Each Of Which Has A
Descriptor. The Descriptor For The Level Shows The Average Performance For The Level. There
Are Marks In Each Level.
Before You Apply The Mark Scheme To A Student’s Answer Read Through The Answer And
Annotate It (As Instructed) To Show The Qualities That Are Being Looked For. You Can Then Apply
The Mark Scheme.
Step 1 Determine A Level
Start At The Lowest Level Of The Mark Scheme And Use It As A Ladder To See Whether The
Answer Meets The Descriptor For That Level. The Descriptor For The Level Indicates The Different
Qualities That Might Be Seen In The Student’s Answer For That Level. If It Meets The Lowest Level
Then Go To The Next One And Decide If It Meets This Level And So On, Until You Have A Match
Between The Level Descriptor And The Answer. With Practice And Familiarity You Will Find That For
Better Answers You Will Be Able To Quickly Skip Through The Lower Levels Of The Mark Scheme.
When Assigning A Level You Should Look At The Overall Quality Of The Answer And Not Look To
Pick Holes In Small And Specific Parts Of The Answer Where The Student Has Not Performed Quite
As Well As The Rest. If The Answer Covers Different Aspects Of Different Levels Of The Mark
Scheme You Should Use A Best Fit Approach For Defining The Level And Then Use The Variability Of
The Response To Help Decide The Mark Within The Level, Ie If The Response Is Predominantly Level 3
With A Small Amount Of Level 4 Material It Would Be Placed In Level 3 But Be Awarded A Mark Near
The Top Of The Level Because Of The Level 4 Content.
Step 2 Determine A Mark
Once You Have Assigned A Level You Need To Decide On The Mark. The Descriptors On How To
Allocate Marks Can Help With This. The Exemplar Materials Used During Standardisation Will Help.
There Will Be An Answer In The Standardising Materials Which Will Correspond With Each Level Of
The Mark Scheme. This Answer Will Have Been Awarded A Mark By The Lead Examiner. You Can
Compare The Student’s Answer With The Example To Determine If It Is The Same Standard, Better Or
Worse Than The Example. You Can Then Use This To Allocate A Mark For The Answer Based On
The Lead Examiner’s Mark On The Example.
You May Well Need To Read Back Through The Answer As You Apply The Mark Scheme To Clarify
Points And Assure Yourself That The Level And The Mark Are Appropriate.
Indicative Content In The Mark Scheme Is Provided As A Guide For Examiners. It Is Not Intended
To Be Exhaustive And You Must Credit Other Valid Points. Students Do Not Have To Cover All
Of The Points Mentioned In The Indicative Content To Reach The Highest Level Of The Mark
Scheme.
An Answer Which Contains Nothing Of Relevance To The Question Must Be Awarded No Marks.
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – SPECIMEN MATERIA
3
A-Level
GEOGRAPHY
PAPER 2
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Mark Scheme
Specimen Material
V1.1
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – SPECIMEN MATERIA
Mark Schemes Are Prepared By The Lead Assessment Writer And Considered, Together With The
Relevant Questions, By A Panel Of Subject Teachers. This Mark Scheme Includes Any Amendments
Made At The Standardisation Events Which All Associates Participate In And Is The Scheme Which
Was Used By Them In This Examination. The Standardisation Process Ensures That The Mark
Scheme Covers The Students’ Responses To Questions And That Every Associate Understands And
Applies It In The Same Correct Way.
As Preparation For Standardisation Each Associate Analyses A Number Of Students’ Scripts.
Alternative Answers Not Already Covered By The Mark Scheme Are Discussed And Legislated
For. If, After The Standardisation Process, Associates Encounter Unusual Answers Which Have
Not Been Raised They Are Required To Refer These To The Lead Assessment Writer.
It Must Be Stressed That A Mark Scheme Is A Working Document, In Many Cases Further
Developed And Expanded On The Basis Of Students’ Reactions To A Particular Paper. Assumptions
About Future Mark Schemes On The Basis Of One Year’s Document Should Be Avoided; Whilst
The Guiding Principles Of Assessment Remain Constant, Details Will Change, Depending On The
Content Of A Particular Examination Paper.
Further Copies Of This Mark Scheme Are Available From Aqa.Org.Uk
2
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – ADDITIONAL SPECIME
Level Of Response Marking Instructions
Level Of Response Mark Schemes Are Broken Down Into Levels, Each Of Which Has A
Descriptor. The Descriptor For The Level Shows The Average Performance For The Level. There
Are Marks In Each Level.
Before You Apply The Mark Scheme To A Student’s Answer Read Through The Answer And
Annotate It (As Instructed) To Show The Qualities That Are Being Looked For. You Can Then Apply
The Mark Scheme.
Step 1 Determine A Level
Start At The Lowest Level Of The Mark Scheme And Use It As A Ladder To See Whether The
Answer Meets The Descriptor For That Level. The Descriptor For The Level Indicates The Different
Qualities That Might Be Seen In The Student’s Answer For That Level. If It Meets The Lowest Level
Then Go To The Next One And Decide If It Meets This Level And So On, Until You Have A Match
Between The Level Descriptor And The Answer. With Practice And Familiarity You Will Find That For
Better Answers You Will Be Able To Quickly Skip Through The Lower Levels Of The Mark Scheme.
When Assigning A Level You Should Look At The Overall Quality Of The Answer And Not Look To
Pick Holes In Small And Specific Parts Of The Answer Where The Student Has Not Performed Quite
As Well As The Rest. If The Answer Covers Different Aspects Of Different Levels Of The Mark
Scheme You Should Use A Best Fit Approach For Defining The Level And Then Use The Variability Of
The Response To Help Decide The Mark Within The Level, Ie If The Response Is Predominantly Level 3
With A Small Amount Of Level 4 Material It Would Be Placed In Level 3 But Be Awarded A Mark Near
The Top Of The Level Because Of The Level 4 Content.
Step 2 Determine A Mark
Once You Have Assigned A Level You Need To Decide On The Mark. The Descriptors On How To
Allocate Marks Can Help With This. The Exemplar Materials Used During Standardisation Will Help.
There Will Be An Answer In The Standardising Materials Which Will Correspond With Each Level Of
The Mark Scheme. This Answer Will Have Been Awarded A Mark By The Lead Examiner. You Can
Compare The Student’s Answer With The Example To Determine If It Is The Same Standard, Better Or
Worse Than The Example. You Can Then Use This To Allocate A Mark For The Answer Based On
The Lead Examiner’s Mark On The Example.
You May Well Need To Read Back Through The Answer As You Apply The Mark Scheme To Clarify
Points And Assure Yourself That The Level And The Mark Are Appropriate.
Indicative Content In The Mark Scheme Is Provided As A Guide For Examiners. It Is Not Intended
To Be Exhaustive And You Must Credit Other Valid Points. Students Do Not Have To Cover All
Of The Points Mentioned In The Indicative Content To Reach The Highest Level Of The Mark
Scheme.
An Answer Which Contains Nothing Of Relevance To The Question Must Be Awarded No Marks.
, MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY – PAPER 2 – SPECIMEN MATERIA
3
