GCSE
GEOGRAPHY
8035/1
Paper 1 Living with the physical environment
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
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 Examiner.
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.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they
refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will
be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this
booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any
material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
3
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
Point marked questions marking instructions
The mark scheme will state the correct answer or a range of possible answers, although
these may not be exhaustive. It may indicate how a second mark is awarded for a second
point or developed idea. It may give an indication of unacceptable answers.
One mark questions will not need ticks or crosses or NC (no credit). 2 and 3 mark
questions will require ticks to show where credit is being awarded. The number of ticks
must equal the mark awarded. You do not need to use crosses to indicate answers that
are incorrect.
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a
descriptor. The descriptor is linked to the Assessment Objective(s) being addressed. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the 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.
All levels marked questions will have the level awarded at bottom left of response, which
might be on an additional page. Creditworthy parts of an answer can (optionally) be
highlighted.
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.
4
GEOGRAPHY
8035/1
Paper 1 Living with the physical environment
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
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 Examiner.
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.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they
refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will
be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this
booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any
material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre.
2
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
3
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE GEOGRAPHY – 8035/1 – JUNE
2025
Point marked questions marking instructions
The mark scheme will state the correct answer or a range of possible answers, although
these may not be exhaustive. It may indicate how a second mark is awarded for a second
point or developed idea. It may give an indication of unacceptable answers.
One mark questions will not need ticks or crosses or NC (no credit). 2 and 3 mark
questions will require ticks to show where credit is being awarded. The number of ticks
must equal the mark awarded. You do not need to use crosses to indicate answers that
are incorrect.
Level of response marking instructions
Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a
descriptor. The descriptor is linked to the Assessment Objective(s) being addressed. The
descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the 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.
All levels marked questions will have the level awarded at bottom left of response, which
might be on an additional page. Creditworthy parts of an answer can (optionally) be
highlighted.
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.
4
