How AS & A Level Geography (9696) is really marked
Geography 9696 covers twelve papers, and it is the most level-marked subject in its group: across our bank, 378 questions are marked by pure level-of-response, 162 by a hybrid of points and levels, and only 554 by discrete points, with a small amount of calculation. The balance shifts by paper — papers 11-13 and 21-23 lean more towards points with a level-marked component for extended answers, while the essay-based papers 31-33 and 41-43 are dominated by pure levels, with roughly half of each paper's marks awarded by band rather than by tally.
On the level-marked essay questions, the examiner reads the whole response and places it in a band based on the quality of explanation, application to named case studies, and evaluative judgement — you cannot bank a level by listing facts, however many, if the answer does not develop them into a properly applied, evaluated argument. This is why case-study choice and detail matter so much: because the descriptors reward applied, current detail, a dated, unfamiliar, or thinly-known case study tends to cap an otherwise sound answer at a lower level.
Even on the more structured papers, writing everything you know about a topic rather than selecting and developing two or three points in depth tends to score less well — because level-marking (and much of the hybrid marking) rewards depth of development over breadth of coverage.
Where candidates actually lose marks
- Missing the actual focus of the question — for example writing broadly about trade in general rather than the specific global patterns of trade the question asked about. (try the question)
- Naming a country as a case study with little to no further place detail, which leaves an answer generic and capped at a lower level. (try the question)
- Writing all that is known about a broad topic (such as pollution) rather than selecting two or three aspects to explain and evaluate in depth, which is what earns most of the marks. (try the question)
- Identifying only one or two simple advantages without developing them, or misreading the question and explaining disadvantages (or the wrong party's advantages) instead. (try the question)
- Asserting that chemical fertiliser use causes soil salinisation without explaining the mechanism, and confusing what a high pH value actually means. (try the question)
- Repeating 'lack of funds' as a separate problem for each different consequence, rather than treating lack of funds as one underlying problem that leads to multiple consequences. (try the question)
Command words in AS & A Level Geography
| Command word | Times in our bank | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Explain | 283 | The most frequent command word — requires a reasoned chain connecting cause to effect, applied to the specific case in the question rather than stated in general terms. |
| Describe | 198 | Needs an accurate account of a pattern or feature shown in data, a map or a diagram, without explaining why it occurs. |
| Assess | 130 | Asks for a weighed judgement of importance or success, typically marked by level, so a genuine conclusion is needed, not just a list of factors. |
| How-far | 114 | Signals an essay requiring a balanced argument that reaches an explicit judgement on the extent to which a statement is true. |
| Suggest | 97 | Requires applying geographical knowledge to a scenario or dataset not seen before, reasoning towards a plausible explanation. |
| Evaluate | 58 | Wants a considered judgement weighing strengths against weaknesses or alternatives, reaching an explicit conclusion. |
| Compare | 52 | Needs direct comparison between two cases or datasets — treating them side by side rather than describing each separately. |
| State | 44 | Wants a brief, precise fact with no further development required. |
How to revise with past papers
Because so many marks in this subject are awarded by level rather than by point, practise essay-style past questions by checking your answer against the level descriptors in the mark scheme, not just against a checklist of content — ask specifically whether your answer reaches a genuine, explicit judgement, since strong descriptive or analytical content still caps at a mid-level in the descriptors when it lacks real evaluation.
Keep your case-study knowledge current, specific, and located: a case study named without further detail, or one that is dated or drawn from an unfamiliar or overly generalised context, tends to cap an answer regardless of how well the rest of the essay is argued, because the descriptors reward applied detail. A small set of well-known, up-to-date, specific case studies practised in depth outperforms a long list known only superficially.
For questions that ask you to explain or assess a limited number of factors, practise selecting two or three and developing each with depth rather than listing everything you know about the topic — the level-of-response mark schemes consistently reward development and application over breadth of coverage.
Practise real 9696 questions with AI marking →FAQs
How much of this subject is marked by level rather than by point?
Level-of-response marking accounts for 378 questions by pure band and a further 162 by a points-and-levels hybrid, out of 1,109 in our bank, concentrated on the essay-based papers, making this one of the more level-marked subjects in the group.
Do case studies need to be current?
Because the descriptors reward applied, current detail, dated or thinly-detailed case studies tend to limit marks, so keeping named examples specific and up to date is worth deliberate revision time.
Is it better to cover more content or fewer points in depth?
Depth wins under level marking — writing everything known about a broad topic, rather than selecting and developing two or three points well, tends to cap the mark, because the descriptors reward developed, applied analysis.
Which command words carry a genuine evaluation requirement?
Assess, How-far, and Evaluate all require a weighed judgement and a stated conclusion, distinct from Explain or Describe, which do not require you to reach a verdict.