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A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2: Data, Place and Argument
Human geography: an answer with data, in an actual place
Human geography rarely asks what something is; it asks why here. Marks come from naming the indicator supplied, describing change in a real place, and saying who gains and who loses. Global trends without a place stay at description, and the evaluation marks go with them.
How is A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (Physical Geography): Section A: three structured questions worth 45 marks (15 each); Sectio (60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level); Paper 2 (Human Geography): Section A: three structured questions worth 45 marks (15 each); Sectio (60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level); Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level): two topics from four; each topic has one compulsory structured questio (60 · 25% A Level); Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level): two topics from four; each topic has one compulsory structured questio (60 · 25% A Level)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Physical Geography) | Section A: three structured questions worth 45 marks (15 each); Section B: one essay from a choice of three, 15 marks | 60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 2 (Human Geography) | Section A: three structured questions worth 45 marks (15 each); Section B: one essay from a choice of three, 15 marks | 60 · 50% AS / 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level) | two topics from four; each topic has one compulsory structured question of 10 marks and one essay from two, 20 marks | 60 · 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level) | two topics from four; each topic has one compulsory structured question of 10 marks and one essay from two, 20 marks | 60 · 25% A Level | 1 h 30 min |
Paper 2 technique: 60 marks in 1 h 30 min is about 1.5 minutes per mark. For population, natural increase is births minus deaths, total growth adds net migration, and dependency ratios divide dependants by the working-age group; for water, compare availability per person with the 1700 m3 threshold and take the shortfall as a percentage of demand; for urban questions divide population by area for density and use the rule of 70 for doubling time.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Physical Geography) | data questions first, essay last | Trend described with no figure or unit taken from the axes, so the data application marks go. |
| Paper 2 (Human Geography) | population and water figures first, essay last | No place named: the answer talks about cities and population in general, so case-study understanding cannot be credited. |
| Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level) | structured question first, 25 min for the essay | Only the global average is given, with no regional variation and no uncertainty, so the evaluation marks go. |
| Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level) | data question first, 25 min for the essay | Management measures are named but never costed, with no implementing body and no limits. |
What is each A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (Physical Geography): data questions first, essay last; Paper 2 (Human Geography): population and water figures first, essay last; Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level): structured question first, 25 min for the essay; Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level): data question first, 25 min for the essay
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks 1-3: data reading. Circle the indicator and unit, write one trend sentence, then one exception.\nWeeks 4-6: place bank. Eight places you know well, four local and four elsewhere, each with three figures and one management measure.\nWeeks 7-9: essays and management. Problem, affected groups, measure, limitation, and on management always say who implements it and who pays.\nWeeks 10-12: timed papers, data questions first and enough time left for the evaluation.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Physical Geography) | 1 h 30 min | about 25 min per question |
| Paper 2 (Human Geography) | 1 h 30 min | about 25 min per question |
| Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level) | 1 h 30 min | about 45 min per topic |
| Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level) | 1 h 30 min | about 45 min per topic |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2 paper?
Paper 1 (Physical Geography): about 25 min per question; Paper 2 (Human Geography): about 25 min per question; Paper 3 (Global Environments, A Level): about 45 min per topic; Paper 4 (Global Themes, A Level): about 45 min per topic
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural increase rate as a percentage | Writing 0.37% for the per-thousand rate | The rate is per thousand | 3.7 per thousand |
| Total growth without migration | Leaving out net migration of 13,000 | Total growth = natural increase + net migration | 22,000 or 0.9% |
| Dependency ratio over total population | Using 2,450,000 as the denominator | The denominator is the working-age group, 1,739,500 | total dependency 40.8 |
| Water stress judged on supply alone | Reporting only the 1150 million litre supply | The shortfall percentage is taken against demand | 11.5% shortfall |
| Doubling time by multiplying the rate | Estimating 2.0 x 10 | Use the rule of 70, that is 70 / growth rate | 35 years |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the question and the answer given; which indicator or place was missing; and whether the loss was graph reading, concept or expression. A missing place earns a new example in the bank the same day.
How many years should you drill?
The current 9696 syllabus orders themes differently from older papers, so By Year trains question types only; use data and places from the last five years or the examples read as dated.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The current 9696 syllabus orders themes differently from older papers, so By Year trains question types only; use data and places from the last five years or the examples read as dated.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the A-Level Geography 9696 Paper 2 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
Can all examples come from Hong Kong?
Yes, but use more than one district and state the contrast between them; a single city leaves the evaluation thin.
Is calculation needed in data questions?
Usually comparison and ranking suffice, but the ratio or the change must appear in the answer to earn application marks.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge A-Level Geography 9696 syllabus (2027-2029) | Confirm the question count, marks, time and topic coverage of Paper 2 |
| Cambridge 9696 subject page with specimen papers | Download the official specimen papers to check the structure and command words |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-alevel-geography-9696-paper-1-mock-2027/ | A-Level Geography Paper 1 Physical Geography drilling mock |
Related: practice area · A-Level Geography 9696 drilling guide (paper order and pacing) · Paper 1 Physical Geography drilling mock · Paper 3 Global Environments drilling mock · Paper 4 Global Themes drilling mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
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