AQA A-level Geography · 3.4

Geographical skills

50 exam-style questions with answers for 3.4 Geographical skills in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.4.1 · Types of information
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative data and between primary and secondary data, giving an example of each. [4 marks]
Answer:
Quantitative data is numerical, such as river discharge or population counts (1); qualitative data is descriptive, such as interviews, photographs or text (1); primary data is collected first-hand by the user, such as a questionnaire (1); secondary data was collected by others, such as census or satellite data (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.4.1 · Types of information
Explain what makes data geographical. [3 marks]
Answer:
Geographical data is linked to a place, with a location such as a grid reference, coordinates or an area (1); it can show patterns, relationships and changes over space and time, and these can be mapped (1); examples include GPS tracks, census data for areas and geotagged social media posts (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.4.1 · Types of information
Explain how a geographical information system (GIS) is used. [4 marks]
Answer:
A GIS stores data in layers linked to location, such as rivers, roads, land use and deprivation (1); layers can be overlaid to show relationships and patterns, such as flood risk and housing (1); it can be used for analysis, for example the area within 5 km of a hospital, and to produce maps (1); results depend on the quality and scale of the data, and the software and training can be costly (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.4.1 · Types of information
Describe the use of geo-located and digital data. [3 marks]
Answer:
GPS records the position of people, vehicles and fieldwork sites, and data can be added to a map (1); remote sensing from satellites and drones produces images and data covering large areas (1); phones and apps produce crowd-sourced and geotagged data, which can be analysed for patterns, but it may be biased and its accuracy needs checking (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.4.1 · Qualitative skills
Explain how interviews are used as a qualitative method. [3 marks]
Answer:
Interviews collect detailed views, feelings and experiences from people in a place, which numbers do not show (1); they can be structured, semi-structured or open, and are recorded and transcribed (1); a small sample means that results cannot be generalised, and the interviewer can influence answers (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.4.1 · Qualitative skills
Explain how coding and sampling in qualitative research can create particular representations of a place. [3 marks]
Answer:
Coding places text into categories chosen by the researcher, so the choice of codes can emphasise some ideas and ignore others (1); the people who are sampled decide whose views are heard, so a place may be represented from the viewpoint of a few (1); the researcher should be open about these limits and use a range of sources (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.4.1 · Qualitative skills
Explain the ethical and socio-political implications of collecting and representing data about human communities. [4 marks]
Answer:
Participants should give informed consent, and their identities should be kept confidential (1); data can be used to label or stereotype communities, for example in maps of crime or deprivation, and may lower property values or lead to stigma (1); powerful groups may control what data is collected and how it is used, and some voices may be excluded (1); researchers should consider harm, bias and who benefits (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.4.1 · Qualitative skills
Explain how textual and visual sources should be interpreted and evaluated. [4 marks]
Answer:
Identify who produced the source, when and why, as this affects the content (1); consider what the source shows and what it leaves out, and the message or image of a place it gives (1); compare with other sources and with data to check for bias (1); photographs may be staged or selected, and text such as adverts and blogs is written to persuade, so provenance matters (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.4.1 · Critical use of data
Explain how data can be misused or misleading. [4 marks]
Answer:
Graphs with a truncated axis or an inconsistent scale can exaggerate a difference (1); a selective start and end date for a trend can hide the longer pattern (1); a correlation can be presented as proof of a cause (1); small samples, biased samples and averages that hide variation can mislead (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.4.1 · Critical use of data
Explain the sources of error that affect geographical data. [3 marks]
Answer:
Measurement errors come from equipment limits, misreading and rounding (1); sampling errors arise when the sample is small, biased or not typical (1); secondary data can be out of date, collected in a different way or for a different purpose, and there can be mistakes in recording and processing (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain how maps, photographs and field sketches should be annotated. [3 marks]
Answer:
Labels name the main features and are placed close to what they describe, with leader lines (1); annotations should also describe and explain, such as the processes or patterns that are shown, not just name features (1); a title, scale or approximate scale, and a north point help others to interpret the sketch (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain how to give a six-figure grid reference. [3 marks]
Answer:
Grid lines are read first along the bottom of the map, giving the eastings (1); then up the side of the map, giving the northings (1); each square is divided into tenths to estimate the third digit of each number, so a reference such as 123456 locates a place to within 100 metres (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
A distance of 6 cm is measured on a map with a scale of 1:25,000. Calculate the real distance in kilometres. [2 marks]
Answer:
6 cm x 25,000 = 150,000 cm = 1,500 m (1); 1.5 km (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain how contour lines show relief on an OS map. [3 marks]
Answer:
Contour lines join places of equal height above sea level, with the interval between them usually 10 metres on a 1:50,000 map (1); lines close together show steep slopes, and those far apart show gentle slopes (1); closed circles show hills or summits, V-shapes pointing uphill show valleys, and spot heights and triangulation pillars give exact heights (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain how overlays are used in geography. [3 marks]
Answer:
Transparent sheets or digital layers are placed on a base map to show other data (1); they allow patterns to be compared, such as flood risk against housing or deprivation against services (1); electronic overlays in GIS can be switched on and off, and combined to answer a question (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Compare field sketches and photographs as ways of recording a landscape. [3 marks]
Answer:
A field sketch can select and label only the important features, and shows what the observer thinks matters (1); a photograph records everything in the view in detail and is quick, but needs annotation to show the key features (1); photos are not selective and may include irrelevant details, while sketches depend on the drawing ability of the person (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
The population of a town rises from 40,000 to 46,000. Calculate the percentage change. [2 marks]
Answer:
(46,000 - 40,000) / 40,000 (1); x 100 = 15% increase (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain the difference between open and closed questions and the use of rating scales in a questionnaire. [3 marks]
Answer:
Closed questions have fixed answers, which are quick to analyse and compare, while open questions allow people to answer in their own words and give more detail (1); a rating scale, such as the Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, measures the strength of opinions (1); questions should be clear and not lead the respondent to an answer (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Explain how discursive and creative material, such as literature, film and advertising, can be used in geography. [3 marks]
Answer:
These sources show how places are represented and imagined, such as the way a tourist board or film shows a city (1); content can be coded for themes, images and language to show the image created (1); the material is subjective and may be biased, so it should be compared with other evidence (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Describe the uses of atlas maps. [3 marks]
Answer:
Physical maps show relief, rivers and land cover, and political maps show boundaries and places (1); thematic maps show data such as climate, population and trade (1); scale and projection affect distance, area and shape, so users must check the key and scale (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Explain how to interpret a synoptic chart. [4 marks]
Answer:
Isobars join points of equal pressure, and the closer together they are, the stronger the wind (1); low pressure, or depressions, have winds blowing anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, with cloud and rain (1); high pressure, or anticyclones, have winds blowing clockwise, and bring calm, dry weather (1); fronts show boundaries between air masses, a cold front is shown by blue triangles and a warm front by red semicircles (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Describe maps with located proportional symbols, and their advantages and disadvantages. [3 marks]
Answer:
Symbols such as circles or squares are placed at locations, and their size is proportional to the value, such as the population of cities (1); they show the distribution and relative size of the data at once (1); large symbols may overlap and hide others, and it is hard to read exact values (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Distinguish between flow lines, desire lines and trip lines on maps. [4 marks]
Answer:
Flow lines show the movement of people or goods, and the width is proportional to the amount, such as migration or trade (1); desire lines are straight lines between an origin and a destination, which show the pattern of movement, not the real route (1); trip lines show the journeys made by individuals, for example from home to a shop or work, and so show the catchment or range of a place (1); all can be cluttered if there is much data (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Describe how a choropleth map is made and its limitations. [4 marks]
Answer:
Data for areas, such as regions or wards, is divided into classes and each class is shaded in a colour, with darker shades for higher values (1); the pattern of a variable, such as deprivation or population density, can be seen at a glance (1); it suggests that the value is the same across a whole area, and hides differences within it (1); the choice of class boundaries and size of the areas can change the pattern (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Describe isoline maps and how they are drawn. [3 marks]
Answer:
Isolines join places of equal value, such as isotherms for temperature, isobars for pressure and isochrones for travel time (1); values are plotted at points and the lines are drawn between them by interpolation, using the values to estimate positions (1); lines close together show steep changes, and lines far apart show gradual change (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Describe dot maps and their advantages and disadvantages. [3 marks]
Answer:
Each dot stands for a fixed number of items, such as 1,000 people, and dots are placed in the area where they occur (1); they show density and distribution clearly, and are easy to read (1); the exact location of the dots is not accurate, many dots may merge in dense areas, and counting them is difficult (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.4.2.2 · Cartographic skills
Suggest suitable map techniques to show (a) migration between countries, (b) rainfall across a country and (c) population by region. [4 marks]
Answer:
Migration: flow lines, with the width showing the number of people (1); rainfall: isoline map (isohyets) or a choropleth showing bands of rainfall (1); population by region: a choropleth, with the shading showing density, or proportional symbols for totals (1); each is chosen because of the type of data, and whether a pattern, a total or a movement must be shown (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Describe the different types of line graph. [4 marks]
Answer:
A simple line graph shows one variable, such as temperature over time (1); a comparative line graph shows several lines on the same axes to compare, such as the discharge of different rivers (1); a compound line graph is stacked so that each line is added to the one below, to show totals and components (1); a divergent line graph has positive and negative values on either side of a baseline (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Describe the different types of bar graph. [4 marks]
Answer:
A simple bar graph shows one value for each category, such as rainfall in each month (1); a comparative bar graph places bars for different groups side by side (1); a compound, or stacked, bar graph divides each bar into parts that show the components of the total (1); a divergent bar graph has bars above and below a baseline for positive and negative values, such as net migration (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Explain how a scatter graph and a best fit line are used. [4 marks]
Answer:
Two variables are plotted as points, one on each axis, to show whether there is a relationship (1); a best fit line is drawn through the points with a similar number on each side (1); the direction shows a positive or negative relationship, and the closeness of the points shows its strength (1); points far from the line are anomalies, and the line can be used to predict values, but this is less reliable outside the range of the data (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Describe pie charts and proportional divided circles. [3 marks]
Answer:
A pie chart divides a circle into slices, with the angle of each slice proportional to the share of the total (1); a divided circle also has an area proportional to the total, so circles of different sizes can be compared, such as the energy mix of countries (1); both are good for showing proportions, but are hard to read when there are many categories or small differences (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Calculate the angle of a pie chart slice for a sector with 45 units out of a total of 180. [2 marks]
Answer:
45 / 180 x 360 (1); = 90 degrees (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Explain how a triangular graph is used. [4 marks]
Answer:
It shows data which has three parts that add up to 100%, such as employment in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, or sand, silt and clay in soil (1); each corner represents 100% of one component, and the value is read by following lines parallel to the sides (1); each point shows the mix for one place or sample, and groups of points can be classified (1); it is hard to read exact values, and it only works with three variables (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Explain when a logarithmic scale is used on a graph. [3 marks]
Answer:
On a log scale each division is ten times larger than the one before, such as 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 (1); it is used when data covers a very wide range, such as city populations or river sediment sizes, which would not fit on a normal scale (1); a straight line on a log graph shows exponential growth, but the scale can be misread because equal distances show equal ratios, not equal amounts (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Describe a dispersion diagram and what it shows. [3 marks]
Answer:
Each value is plotted on a line, or in a column for each site or group (1); this shows the spread of the data, the range and clusters, and any anomalies (1); the mean or median can be added so that sites can be compared, such as the size of pebbles at different points along a river (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Explain how to choose a suitable graph for a data set. [4 marks]
Answer:
Use line graphs for continuous data over time or distance (1); use bar graphs for separate categories, and compound or divergent bars if parts or positive and negative values are involved (1); use scatter graphs to test for a relationship between two variables, and triangular graphs for three-part data (1); the choice must suit the data and the question, and the graph needs a title, labelled axes, units and a suitable scale (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.4.2.3 · Graphical skills
Explain how to describe a trend or pattern shown on a graph. [3 marks]
Answer:
State the overall trend, such as increasing or decreasing, with the figures at the start and end (1); identify turning points, peaks and anomalies (1); quote data with units, compare parts of the graph, and avoid explaining until the pattern has been described (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Calculate the mean, median and mode of this data: 4, 6, 6, 9, 10. [3 marks]
Answer:
Mean = 35 / 5 = 7 (1); median = 6, the middle value (1); mode = 6, the most common value (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Calculate the range and interquartile range of: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12. [3 marks]
Answer:
Range = 12 - 2 = 10 (1); lower quartile = 4 and upper quartile = 10 (1); interquartile range = 10 - 4 = 6 (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Calculate the standard deviation of this data: 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 9. [4 marks]
Answer:
Mean = 40 / 8 = 5 (1); differences from the mean squared are 9, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 4 and 16, which add up to 32 (1); divide by the number of values: 32 / 8 = 4 (1); standard deviation = square root of 4 = 2 (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Explain what the standard deviation shows. [3 marks]
Answer:
It measures how far values are spread around the mean (1); a small standard deviation means the values are close to the mean, so the data is consistent (1); a large one shows more variation, and it allows comparison of two sets with similar means (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Explain when Spearman's rank correlation is used and how it is interpreted. [4 marks]
Answer:
It tests for a relationship between two sets of paired data that can be ranked, such as distance from a city centre and building height (1); a result of +1 is a perfect positive correlation, -1 is a perfect negative correlation and 0 shows none (1); the result is compared with a critical value for the number of pairs, at the 5% or 1% significance level (1); if the value is greater than the critical value, the null hypothesis is rejected, though this does not prove causation (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Explain when the chi-squared test is used. [3 marks]
Answer:
It tests whether the difference between observed frequencies and expected frequencies is significant, or due to chance (1); it is used for data in categories, such as land use types or the answers to a question, with a sample of reasonable size (1); the degrees of freedom are calculated and the result is compared with a critical value at the 5% level (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.4.2.4 · Statistical skills
Explain the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics. [3 marks]
Answer:
Descriptive statistics summarise a data set, using measures such as the mean, median, range and standard deviation (1); inferential statistics use a sample to test hypotheses about a wider population, such as Spearman's rank and chi-squared, using significance levels (1); inferential tests depend on sampling being random or representative, otherwise the conclusions may not apply to the population (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.4.2.5 · ICT skills
Describe the use of remotely sensed data in geography. [3 marks]
Answer:
Satellites and drones record images and measurements of land cover, temperature, sea level and urban growth over large areas (1); images taken at different times show change, such as glacier retreat, deforestation or flooding (1); data may be at a low resolution or hidden by cloud and needs interpretation, so it is combined with ground truthing (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.4.2.5 · ICT skills
Explain the use of electronic databases in geography. [3 marks]
Answer:
Databases such as those of the ONS, World Bank, UN and Environment Agency give large amounts of data for places and time (1); they can be filtered, downloaded and analysed in spreadsheets or GIS, which saves time (1); data may be collected in different ways in different countries, may be out of date or may have gaps, so the source and method should be checked (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.4.2.5 · ICT skills
Explain the opportunities and problems of crowd-sourced data and big data. [3 marks]
Answer:
Crowd-sourced data, such as OpenStreetMap, and big data, such as mobile phone records, give detailed information in real time and at low cost (1); they can show patterns of movement, activity and opinion which are hard to collect by traditional methods (1); the data may be biased towards certain groups, be of unknown accuracy, and raise issues of privacy (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.4.2.5 · ICT skills
Explain how ICT can be used to produce evidence of geographical skills. [3 marks]
Answer:
Spreadsheets produce graphs and statistics, such as the mean, standard deviation and Spearman's rank, quickly and accurately (1); GIS and mapping software produce choropleth and proportional symbol maps, and overlays (1); images can be annotated digitally, and presentations can be produced, but the user must check that automatic outputs are suitable and correct (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Distinguish between large-scale and small-scale maps, giving an example of each. [3 marks]
Answer:
Scale is the relationship between a distance on the map and the same distance on the ground (1); large-scale maps, such as 1:10,000 or 1:25,000, show a small area in much detail, and are used for town plans and fieldwork (1); small-scale maps, such as an atlas map at 1:10,000,000, show a large area with little detail (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.4.2.1 · Core skills
Write 3,400,000 in standard form and write 2.5 x 10 to the power 4 as an ordinary number. [2 marks]
Answer:
3,400,000 = 3.4 x 10 to the power 6 (1); 2.5 x 10 to the power 4 = 25,000 (1).

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