This guide is for students who have received the 2025 AQA GCSE Geography Pre-release. We’ve created a separate section on the site for teachers. Internet Geography Plus subscribers can access support resources here.
Feeling Unsure About the AQA GCSE Geography Paper 3 Pre-Release?
If you find the Paper 3 pre-release materials daunting, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many students struggle with this part of the exam, but with the right approach, you can use it to gain valuable marks. This guide will help you navigate the 2025 pre-release materials, covering important dates, study strategies, and expert tips to help you maximise your score. Let’s dive in!
Understanding the AQA GCSE Geography Pre-Release
The pre-release for AQA GCSE Geography is a set of materials provided in advance for Paper 3, Section A. This section assesses your ability to evaluate geographical issues using various sources such as maps, graphs, newspaper articles, expert opinions, and satellite imagery. The content is drawn from the compulsory sections of the syllabus and may focus on a UK-based or global issue.
Schools receive a six-page booklet containing three figures, forming the basis of your exam preparation. The theme can come from any part of the compulsory specification and may cover multiple topics. Past themes have included:
- The UK housing crisis
- Tourism in the Cayman Islands
- Wind farm locations and energy production
- Informal settlements and urban challenges
- Deforestation in the Amazon
- Water resource management in the UK
- Changes in the UK’s energy mix
This section of the exam is worth 37 marks, accounting for around 14% of your final grade. It also includes marks for spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG). Success in this section requires strong analytical skills and the ability to apply geographical knowledge effectively.
When Will the Pre-Release Materials Be Available?
The 2025 pre-release materials will be distributed by schools on or around March 20th, 2025. Your teacher will provide a copy, giving you several weeks to study before the exam.
For private candidates, your exam centre should send you the materials. Contact your exam officer for assistance if you haven’t received them by 27th March 2025.
Steps to Take When You Receive the Pre-Release Materials
Get familiar with the issue
The pre-release contains information about a geographical issue. You need to familiarise yourself with this by identifying the main themes and stakeholders (individuals/groups/businesses, etc.) affected by it. The booklet contains three sections. Figure 1 explores the wider issues relating to the theme. Figure 2 includes details on the specific issue. Figure 3 covers the advantages and disadvantages of the issue. Each figure contains sources of information presented in a range of ways.
We want to help you prepare to be in the best position possible for the paper 3 exam, so follow our tips below for exam success. Putting in the hard work now will pay off later. This is an easy part of the exam, and it helps you pick up lots of marks!
If you were planning just to give the pre-release a read and highlight the important bits, you need to rethink this! Reading and highlighting is not enough to familiarise yourself with the pre-release. The more you know and understand, the better your chances of performing well in the exam. This is why we recommend using active learning strategies when going through the pre-release. Strategies you could use include:
If your school subscribes to Internet Geography Plus, they can provide you with work booklets to use when going through the pre-release.
You could also create flashcards for the key geographical terms in the pre-release.
Analyse the sources and annotate the figures
Spend time analysing the information in each of the figures. Each figure contains a range of sources that you should analyse, including:
- Maps – it is important to consider the location relevance of the issue (e.g. where is it? what is the relief like in the area? what is the land use in the area? how might it affect other land uses / land users in the area?)
- Graphs – look for trends, give examples, and identify anomalies – we’ve got a guide here.
- Text – often provided to give an overview and present different viewpoints.
- Photographs – examine key human and physical features.
- Aerial images – examine key human and physical features, locational information and potential issues with surrounding land uses/land users.
- Infographics – what are the important statistics – what do they mean?
We recommend annotating the booklet as you go through it.
Consider the views of different stakeholders
The issue has the potential to affect a range of stakeholders – consider these. You should also consider the issue’s social, economic, and environmental impacts. There are potential consequences associated with the issue – consider the short-term and long-term consequences.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a significant theme in the pre-release. You should be prepared to discuss how sustainable the issue is.
Exam practice
Once you have familiarised yourself with the pre-release, you can start considering the types of questions you may be asked in paper 3 including:
- Skills/retrieval questions (1-2 marks)
- Low tariff questions (3-4 marks)
- Extended questions (6 marks)
- Decision making (should the issue go ahead / is it sustainable?) – 9 marks
Decision making
You must make a balanced argument for the final decision-making question, leading to an evidence-based conclusion, using the pre-release evidence and your own knowledge.
What can I do with my booklet?
You can annotate the copy of the booklet you have received. However, you cannot take this into the exam. You will be given a new copy of the issue evaluation in the paper 3 exam.
How can Internet Geography support me?
We’ll publish a range of resources to help you prepare for the issue evaluation. Come back here after March 20th to access resources. We’ll also develop resources for teachers to support you in your preparation. These will be available to schools that subscribe to Internet Geography Plus.
