WGE01 exam technique: Section A and Section B

The paper

• 1 hour 45 minutes, 90 marks; 60% of the International AS and 30% of the International A level. A resource booklet is provided and calculators are allowed.
• Section A: compulsory data-response and short-answer questions on both topics (in June 2025, questions 1 to 4).
• Section B: choose one question, on World at Risk or Going Global; each has a 10-mark question and a 20-mark essay (June 2025: questions 5 and 6).

Point-marked questions (1 to 4 marks)

• Identify / calculate: one precise answer from the resource, with units.
• Describe: say what the resource shows (pattern, trend, anomaly) with data; describe a pattern rather than listing values.
• Compare: each point must be comparative (higher than, whereas); describing one overall trend earns no credit.
• Explain / suggest (for example 2 reasons for 4 marks): each reason earns 1 mark plus 1 for a developed extension (because, which means, leading to), ideally linked to a named place.

Keep these concise: examiners noted extra paper was overused on 3 and 4 mark answers.

Levels-marked questions (6, 10 and 20 marks)

• 6 marks (Section A): three levels (1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6). Cover the whole question: for example, ENSO answers that dealt only with floods or only with droughts were unlikely to reach Level 3.
• 10 marks (Section B part a, usually 'Suggest'): AO1 5 + AO2 5; three levels. Use the resource as a springboard, adding your own knowledge and examples; address the key idea in the question (for example unevenness).
• 20 marks (essay, often a statement to evaluate): AO1 5 + AO2 15; four levels (1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, 16 to 20). Answers showing only knowledge (AO1) are capped at 4 marks. Level 4 needs accurate, relevant knowledge throughout and a 'rational, substantiated conclusion, fully supported by a balanced argument'.

Plan the essay; use located examples and data; weigh both sides; reach a clear judgement.

Common pitfalls (June 2025)

• Misunderstanding per capita, confusing the WTO with the World Bank, and treating all international migration as illegal migration.
• Describing a resource when asked to explain or suggest.
• Generic points with no named example, losing extension marks.
• Not answering the exact focus (for example a megacity question answered only about cities in low-income countries, ignoring developed megacities such as New York and Tokyo).

Worked example

Plan a 20-mark answer to: 'Mega-disasters require a different scale and type of response from other disasters.' Evaluate this view.

1. Introduction: define mega-disasters (rare, high magnitude, multi-country, huge impacts) and set up the criteria.
2. Arguments for: 2004 tsunami needed international aid and a new ocean-wide warning system; 2011 Japan needed global supply-chain and nuclear responses.
3. Arguments against: the same strategies (warnings, evacuation, resistant design, zoning) work at every scale; local response saves most lives in the first hours.
4. Conclusion: a substantiated judgement, for example the type of response is similar but the scale and coordination needed are different.

Answer: Define, argue both sides with located evidence, then a balanced, substantiated conclusion.

Check yourself

1. WGE01 lasts 1 hour 45 minutes for 90 marks. How many minutes per mark is that, to 2 decimal places?
   Show answer

   1.17 minutes. 105 / 90 = 1.17 minutes per mark.

2. A 20-mark essay has AO1 5 marks and AO2 15 marks. What percentage of the marks are AO2?
   Show answer

   75 %. 15 / 20 x 100 = 75%.

3. In the June 2025 mark scheme, a 20-mark answer showing only AO1 knowledge is capped at
   • 4 marks
   • 10 marks
   • 15 marks
   • 20 marks
   Show answer

   4 marks. Evaluation (AO2) is essential for higher levels.

4. For a 2-mark 'Compare' question on a graph, which answer gains credit?
   • Temperatures rose over time
   • The graph shows temperature
   • It got warmer because of greenhouse gases
   • Temperatures were below average before 1980, whereas after 1980 they were higher than average
   Show answer

   Temperatures were below average before 1980, whereas after 1980 they were higher than average. Each mark needs a valid comparative point.

5. How many Section B questions must a candidate answer?
   • Both
   • One, from either World at Risk or Going Global
   • Four
   • None; Section B is optional
   Show answer

   One, from either World at Risk or Going Global. Candidates choose one question (59% chose World at Risk in June 2025).

6. Which feature is required for Level 4 in a 20-mark essay?
   • At least ten case studies
   • A diagram of plate boundaries
   • Repeating the question
   • A rational, substantiated conclusion supported by a balanced argument
   Show answer

   A rational, substantiated conclusion supported by a balanced argument. Level 4 descriptor in the mark scheme.

7. Explain how to earn the second mark for each reason in a 4-mark 'Explain two reasons' question.
   Show answer

   Develop the reason with an extension that explains why or what it leads to, ideally linked to a named example or place.. Develop the point and link it to a specific example.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Geography specification (Issue 3, September 2025)
• Pearson WGE01 mark scheme, June 2025 (copy hosted by Physics and Maths Tutor)
• Pearson principal examiner report, WGE01 Global Challenges, June 2025

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.