Cambridge AS & A Level Geography (9696): syllabus, papers and marking
A widely taught AS & A Level, newly revised for 2027. Section A data questions are marked point by point and the essays in levels, with the missing explanation, case-study detail or evaluation named.
Syllabus for examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (revised content; the 2026 series is still examined on the 2025–2026 syllabus) · June and November series · grades A*–E (A Level), a–e (AS)
Geography 9696: where the marks go
AS & A Level Geography 9696 is two compulsory AS papers, Physical Geography and Human Geography, each 60 marks: a 45-mark Section A of structured questions on supplied data, then a 15-mark essay. A Level adds Global Environments and Global Themes, where a candidate takes two topics from four and answers a 10-mark structured question and a 20-mark essay on each. The content was revised for first examination in 2027, and marks are still lost on description with no explanation, on sketch maps and diagrams, and on essays that never evaluate.
We write 9696 papers to the 2027–2029 structure, with original maps, diagrams and data tables. Marking is point by point on Section A, and in levels on the essays, with the reached descriptor quoted and the case-study detail or evaluation that would lift it named.
Paper structure and what we mark
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 — Physical Geography | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 50% AS · 25% A Level | Section A: structured questions on data, 45 marks. Section B: one essay from three, 15 marks |
| Paper 2 — Human Geography | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 50% AS · 25% A Level | Section A: structured questions on data, 45 marks. Section B: one essay from three, 15 marks |
| Paper 3 — Global Environments | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 25% A Level | Two topics from four; each has one compulsory 10-mark structured question and one 20-mark essay from two |
| Paper 4 — Global Themes | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 25% A Level | Two topics from four; each has one compulsory 10-mark structured question and one 20-mark essay from two |
Syllabus outline
- Paper 1 Physical Geography: hydrology, river processes and hazards; atmospheric processes and global climate change; earth processes and mass movements
- Paper 2 Human Geography: population and migration; water resources and management; urban areas and management
- Paper 3 Global Environments (two from four): tropical, coastal, hazardous (now including wildfire hazards) and arid environments
- Paper 4 Global Themes (two from four): climate change impacts and governance; environmental issues and management; trade, aid and tourism; disease and geography
- Geographical skills: interpreting maps, photographs and data, sketch maps and annotated diagrams
How each paper is marked here
- Section A structured questions are marked point by point, with the description, explanation and data-use marks kept apart so the missing one is visible.
- Section B and the A Level essays are marked in levels, with the descriptor reached quoted and the example or evaluation that would raise it.
- Opening soon: the levels rubric is in testing against Cambridge’s published sample answers.
Where Geography 9696 candidates lose marks
- Description where an explanation was needed — Observing a pattern earns only part of a Section A question; at least half the marks need reasons, and a process that is named without its stages or mechanism stalls.
- Sketch maps and labels — A cross-section drawn when a sketch map was asked for, the wrong area chosen, or labels so general (“water”) that they name no landform (“meander”).
- Patterns without direction or shape — Locations listed loosely as “bottom” or “left side” rather than stating the shape of the distribution, such as linear or clustered, with compass points.
- Case studies short on detail — Essay marks follow a named, specific and preferably recent example; where the question specifies the case study, it needs to carry the argument.
- Evaluation left until the last minutes — The top two levels need judgement built through the essay; a conclusion bolted on when time is short rarely gets there. Comparisons also slip into two separate lists.
Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for 9696
See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.
Questions teachers ask
- Does it follow the revised 2027 syllabus?
- Yes: Physical and Human Geography at AS (including the new Water resources and management topic), and Global Environments and Global Themes at A Level. The 2026 series is still examined on the previous Core and Advanced Options papers.
- How are maps and diagrams handled?
- Papers carry original diagrams and data tables. Sketch maps and diagrams the student draws are read from a photo of the script.
- When does it open?
- After the levels rubric test; ask to be told.
- Is this official Cambridge marking?
- No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 9696. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
- Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
- No. Every 9696 paper here is original and written to the syllabus for examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (revised content; the 2026 series is still examined on the 2025–2026 syllabus), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
- Which papers are marked?
- None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
- How is the next paper chosen?
- From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
- When are the exams?
- June and November series. Grades A*–E (A Level), a–e (AS).
Other Cambridge AS & A Level courses
- Cambridge AS & A Level Physics (9702)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Chemistry (9701)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Mathematics (9709)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Biology (9700)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Further Mathematics (9231)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Economics (9708)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Business (9609)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Computer Science (9618)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Psychology (9990)
- Cambridge AS & A Level English Language (9093)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Accounting (9706)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Law (9084)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Sociology (9699)
- Cambridge AS & A Level History (9489)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Literature in English (9695)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Islamic Studies (9488)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Thinking Skills (9694)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research (9239)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Information Technology (9626)
- Cambridge AS & A Level English General Paper (8021)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Environmental Management (8291)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Travel & Tourism (9395)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Urdu Language & Literature (9866)