Geography assessment over time

The first public examinations for schools in England were introduced in 1858. The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate – now known as Cambridge Assessment – was officially established on 11 February 1858. Its first exam took place on 14 December 1858.

The Geography exams were dominated by questions on physical geography. Geography I, shown opposite, examined purely physical geography.

The focus on physical geography, particularly in relation to navigation, waterways and the sea, remained in the 1878 exam. For example, candidates were asked to:

"Describe the shortest course a ship could sail from London to Calcutta, naming any six important ports at which it might call on its route."

The School Certificate system was the first national examination system for the country. The geography syllabus included a large amount of human geography, for example, including the factors affecting population distributions, the influence of the climate and natural resources on occupations, and commercial geography.

The assessment of cartographic skills featured in every exam in the timeline so far. The question accompanying this map asked candidates to:
"(i) Number the lines of latitude and longitude shewn on the map,
(ii) Number, in degrees Fahrenheit, the January isotherm shewn on the map,
(iii) Insert and name the Alps, the Apennines and the Caucasus,
(iv) Name the islands A, B and C,
(v) Mark by a dot and name Rome, Madrid, Copenhagen,
(vi) Insert and name the rivers Seine, Po, Elbe."

The syllabus contained a large amount of human geography, particularly concerning farming and industry around the world. However, questions on physical geography remained.

In reference to the image shown opposite, candidates were asked to name the type of erosion, describe the features shown in the picture and explain how the features had been produced.

The syllabus required candidates to have knowledge of many industries and the reasons for their decline, as well as growth. The physical geography topics examined also changed.

The question accompanying the map opposite asked candidates to shade and mark the areas of lowest pressure and highest pressure, draw arrows in the boxes to show the direction of the wind in that location and to name the type of front over the British Isles and over southern Scandinavia.

The syllabus was very much focussed on human geography. The section titled "People and the Environment" included resource development, the management of environments and the effects of resource and energy consumption on the world.

In the exam, candidates were presented with two population pyramids; the one of Brazil shown opposite, and one of France. The question asked
"(i) which age band in France contains the most people
(ii) In Brazil 38% of the population is in the 0 - 14 age group. What percentage of the population in France is in this age group?
(iii) Briefly contrast the birth rate and the life expectancy of the two countries."

The shift from mechanical and analogue devices to digital technologies, known as the Digital Revolution, continues to this day. In 2018 OCR's two Geography specifications both focussed on human geography. Students needed to understand geographical diversity through factors such as average income, educational attainment and access to broadband.

Candidates were asked to describe the pattern of superfast broadband coverage shown in the choropleth opposite.