What is Question 5?
The challenge: Answer questions about YOUR OWN two fieldwork enquiries completed during your GCSE course.
Physical Geography Enquiry
River, coastal, ecosystem, weather, climate, etc.
Human Geography Enquiry
Urban, settlement, culture, resource, development, migration, etc.
What you must do:
- Justify why you chose specific methods
- Assess suitability of locations
- Evaluate reliability of your data
- Draw evidenced conclusions
- Reach reasoned judgment about validity
Mark Allocation
| Mark Band | Assessment Objective | What's tested | Example marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short answers | AO3 Justification | Why you chose methods, explain decisions | 2-3 marks each |
| Medium answers | AO3 Assessment | Assess suitability, weigh strengths/weaknesses | 6 marks |
| Extended answer | AO3 Evaluation | Full evaluation of conclusion validity | 9 marks |
| SPaG | Written communication | Spelling, punctuation, grammar | 3 marks |
| TOTAL | 24 + 3 = 27 marks | ||
The "Geography of Anywhere" Trap
This is the #1 mistake students make in Q5. Avoid it at all costs.
Writing an answer that is so generic it could apply to ANY student, ANY location, ANY enquiry. Examiners can tell immediately you're not thinking specifically about YOUR enquiry.
"In my physical geography enquiry, I measured river velocity to test whether it increases downstream because rivers are important for understanding hydrology."
No location mentioned (could be any river)
Generic purpose (could be any enquiry)
No specific hypothesis or methodology
No evidence you've done this enquiry
"We used questionnaires to collect data about shopping patterns and analyzed the results using percentages."
No location (city? town? shopping center?)
No number of respondents
No specific findings
Could literally be any questionnaire study
Result: 0 marks for being un-evidenced/generic
"In my human geography enquiry at Bristol city centre, specifically comparing Cabot Circus (regenerated 2008, £520M investment) with Broadmead (declining 1950s shopping district), I conducted an EQS using a bipolar -2 to +2 scale across 10 indicators..."
Specific location: Bristol city centre
Specific comparison: regenerated vs declining
Specific technique: EQS, bipolar -2 to +2
Specific results: mean scores, ranges
"In my physical geography enquiry at River Cuckmere, East Sussex (near Exceat Bridge), I investigated how river velocity changes downstream by testing the Bradshaw Model..."
Specific location with grid reference
Specific theory: Bradshaw Model
Specific methodology: 5 locations, 2km section
Specific results: 0.2 m/s to 1.0 m/s
Is this answer too generic (could apply to anyone) or specific (clearly about a real enquiry)?
"I measured river velocity using a flow meter to see if it changes downstream."
What Can Q5 Ask About?
Questions can come from any of 6 strands, but Q5 focuses on justification and evaluation (not Q4's calculations).
Example Question (3 marks):
"Identify one potential risk in your physical geography fieldwork and explain how you reduced the risk"
What examiners want:
- Specific risk in YOUR enquiry context (not generic)
- How YOU actually managed it (not theoretical)
- Why this matters
Structure:
- State specific risk in YOUR location + activity
- Explain precaution YOU took
- Link to potential consequence prevented
Example Answer (3 marks):
"When measuring river velocity at Cuckmere River [context], there was a risk of slipping on algae-covered rocks in the channel [specific risk]. I reduced this by: (1) wearing wellington boots with good grip soles and (2) ensuring at least two students held the person doing measurements [precautions]. Additionally, we stayed minimum 1m from the deepest part where current was strongest [additional safeguard]. This prevented potential drowning/serious injury [consequence]."
Mark breakdown:
1 mark: Risk identified + precaution
1 mark: How precaution prevents consequence
1 mark: Additional detail/precaution
The 9-Mark Extended Answer
Typical Extended Questions (9+3 marks):
- "To what extent did the data you collect allow you to reach valid conclusions about your enquiry?"
- "Evaluate the success of your fieldwork enquiry in answering your research question"
- "Assess the reliability and validity of your conclusion"
Mark Levels for 9-Mark Answers
| Level | Marks | What examiners want |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3 | 7-9 | Thorough application, well-structured argument, specific evidence, evaluative judgment, acknowledgment of limitations, consideration of alternative explanations |
| Level 2 | 4-6 | Reasonable application, some structure, some evidence, limited evaluation, basic judgment |
| Level 1 | 1-3 | Basic/limited application, unclear structure, generic statements, little evaluation, weak judgment |
| 0 | 0 | Nothing worth credit |
9-Mark Answer Structure
Paragraph 1: Introduction (~50 words)
State your enquiry question/hypothesis, location(s) and method, what you found (main conclusion)
Paragraph 2: Strengths (~100 words)
What made your data collection robust? Appropriate methodology? Adequate sample size? Systematic approach? Include specific evidence
Paragraph 3: Limitations (~100 words)
What weakened your data? Sample size too small? Sampling strategy problems? Time/season limitations? Observer bias? Equipment accuracy?
Paragraph 4: Impact on Validity (~75 words)
How did limitations affect your ability to reach valid conclusion? Could alternative explanations exist? How certain/uncertain can you be?
Paragraph 5: Improvements (~50 words)
What would you do differently? Additional data needed? Better methodology? Larger sample?
Paragraph 6: Conclusion (~50 words)
Overall judgment: How valid was your conclusion? 0-10 scale or qualitative. Qualification (e.g., "for GCSE purposes this is sufficient, but...")
Total: ~425-450 words (fits comfortably in exam time + space)
Step-by-step guide to building a top-mark extended answer
The UK should prioritize [X] because...
The UK should prioritize wind power as the primary focus for future energy development.
Don't forget SPaG! 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Leave 2 minutes to proofread your answer.
Common Q5 Mistakes
Generic "Geography of Anywhere"
Describing Instead of Justifying
Not Admitting Limitations
Poor Structure (Especially 9-Marker)
Forgetting SPaG in Extended Answer
Exam Preparation Checklist for Q5
- Exact hypothesis/question for EACH enquiry (word-for-word)
- Specific location names and grid references
- Specific sampling method (random/systematic/stratified)
- Sample size (number of measurements/surveys/locations)
- Main results (mean scores, key statistics, specific numbers)
- Conclusion (hypothesis supported/rejected/partially?)
- Data limitations (what weakened reliability?)
- Why you chose THAT location (not generic reasons)
- Why you used THAT method (advantages over alternatives)
- What geographical theory underpins enquiry
- How data limitations affected validity
- What you'd do differently next time
Section B Summary
| Component | Q4: Unfamiliar | Q5: Familiar |
|---|---|---|
| What you answer | Exam-provided data (NOT your fieldwork) | YOUR two enquiries |
| Marks | 15 | 24 (+3 SPaG) |
| Focus | Apply skills to NEW scenario | Justify YOUR decisions |
| Key principle | HOW / WHAT / ANALYZE | WHY / ASSESS / EVALUATE |
| Biggest mistake | Wrong sampling method, calculation errors | "Geography of anywhere", generic answers |
| Strategy | Systematic, careful, check working | Specific, contextualized, justified |
39 marks
Total Section B (15% of GCSE)
~45 minutes
~15 min Q4, ~30 min Q5
Key Takeaways
Always Include
- Specific location names and details
- Actual numbers and statistics from YOUR enquiry
- WHY you made decisions (justify, don't just describe)
- Acknowledgment of limitations
- Clear overall judgment
Never Do
- Write generic answers that could apply to anyone
- Say "proves" instead of "suggests"
- Forget to link limitations to conclusion validity
- Rush the 9-marker without clear structure
- Ignore SPaG - it's worth 3 marks!
Test Your Knowledge
How many fieldwork enquiries must you complete for GCSE Geography?