The 2026 Paper 2 examiner report gives a mixed but generally encouraging picture. Most students attempted the questions, and the paper provided opportunities for students across the ability range to gain marks. The time available also seemed appropriate.
There were some clear strengths. Students showed good knowledge of places, case studies and current geographical issues. However, too many answers remained general. For example, a student might know that tourism creates jobs and brings money into an economy, but higher marks depended on explaining how this happened in the place being discussed.
The report also suggests that some aspects of performance have improved since previous examination series. Students were often more confident using figures, case-study material and geographical examples. However, the report does not provide detailed statistical comparisons with earlier years, so this should be viewed as an examiner observation rather than a measured year-on-year increase.
What went well?
There was some impressive place-based knowledge in the answers. Students used a wide range of UK cities in Questions 01.8 to 01.10, while the Olympic Park in London and Shell in Nigeria were popular, well-known case studies.
Students also showed a good understanding of several important Paper 2 themes. These included:
waste and congestion in LIC/NEE cities;
- carbon footprints and renewable energy;
- climate-related issues;
- the multiplier effect;
- global trade and political relationships;
- wider issues involving conflict, geopolitics and trade blocs.
It was also encouraging that students generally attempted the questions. Even brief or uncertain answers sometimes contained enough relevant geography to gain marks.
Graphical skills were mostly secure. When students linked the information in a figure to their own knowledge, the results were often effective. This was particularly noticeable in the longer questions, where the strongest answers combined evidence from the figure with a named example and then reached a clear judgement.
What still needs attention?
The biggest problem was the number of generic answers. References to “tourism”, “jobs”, “money” and “the multiplier effect” appeared repeatedly, but were not always explained in enough detail.
For example, simply stating that tourism creates jobs does not explain how it might reduce the development gap. A stronger answer would show how tourist spending creates employment, increases incomes, encourages investment and may generate further spending through the multiplier effect. It might also recognise that leakage or low-paid work can reduce the benefits received by the host country.
Some students knew their case studies well but did not use them closely enough. They included memorised information without explaining how it answered the question. Others used a figure or their own case study, but failed to combine the two. The report makes clear that simply repeating information from a figure or reproducing a pre-learned case-study answer limits the marks available.
Students also made some avoidable geographical skills errors. Students lost marks through:
- incomplete graphs and choropleth maps;
- mistakes with percentages;
- failing to describe the full distribution shown on a map;
- giving only one side of a comparison;
- not identifying the correct type of service-industry job.
Some answers also drifted from the question’s precise focus. In Question 01.7, for example, students sometimes described the impacts of poor air quality rather than the challenges involved in managing it. In Question 03.5, some missed the link to the UK and failed to explain why energy security was becoming increasingly important.
The 9-mark questions showed a similar divide. The strongest answers used detailed case studies, applied the figure and developed a balanced argument. Weaker answers relied on rehearsed material or made broad claims that could have applied to almost any place.
In Question 01.10, tourism was sometimes presented as a solution to nearly every social and economic problem in a UK city. In Question 02.11, some students wrote a prepared answer about a multinational company but did not use the information in the figure or fully evaluate the advantages and disadvantages.
What should students work on?
Students need to become more selective about the knowledge they use. Before writing, they should ask themselves:
- What exactly is the question asking me to explain?
- Which part of the figure is relevant?
- What named place or case study could help?
- How does this example support my point?
- Have I explained how or why the process works?
- It is also worth practising the difference between a general statement and a developed geographical explanation.
For example:
Tourism creates jobs.
is a valid starting point, but it is not a developed explanation. A stronger answer might continue:
Tourism creates jobs in hotels, restaurants and transport services. This increases household incomes and can lead to further spending in local shops, although some profits may leave the country if businesses are owned by overseas companies.
Students should also continue practising percentages, graph completion and map interpretation. These questions often provide accessible marks, so errors in these areas are particularly costly.
In longer answers, students should use the figure and their own knowledge together. They should avoid writing one paragraph about the figure followed by a separate paragraph containing a memorised case study. The two should be connected throughout the answer.
The main message
Students generally know a great deal of relevant geography. The problem is that they do not always apply this knowledge to the question in front of them.
The strongest responses were specific. They named places, used accurate examples, explained geographical processes and made clear links to the figure. Students who can replace general statements such as “it creates jobs and money” with precise explanations are likely to make the greatest progress in Paper 2.
What next?
Take a look at the summary feedback for other exam papers:
- AQA GCSE Geography Paper 1 feedback
- AQA GCSE Geography Paper 2 feedback
- AQA GCSE Geography Paper 3 feedback
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