Free AQA GCSE Geography (8035) Exam Questions and Answers
AQA GCSE Geography (8035) is AQA's GCSE Geography qualification, specification 8035, taken in England. The questions here come from AQA's published question papers from November 2020 to June 2025, plus its specimen papers, with answers and marking guidance taken from AQA's own mark schemes. Written-answer questions let you work out your answer and then reveal what the mark scheme accepts; diagrams, graphs and source material appear with the questions that use them.
Candidates comparing AQA GCSE Geography (8035) exam dumps, ExamTopics and other practice tests use this page for the answers and explanations behind each question. Download the free PDF, then sit the timed exam simulation before booking with AQA.
Last updated: October 10, 2026
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Question #1
Which one of the following events is not an example of a natural hazard?
Correct answer: D
Explanation
One mark. No credit if two or more answers are shaded.
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Question #2
Study Figure 1, a map showing the track of Hurricane Dorian in August and September 2019. Using Figure 1, which one of the following statements is true?
Correct answer: C
Explanation
One mark. No credit if two or more answers are shaded.
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Question #3
Study Figure 1, a map showing the track of Hurricane Dorian in August and September 2019. Using Figure 1, measure the distance travelled by Hurricane Dorian at hurricane force. ____ km
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: Any value between 2600 and 3200 km.
Explanation
2 marks for any value from 2600 to 3200 km. 1 mark for 2400–2599 km or 3201–3400 km.
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Question #4
Study Figure 2, a satellite image showing Hurricane Dorian over The Bahamas on 1 September 2019. Using Figure 2, identify two features of Hurricane Dorian.
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: Two separate features, e.g. a (largely) circular shape; bands of swirling or spiralling cloud; a central eye with no cloud; anti-clockwise rotation.
Explanation
1 mark for each of two separate features. Accepted features: (largely) circular shape; bands of swirling, dense, circling or spiralling cloud (max 1 for cloud description); clouds more extensive to the east of the eye than the west; anti-clockwise rotation; a central circular eye with no cloud; eye wall or vortex; use of the scale, e.g. 600–1100 km across; a locational feature evident from the map, e.g. north of the Bahamas or east of the USA (max 1 for location). No credit for clockwise rotation, for heading north west, for vague locations or for the northern hemisphere. Do not accept 'cloud' or 'lots of cloud' alone.
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Question #5
Study Figure 3, a divided bar graph showing the total number of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes between 2014–2019. Use the data from the following table to complete Figure 3. | Year | Number of tropical storms and hurricanes scale 1–2 | Number of hurricanes scale 3 and above | | 2018 | 13 | 2 |
Type your answer, then reveal.
Correct answer: Bar for 2018 plotted to a total of 15, divided into 13 (scale 1–2) and 2 (scale 3 and above), with different shading for each part.
Explanation
1 mark for accurately plotting the total of 15. 1 mark for the correct proportion (13:2) with obviously different shading. Alternatively, 1 mark for accurately plotting 13 with correct shading. Allow 2 marks if both lines are plotted correctly and only the bottom part is shaded. Horizontal lines should not touch the grid lines. Any width of bar is allowed.
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Question #6
Study Figure 3, a divided bar graph showing the total number of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes between 2014–2019. Suggest one reason for the increase in the total number of tropical storms and hurricanes shown in Figure 3.
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Correct answer: Rising sea temperatures, linked to climate change or global warming, so more places are above 27 °C.
Explanation
1 mark for one reason: rising sea temperatures; climate change; longer storm season; more places above 27 °C; global warming or the greenhouse effect; improved recording of weather events. No credit for simply stating that the number of hurricanes is increasing.
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Question #7
Outline one way that planning can reduce the impact of tropical storms.
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Correct answer: Preparing evacuation plans and centres tells people where to go, which minimises loss of life and injury. (Other developed planning strategies are also accepted.)
Explanation
Credit only one developed strategy: 1 mark for the strategy and 1 mark for a developed point. Examples: Hurricane Preparedness Week or evacuation plans, so people know what to do and loss of life is minimised; disaster supply kits, so people have what they need; evacuation centres, so people know a safe place to go; storing loose objects, storm shutters or hurricane straps, to prevent damage and injury from flying objects; removing trees or loose branches near buildings; restricting building in risk areas, to limit people and buildings exposed to storm surges and flooding; coastal flood defences such as levees and flood walls, to reduce storm surge impact; early warning systems (e.g. Bangladesh), reducing deaths; stocking up on food and water, as people may be housebound; storm-proof houses, to protect against strong winds. A warning alone gets 1 mark. Long-term protection strategies are allowed as planning.
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Question #8
Study Figure 4, photographs showing some of the impacts of extreme weather in the UK. 'UK weather is becoming more extreme.' Do you agree? Use Figure 4 and your own understanding.
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Correct answer: A balanced judgement (fully agree, partially agree or disagree) supported by Figure 4 (moorland fires and flooding, which the text suggests are becoming more common) and own examples, e.g. Storms Ciara/Dennis 2020, Beast from the East 2018, Cumbria 2009, Somerset Levels 2014, Shrewsbury 2020; UK temperature up 1°C since 1980, hotter summers and drought risk, heavier winter rainfall increasing river flooding; link to climate change; note that a few events don't prove a trend and weather is variable.
Explanation
6 marks: 3 for geographical understanding of evidence for extreme weather in the UK, 3 for applying it to make a judgement. Level 3 (5–6): developed, supported judgement with appropriate use of Figure 4 (direct or inferred) and specific own understanding. Level 2 (3–4): linked statements with some elaboration, some use of Figure 4 and/or own understanding, reasonable judgement. Level 1 (1–2): simple or listed points, mostly taken from Figure 4, limited judgement. Credit: fires linked to higher temperatures and lack of rain (ignition often human); floods linked to persistent heavy rain; economic, social and environmental impacts; need for long-term trends; causes and links to global climate change; Met Office evidence of more extreme events but great variability.
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Question #9
Explain why earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place along destructive plate margins.
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Correct answer: At destructive margins two plates move towards each other and the denser oceanic plate is subducted beneath the continental plate into the mantle. Plates stick and pressure builds up, then the rock fractures and the pressure is released as an earthquake. The subducting plate melts, magma rises through the mantle and crust and erupts as a volcano. Slab pull (the sinking dense plate pulling the rest along) is also accepted.
Explanation
4 marks: 2 for knowledge (AO1) and 2 for understanding (AO2). Level 2 (3–4): clear reasons. Top of Level 2 needs explanation of both earthquakes and volcanoes; low Level 2 for a clear explanation of just one. Level 1 (1–2): simple statements with limited understanding. Collision boundaries are allowed: two continental plates colliding cause pressure and strain, giving an earthquake. No credit for explanations about constructive or conservative margins.
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Question #10
To what extent do the effects of a tectonic hazard vary between areas of contrasting wealth? Use one or more named examples in your answer.
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Correct answer: An evaluated answer using named examples of a tectonic hazard in contrasting-wealth areas, e.g. L'Aquila, Italy 2009 (magnitude 6.3, about 300 killed, over 60 000 homeless) against Gorkha, Nepal 2015 (magnitude 7.8, over 8000 killed, over 1 million homeless). Effects vary with how well a country can predict, protect against, prepare for and recover from the hazard, which is linked to wealth. Wealthier areas tend to recover faster. However, magnitude may matter more than wealth (Nepal's quake was about 31 times more powerful).
Explanation
9 marks: 3 for knowledge (AO1), 3 for understanding (AO2) and 3 for application/evaluation (AO3), plus up to 3 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Level 3 (7–9): detailed, well-developed, reasoned evaluation of the extent of variation, with accurate terms and detailed examples. Level 2 (4–6): linked or elaborated statements, outlines the effects, may start to evaluate, some examples. Level 1 (1–3): simple or generic statements, limited evaluation, may lack examples. Maximum Level 1 for effects of a non-tectonic hazard such as tropical storms, unless the effects apply to both. Maximum Level 2 if no named example. Credit only effects, not causes. Responses may be included if linked to impacts. Any examples with differences in wealth are accepted. Effects can be grouped as social, economic and environmental, or primary and secondary, short-term and long-term. Credit arguments against wealth being the controlling factor. SPaG: 3 for high performance, 2 for intermediate, 1 for threshold, 0 for none or below threshold.
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