How to Answer a 7 Mark Question (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Extended Response Questions

7 mark questions

• Many students find levelled response questions the hardest to answer in the exam

• Instead of giving points for specific answers, the grade you get is based on how well you answered the question

• Remember that the examiners only want to see that you can use your knowledge from a case study to answer a specific question

• The tips below will help you put your knowledge and understanding into words in a way that gets you the highest marks

  • The 7-mark questions are at the end of each section in paper 1

  • You need to answer a total of three 7-mark questions

  • When you answer a levelled response question, you can get one of 3 levels

Level 1

• 1-3 marks

• Answer gives limited detail

  • 1 simple statement (1 mark)

  • 2 simple statements (2 marks)

  • 3 simple statements (3 marks)

Level 2

• 4-6 marks

• The answer includes a named example and developed statements

• If no named example is given or the example given is inappropriate, the highest mark which can be awarded is a 5

  • 1 developed statement (4 marks)

  • 2 developed statements (5 marks)

  • 3 or more developed statements (6 marks)

Level 3

• 7 marks

• The answer includes a named example with place-specific details

• There are comprehensive and accurate statements

  • 3 or more developed statements + named example with at least one piece of place-specific detail (7 marks)

Answering the 7-Mark Question

• Regardless of the topic, the type of question that you will need to answer will be broadly the same. You will be asked to describe and/or explain

‘For a named country you have studied, explain why the natural population growth rate is low.’

Or 

‘For a named urban area you have studied, describe the problems which are caused by urban sprawl ’

Step 1 

• Read the question carefully and underline the command word. Are you being asked to describe, explain or both?

‘For an area you have studied, describe how coastal erosion is being managed’

• Describe—give details about, outline the characteristics

• Explain why something is the way it is or how it happens

Step 2

• Underline the key words. 

‘For an area you have studied, describe how coastal erosion is being managed’

• In this example, you need to focus on the management of coastal erosion and not on coastal erosion itself

• If you're talking about why coastal management is important, you can talk about erosion rates, but it shouldn't take away from the main point of the question

Step 3

• Plan the information you are going to include. This can be a short list of bullet points. For example:

  • Brief definition of erosion and management 

  • Describe the area you are writing about, e.g. the Holderness coast

  • Where is it?

  • What is the rate of erosion?

  • Why is the rate of erosion so rapid?

  • Describe how the coastal erosion is being managed 

  • Hard engineering: sea wall at Bridlington, groynes at Hornsea

  • Soft engineering: beach replenishment at Withernsea

Step 4 

• Write your answer

  • To achieve 7 marks, you need to write at least 3 detailed statements with a named example and place specific detail

  • Do not make general statements

  • Be specific, for example:

        ‘The sea wall at Bridlington is almost 5 km long and extends along the town’s seafront. It is an example of hard engineering...’

• Ensure that you include place-specific details 

• Place-specific detail is information that is unique to that particular area. In this case, writing about the defences in named places along the Holderness coast is place-specific detail or information about the rate of coastal erosion