3.3.1 Issue Evaluation — Overview

Issue evaluation is the decision-making element of AQA GCSE Geography Paper 3. Students are given a pre-release resources booklet 12 weeks before the exam and must use it, plus their own geographical knowledge, to evaluate a contemporary geographical issue and make a decision.

What is issue evaluation?

Issue evaluation tests your ability to:

1. Interpret and analyse information from a variety of sources (maps, graphs, photographs, written text, statistics)
2. Apply your wider geographical knowledge to the issue
3. Evaluate different viewpoints and options
4. Make and justify a decision about the best course of action

Structure of the Paper 3 issue evaluation section

The issue evaluation appears in the first section of Paper 3. Questions move from lower-order (reading sources) to higher-order (evaluating options, making a decision). The 9-mark and 12-mark questions require extended argument.

How to approach the decision-making question

The key decision question asks you to choose between (usually) 3 options and justify your choice:

Structure (SEC):

• Statement: state your choice clearly
• Evidence: use data from the booklet AND your own geographical knowledge
• Counter-argument: acknowledge limitations of your choice and briefly reject alternatives

Examiners reward: accurate use of data; application of geographical concepts; balance (acknowledging downsides before justifying your choice).

Using the pre-release resources booklet

Twelve weeks before the exam you receive a booklet about a real-world geographical issue (e.g. development of a coastal area, management of a tropical environment, urban change). Prepare by:

• Annotating the booklet thoroughly
• Doing additional research on the geographical context
• Practising writing decision-making answers using the booklet materials

Exam focus

• Know the booklet inside out — every source
• Practise SEC structure for the decision-making question
• Connect booklet material to relevant course content (e.g. if booklet is about coastal management, revise coastal processes)