If you love learning about the world around you, geography could be a great option for A Level. But… is Geography A Level hard?

Well, it’s generally seen as being somewhere in the middle when it comes to difficulty – but in reality, it’ll all depend on what kind of learner you are. Here’s the full story.

Psst! Finding a Geography A Level tutor is a great way to make sure you can keep up with your class and reach your full potential in the exams.

What is geography at A Level like?

When you study geography at A Level, you’ll study two distinct areas:

1. Physical geography
2. Human geography

Physical geography is all about understanding the forces that shape our natural environment – from the water cycle to natural hazards and ecosystems.

On the other hand, human geography is focused on getting to grips with how global systems operate and interact. That means you’ll look at things like governmental systems, resource management, migration and population changes.

You’ll usually sit between two and four papers at the end of the course (depending on your exam board) to test your understanding and analytical skills. These will include both short-answer questions and longer essay-style questions.

However, you’ll also need to complete practical fieldwork to give you a chance to put what you’ve learned into practice.

Depending on which exam board you’re with, this might be assessed in the form of coursework. Or, you might have to answer questions about fieldwork in your exam papers.

Is A Level Geography hard?

Geography is typically seen as somewhere in the middle when it comes to difficulty levels.

It’s certainly not easy (although of course, A Levels aren’t supposed to be!). But according to FFT Education Datalab, it has a decent pass rate – with 98.3% of students receiving a grade E or above in 2024.

Fewer students tend to reach the top grades in geography compared to some other subjects – as an example, around 24.8% of students in 2024 got at least a grade A in this subject, compared to 27.8% across all A Level subjects.

However, the difference isn’t huge, so don’t let that put you off.

In reality, it’s impossible to say exactly how hard you’d find A Level Geography as it’ll all depend on your interests, skillset, learning style and work ethic.

Here are some of the aspects that learners often find more challenging in this subject.

Quantity of content

Many students find it challenging to keep up with the large amount of content covered in the course.

You’ll learn about a broad range of subjects covering both physical and human geography. And you’ll need to be able to memorise specific details – including physical processes and case studies.

This will test both your memory and your time management skills, as you’ll need to plan ahead to ensure you have time to learn all you need to ahead of the exams.

Application

A Level Geography won’t just test your memory. As well as learning the information, you’ll need to be able to effectively apply it in lots of different contexts.

This includes developing skills in data analysis.

In this way, your understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject will be truly put to the test.

Mathematical skills

On that note, if you’re not strong in maths, you might find some aspects of the Geography A Level course tricky.

Don’t get us wrong, you’re not going to be learning about trigonometry or Pythagoras’ Theorem – and there’s no need to study A Level Maths to succeed in this subject. 

However, you will need to get comfortable with wrapping your head around statistical concepts and analysing data.

Essay writing

Last but not least, you’ll also need to build your essay-writing skills to succeed in this subject.

Some essays could be worth 20 marks or more, which means you’ll need to be able to craft robust and coherent arguments to walk the examiner through your thought process.

This can be a big step up from GCSE but you’ll have time to develop these skills over the course of your A Level studies.

Is geography a good A Level?

Yes, geography is a good A Level to have.

It’s academically rigorous and is well respected by universities – meaning it can be an excellent stepping stone for your further studies and career.

But that’s not all. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider studying A Level Geography.

Why study A Level geography

• Develop valuable skills. Studying geography will help you to develop a versatile skillset that includes communication skills, critical thinking and data handling.

• Gateway to higher education. Geography is seen as a facilitating subject, which means it’s highly regarded by universities.

• Career opportunities. Studying geography can open up doors to a range of careers, from environmental science to urban planning and international relations.

• Complement other subjects. Geography perfectly complements a range of other A Level choices, such as economics, sociology, biology and physics.

• Enjoy your studies! If you love learning about the world around you – from the physical side to the human aspect, geography could be right up your street.

How to pass A Level Geography

A Level Geography has its challenges, but many students find they’re able to navigate these challenges successfully.

Here are our top tips for passing this subject with the highest grade possible.

1. Know what to expect

First things first, it’s important to know exactly how you’re going to be assessed in A Level Geography.

This way, you can make sure to cover every element in your preparation. 

Each exam board will work a bit differently. However, regardless of which you’re with, you’ll have to complete a piece of fieldwork and sit at least two exams at the end of the course.

Check exactly what will be covered in each paper to lower your exam fear knowing that there won’t be any unexpected surprises on exam day.

2. Start revision early

It can be tempting to leave your Geography A Level revision until just a few months – or even weeks – before the exams.

But you’ll get the best results if you start early.

After all, there’s a lot to learn. And this way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.

In particular, try to get your case studies down early. This will give you a solid foundation when it comes to demonstrating your understanding in both exams and essays.

3. Use tricks to help facts stick

You’ll need to memorise a lot of information ahead of your A Level Geography exams.

We’re talking details about various physical processes, case studies and stats.

Make sure to try several different revision techniques and make the most of geography resources to find what helps you retain all that content the best.

For instance, you could try mind maps, flashcards or even recording yourself reading your revision notes and listening to it back.

Take a look at our guide to different learning styles for help understanding which methods might suit you best.

4. Get the help of a tutor

Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the various aspects of your Geography A Level, nothing beats one-to-one attention.

A Geography A Level tutor is an experienced professional who’ll know how to help you fulfill your potential. In fact, many are trained teachers and examiners too!

Your tutor will create tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style. 

In this way, they’ll help to prepare you fully for each assessment and will be able to guide you to the best marks possible. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!

5. Make choices that align with your interests

For the fieldwork aspects of the course, you’ll have some choice over what topics you explore.

We’d always recommend choosing topics that you’re actually interested in – and that align with your skillset.

This will make the process way more enjoyable for you – so you actually want to put in the work.

Plus, you’ll be playing to your strengths, which will give you the best chance of reaching those higher grades.

6. Make the most of Geography A Level past papers

Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your A Level Geography exams.

Not only will they familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing. But they’re also a fantastic chance to practise crafting well-structured essays and honing your data analysis skills.

Better still, when you answer past papers under timed conditions, they’re an opportunity to practise managing your time and dealing with exam pressure – which can boost your confidence and reduce exam stress when the big day rolls around.

Just bear in mind that marking your own answers to essay questions can be a challenge.

That’s why we’d always recommend getting a teacher or tutor to mark your practice papers for you. This will give you a real understanding of the areas you need to work on most before the real thing.

7. Don’t panic!

Last but not least, don’t panic. 

Work through the exam paper calmly and methodically on the day, and read each question twice to be absolutely certain you’ve understood it properly. The last thing you need is to make any silly mistakes!

With hard work and the right support, we believe you can achieve anything.

Find an A Level Geography tutor to bring the subject to life

To give yourself the best chance of passing your Geography A Level with flying colours, why not find an A Level tutor to support you every step of the way?

A Geography A Level tutor will give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, to help you hone your skills and practise applying your knowledge in an exam situation.

From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, and help you reach your full potential.

FAQs

Is geography one of the hardest A levels?

No, geography is typically seen as being somewhere in the middle when it comes to difficulty. However, how hard you find it will all depend on your skillset, work ethic and learning style.

What is the hardest subject in A level?

Further Maths is generally accepted to be the hardest A Level subject, as it’s designed to be even harder than A Level Maths. That said, a whopping 58.4% of students got a grade A or above in this subject in 2024 (according to FFT Education Datalab) – which is exceptionally high.

Is A level Geography harder than GCSE?

Yes! A Level Geography is a big jump up from GCSE. But don’t forget, it’s supposed to be.

After all, ‘A Level’ stands for ‘Advanced Level,’ so these courses are deliberately designed to stretch you and give you a much deeper understanding of a subject.

What is the easiest subject in A level?

No two learners are the same, so it’s impossible to say for sure which will be the easiest A Level subject for you.

However, subjects like business, film studies and media studies are generally considered to be less academically rigorous.

Keen to compare a range of subjects for difficulty? Read our guides on how hard a range of A Level subjects are, including:

• Politics A Level
• Economics A Level
• History A Level 
• Chemistry A Level
• Physics A Level
• Biology A Level
• Psychology A Level
• Maths A Level
• Further Maths A Level
• English Literature A Level
• English Language A Level

Or head over to our guide on A Level pass rates by subject to compare how the grades are distributed.