IGCSE Geography

Course Overview 课程介绍

IGCSE 地理 14-16 岁，三大主题（人口聚落/自然环境/经济发展），无 Core/Extended 分档，A-Level/IB 衔接。

IGCSE Geography is the international GCSE Geography course for students aged 14-16, preparing students for A-Level Geography 9696, IB Geography HL/SL and humanities / urban planning / environmental science pathways. It is organised around three themes (population and settlement, the natural environment, economic development), with strong emphasis on map skills, data interpretation, fieldwork and sustainability argument. There is no Core/Extended tier; all candidates sit the same papers, with the difficulty gradient carried by Paper 4 (alternative to coursework) extended-response questions.

Key Facts 基本信息

Syllabus 章节大纲

Theme 1: Population and settlement

• Core1. Population dynamics
  Population dynamics / birth and death rates / demographic transition model / population policy
• Core2. Migration and population structure
  Migration and population structure / international and internal migration / push-pull factors / population pyramids
• Core3. Settlements and urbanisation
  Settlements and urbanisation / settlement hierarchy / urbanisation and counter-urbanisation / urban issues and management

Theme 2: The natural environment

• Core4. Earthquakes and volcanoes
  Earthquakes and volcanoes / plate tectonics / causes and impacts of hazards / monitoring, warning and response
• Ext5. Rivers and coasts
  Rivers and coasts / fluvial processes and landforms / coastal erosion and deposition / flood management
• Ext6. Weather, climate and vegetation
  Weather, climate and vegetation / climate types / temperate and tropical rainforests / desertification

Theme 3: Economic development

• Core7. Development and food production
  Development and food production / development indicators (HDI) / food security / agricultural types and sustainability
• Ext8. Industry and tourism
  Industry and tourism / industrial location factors / multinational corporations / impacts and management of tourism
• Ext9. Energy, water and environmental risks
  Energy, water and environmental risks / fossil and renewable energy / water resource allocation / environmental costs of development

Core vs Extended Core 与 Extended 区分

0460 不设 Core/Extended 分档，难度由题型与评估深度区分，田野调查/Paper 4 要求最高。

ExtNote: IGCSE Geography (0460 / 0976) has no Core/Extended tier; all candidates sit the same Paper 1, Paper 2 and Component 3 (or Paper 4), graded A*-G or 9-1. Difficulty gradients reflect question type and assessment depth rather than tiering.

Specifically: Paper 1 theme questions cover the 7 sub-topics across the three themes, requiring description, explanation and case-study argument; Paper 2 geographical-skills questions test contour-map reading, graph and photograph analysis, leaning towards skills; Component 3 / Paper 4 (fieldwork or its written alternative) carries the highest evaluative demand. Topic tags here reflect relative difficulty: population dynamics, settlements, earthquakes/volcanoes and development basics are more direct content (core); rivers/coasts, climate/vegetation, industry/tourism and energy/environment involve integrated case studies and evaluation (ext).

Exam Structure (CAIE 0460) 考试结构

Note: All candidates sit Paper 1+2 and choose Component 3 (fieldwork coursework) or Paper 4 (written alternative) for assessment. No Core/Extended choice.

Pathway 适用衔接

衔接 A-Level Geography 9696、IB Geography，人文/城市规划/环境科学建议 A*/9。

IGCSE Geography is the standard preparation for A-Level Geography (CAIE 9696), IB Geography HL/SL and humanities / urban planning / environmental science / earth science pathways. After completing IGCSE Geography, students progress directly to A-Level AS; those with a solid foundation in map skills, comparative case studies and sustainability argument transition more smoothly to advanced A-Level topics (global systems, dynamic geography, human rights and environmental debate) and the independent fieldwork investigation (NEA). For students applying to geography, urban planning, environmental science or geology, an A* or 9 in IGCSE Geography is recommended.