Letter 1 - Command Words and Revision Tips (A Level)

 Dear Nephew,

I hope this finds you well and not too buried under revision notes! Your mum mentioned you’re tackling A-Level Geography, and I thought I’d share some hard-won wisdom from my own exam-taking days and teaching the subject. Geography is a brilliant subject—it helps you understand the world we actually live in, not just facts in a textbook. Let me share some practical advice that should help you succeed.

Part 1: The Art of Exam Success

Before the Exam: Preparation is Everything

Master the Command Words

Examiners use specific words that tell you exactly what they want. Learn these like your life depends on it.

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Understanding & Describing

Define – Give the exact meaning of a term.

Example: Define “urbanisation.”

Describe – Say what something is like or what happens, without explaining why.

Example: Describe the distribution of tropical rainforests.

Identify – Pick out key facts or features from a resource or map.

Example: Identify two coastal landforms shown on the map.

Outline – Give the main points or stages briefly.

Example: Outline the steps in the water cycle.

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Explaining & Understanding Processes

Explain – Give reasons or causes; say why or how something happens.

Tip: Use “because,” “this leads to,” or “as a result.”

Example: Explain how longshore drift transports material along the coast.

Suggest – Offer a possible reason or explanation when the answer isn’t directly in the resource.

Example: Suggest one reason why this area has high rainfall.

Examine – Look closely at an issue and discuss its key aspects or implications.

Example: Examine how climate change affects coastal erosion.

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Comparing & Assessing

Compare – Show similarities and differences between two or more things.

Example: Compare the impacts of earthquakes in HICs and LICs.

Contrast – Focus on the differences only.

Example: Contrast constructive and destructive plate margins.

Discuss – Explore both sides of an argument or issue before reaching a conclusion.

Example: Discuss the extent to which human activity influences flooding.

Assess – Weigh up evidence and make a judgement about significance or importance.

Example: Assess the importance of tectonic processes in shaping landscapes.

Evaluate – Judge how effective or valid something is, with evidence and a conclusion.

Example: Evaluate the success of one urban regeneration project.

To what extent – Decide how far you agree with a statement, giving arguments for and against before concluding.

Example: To what extent is globalisation beneficial for all countries?

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Using Resources & Evidence

Analyse – Break information down and look for patterns, relationships or trends.

Example: Analyse the population data shown in Figure 3.

Interpret – Explain the meaning of data, graphs, or maps.

Example: Interpret the climate graph for Cairo.

Calculate – Use numbers to find an exact figure.

Example: Calculate the percentage increase in population.

Use evidence – Support your answer with data, figures or case study facts.

Example: Use evidence from a named example of a tropical storm.

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Forming Opinions

Justify – Give reasons or evidence for a decision or opinion.

Example: Justify your choice of management strategy for this river.

Critically assess / evaluate – Go further than “assess”: consider strengths, weaknesses, and reliability of evidence or ideas.

Example: Critically evaluate the role of technology in managing water scarcity.

Examine the extent to which – Combine analysis, evidence, and a balanced conclusion.

Example: Examine the extent to which migration influences urban growth.

Get these wrong and you’ll write a perfect answer to the wrong question.

The Revision Strategy That Actually Works

Forget highlighting entire pages—that’s just procrastination in disguise. Here’s what works:

1. Active recall: Test yourself constantly. Don’t just read notes; close them and write what you remember

2. Space it out: Review topics after 1 day, then 1 week, then 1 month

3. Case studies are GOLD: You need specific places, dates, figures, names. “A river in Asia” won’t cut it; “The Ganges River in Bangladesh” will

4. Practice past papers: Do them under timed conditions. Mark them harshly.

Let’s look at drainage basins, next time

All the best, Uncle