Edexcel GCSE Geography B (1GB0) Past Papers 2026
Download free Edexcel GCSE Geography B past papers, mark schemes, Foundation & Higher tiers. 8 exam sessions from 2018–2026.
June 2024
Latest Session
8
Sessions
2018–2026
21
Question Papers
21
Mark Schemes
100% coverage
6
Specimen Papers
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (1GB0/01) | Global Geographical Issues | 94 | 1h 30m | 1.04 | Very high |
| Paper 2 (1GB0/02) | UK Geographical Issues | 94 | 1h 45m | 0.90 | High |
| Paper 3 (1GB0/03) | People and Environment Issues — Making Geographical Decisions | 64 | 1h 30m | 0.71 | Moderate |
Component structure extracted from 3 official Edexcel documents (2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Specimen Papers
Mark Scheme
Specimen-MS---Paper-1-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
Question Paper
Specimen-QP---Paper-1-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
Mark Scheme
Specimen-MS---Paper-2-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
Question Paper
Specimen-QP---Paper-2-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
Mark Scheme
Specimen-MS---Paper-3-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
Question Paper
Specimen-QP---Paper-3-Edexcel-(B)-Geography-GCSE.pdf
How is Edexcel GCSE Geography B examined?
Edexcel GCSE Geography B is examined through 3 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1 (1GB0/01)
94 marksGlobal Geographical Issues
Duration: 1h 30m
Paper 2 (1GB0/02)
94 marksUK Geographical Issues
Duration: 1h 45m
Paper 3 (1GB0/03)
64 marksPeople and Environment Issues — Making Geographical Decisions
Duration: 1h 30m
What Edexcel examiners say about Geography B
Verbatim quotes from 3 official Edexcel examiner reports (2023). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things Edexcel markers flag year after year.
Giving generic answers with no specific located examples…
Generic answers, which could be applied to almost anywhere, rarely advanced beyond Level 1. Candidates should be encouraged to provide evidence to substantiate their writing.
Weak chains of reasoning
'Explain' nearly always means 'say why'. Make sure your initial point is extended. Use connectives such as 'this means that' or 'this is because'.
Ignoring the resource booklet evidence in questions that…
If the question asks you to use evidence from a resource, make sure that you do so.
Most Common Mistakes — Geography B
Based on analysis of 3 official Edexcel examiner reports (2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Giving generic answers with no specific located examples or case study detail
Paper 1, Paper 3 · Flagged across all three papers in 2023 — the single most common reason for answers stalling at Level 1
Weak chains of reasoning — identifying a point but failing to extend it with 'this means that' or 'because'
Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 · Consistently identified in 'explain' and 'suggest' questions across all three papers
Ignoring the resource booklet evidence in questions that explicitly require its use
Paper 2, Paper 3 · One of the most penalised errors on Papers 2 and 3 — repeatedly flagged as a reason for blank or low-scoring responses
Absent or superficial AO3 evaluation — describing issues rather than genuinely weighing them up
Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 · The most common reason answers stall at Level 2 in all 8-mark and 12-mark extended writing questions across all three papers
Misreading command words — especially 'compare' answered with description only
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Highlighted across Papers 1 and 2; 'compare' is the most frequently misunderstood command word
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Percentage change calculations — incomplete methodology and failure to answer to required decimal places
Paper 1 Q1(f)(ii) showed candidates earning only 1 of 2 marks because they worked out how much the GDP would fall but did not subtract this from the 2020 baseline figure to complete the calculation. A separate error was failing to answer to the required number of decimal places on mean calculations in Q2(a)(ii).
Paper 1
Tropical cyclone formation — identifying conditions but not explaining why they matter
In Paper 1 Q1(g), many candidates identified warm sea temperatures (above 26.5°C) and the Coriolis effect but scored only 2 of 4 marks because they did not explain why warm temperatures provide energy for cyclone formation or why the Coriolis effect is necessary to initiate rotation. Identification without mechanism is a recurring gap.
Paper 1
Climate change evaluation — over-weighting human causes without assessing relative significance
Paper 1 Q1(i) found many candidates at lower Level 2 because they listed human causes of climate change without establishing the link to the greenhouse effect mechanism, and barely mentioned natural causes. Level 3 required genuine comparative assessment of whether human or natural causes are more significant, with evidence from both sides.
Paper 1
Urban land use — not knowing the meaning of the term or its determining factors
Paper 1 Q3(c) was identified as one of the more challenging questions, with a significant number of candidates unsure what 'urban land use' meant and instead writing about the general characteristics of urban areas. Those who understood the term correctly explained how land cost and accessibility determine patterns of land use.
Paper 1
Fieldwork methodology — confusing quantitative and qualitative methods, and not knowing all six enquiry stages
Paper 2 Q8(b) and Q9(b) produced lower mean marks because many candidates confused 'quantitative' and 'qualitative' — two terms that are similar in appearance but opposite in meaning. Additionally, many candidates could describe their fieldwork method without knowing the sixth stage of the enquiry process: reflecting critically on data, methods, and conclusions.
Paper 2
Resource booklet synthesis (Paper 3) — reproducing figure content rather than applying own knowledge
Paper 3 Q2(a)(ii) showed that candidates scoring only 2 marks typically reproduced material directly from the figure without adding any geographical understanding. High-scoring answers applied own knowledge of reasons for deforestation or the role of soil nutrients to extend the explanation beyond what was given. Simply restating figure content cannot earn more than partial credit.
Paper 3
Paper 3 12-mark question — only arguing for chosen option and ignoring why alternatives are rejected
The Paper 3 examiner's report notes that answers in the middle of the marking range provided a sustained argument for their chosen option but dismissed alternative options in out-of-hand ways (e.g. 'Option 1 is not feasible because the economy still requires aluminium'). Top-band answers engaged with the evidence for and against each option before reaching a justified conclusion.
Paper 3
Line of best fit drawing — forcing the line through the origin
Paper 1 Q3(b)(i–ii) identified a common error: drawing the line of best fit through (0,0) when the data does not justify this. A correctly drawn line of best fit has roughly equal numbers of plots either side of it, stops at the first or last data point, and does not necessarily pass through the origin.
Paper 1
Edexcel GCSE Geography B — Full Archive 2018–2026
This page contains all 42 Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography B past papers available for free download — 8 exam sessions from 2018 to 2026. Each session includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), and where applicable, marking advice (MA) and insert materials (IN). No registration or payment required.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography B is graded 9–1, where 9 is the highest. Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 is a strong pass. Edexcel is part of Pearson, the world's largest education company, and is one of the three main exam boards in England alongside AQA and OCR.
Some Edexcel GCSE subjects offer Foundation and Higher tiers. Foundation targets grades 5–1 and Higher targets grades 9–4. Paper filenames indicate the tier — always check you're downloading the correct one for your entry. If your subject is untiered, all students sit the same papers regardless of target grade.
Edexcel mark schemes distinguish between method marks (M), accuracy marks (A), and independent marks (B). Even if your final answer is wrong, clear working can earn method marks — so always show your steps. After completing each Geography B past paper under timed exam conditions, mark it against the official scheme and track which topics and question types cost you the most marks. Focusing revision on your weakest areas across 3–5 papers is the most efficient way to improve your grade.
Geography B (1GB0) at other levels
Questions, answered.
PapersDaddy provides 42 free Edexcel GCSE Geography B past papers from 2018–2026. Download question papers and mark schemes as PDF — no registration needed.
We have 42 papers across 8 exam sessions for Edexcel GCSE Geography B. This includes question papers and mark schemes for both Foundation and Higher tiers, plus 6 specimen papers.
Practise with the tier you are entered for. Foundation tier targets grades 5-1. Higher tier targets grades 9-4. If you're unsure, ask your teacher which tier you are entered for. Practising with the wrong tier will not prepare you for the correct question style and difficulty.
QP = Question Paper (the actual exam paper), MS = Mark Scheme (official marking guide with accepted answers), MA = Marking Advice (additional guidance for markers), IN = Insert (source material booklet used during the exam). Download both the QP and MS for each session to practise effectively.