Each command word in Higher Geography is a scoring instruction. Understanding what SQA markers expect is critical to earning full marks.
explain5-10 marks per question (often 6 marks in physical/human environments)
Give reasons for why something happens or why a strategy was introduced. Requires a cause-and-effect chain, not a description. For physical processes, trace the sequence from trigger to outcome. For human strategies, state the problem being addressed and how the strategy tackles it.
Common mistake
Describing the feature or strategy rather than explaining the underlying mechanism. Course Reports flag candidates confusing 'explain' with 'comment on the effectiveness' in human-environments questions.
give reasons5-8 marks
Functionally equivalent to 'explain' — provide the causes or justifications behind a pattern, decision, or outcome. Expect to write multiple linked reasons, not a list of unconnected facts.
Common mistake
Listing unconnected facts instead of linking each reason to the outcome. Each reason needs a causal phrase ('because', 'this leads to') to be credited as a developed point.
account for6-8 marks
Explain why a particular pattern, distribution, or outcome exists. Requires identifying the factors responsible and demonstrating how they produce the observed result. Often used for spatial patterns (e.g. account for the distribution of energy production).
Common mistake
Describing the pattern (where it occurs) without explaining the factors that produce it. The marking instructions reward the causal explanation, not the descriptive observation.
evaluate10 marks (Global Issues evaluative questions)
Make a judgement about success, effectiveness, or significance, based on evidence. Present both positive and negative aspects, then reach an overall conclusion. Not a description — every statement needs a supporting judgement.
Common mistake
Listing strategies or outcomes without judging their effectiveness. Course Reports flag generic, vague answers without supporting evaluative case-study evidence as a year-on-year weakness.
discuss10 marks (Global Issues extended-response slot)
Present a range of points from different perspectives — advantages and disadvantages, or multiple causes and effects. Requires breadth and balance, not a one-sided account.
Common mistake
Giving a one-sided account — only advantages or only disadvantages — which caps marks below the highest band. Balance with at least two perspectives is required for full credit.
give map evidenceEmbedded within Application of Geographical Skills (typically 1 mark per piece of specific evidence cited)
Select specific features from the OS map extract — named settlements, roads, contours, land-use symbols — and use them to support a point. Always use six-figure grid references or name features visible on the extract, not symbols from the legend key.
Common mistake
Listing symbols from the legend rather than features visible on the extract. Markers explicitly noted 'fewer candidates gave map evidence in their answers than in previous years'.
to what extent10 marks
Make a judgement about degree — how much, how far, how fully. Requires weighing evidence on both sides and reaching a conclusion that reflects the balance of that evidence. A one-sided answer cannot access the highest mark band.
Common mistake
Failing to reach an explicit overall judgement at the end. A balanced discussion that stops without a conclusion is capped below the top band.
justify4-6 marks (case-study and assignment questions)
Give reasons that support a choice or decision you have made. Often used after a selection question — explain why your chosen option, strategy, or example is appropriate given the context.
Common mistake
Referencing outdated case studies — Course Reports note that high-scoring candidates 'referenced contemporary issues' while those using 1960s–1980s strategies lost marks for relevance.
describe3-5 marks
State what you observe: location, pattern, trend, distribution, or appearance. Do not explain why — that is 'explain'. For graphs and maps, use specific figures and reference points.
Common mistake
Offering only a basic description without quoting specific figures, locations, or trend changes. Markers reward precise data citations — 'many candidates were unable to describe the hydrological cycle beyond a basic description'.
