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OCR GCSE Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free OCR GCSE Geography B (J384) past papers, mark schemes & examiner reports. Decision-making, fieldwork and global issues. 57 resources.

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57 of 57 resources

June 2023

13 files

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Modified papers

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world resource booklet

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration resource booklet

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society resource booklet

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – People and society

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Geographical exploration

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – Geographical exploration

Examiner Report

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Our natural world

Mark Scheme

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – Our Natural world

Examiner Report

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – People and society

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June 2022

13 files

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Modified papers

Modified Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world resource booklet

Question Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration

Question Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society

Question Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration resource booklet

Question Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society resource booklet

Question Paper

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – People and society

Mark Scheme

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world

Question Paper

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Geographical exploration

Mark Scheme

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – Geographical exploration

Examiner Report

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Our natural world

Mark Scheme

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – Our Natural world

Examiner Report

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report – People and society

Examiner Report

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November 2021

10 files

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Modified papers

Modified Paper

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world

Question Paper

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Geographical exploration

Mark Scheme

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Our natural world

Mark Scheme

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – People and society

Mark Scheme

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November 2020

13 files

📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Geographical exploration resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – People and society resource booklet

Question Paper

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📄

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Question paper – Our natural world

Question Paper

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📋

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Modified papers

Modified Paper

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Geographical exploration

Mark Scheme

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report

Examiner Report

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report

Examiner Report

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📊

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Examiners’ report

Examiner Report

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – Our natural world

Mark Scheme

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✅

Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Mark scheme – People and society

Mark Scheme

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Unknown

1 file

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Our natural world

Sample Assessment Materials

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No date

7 files

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – People and society

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Taster booklet

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Guide to assessment: Geographical exploration

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Guide to assessment: Our natural world

Sample Assessment Materials

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Guide to assessment: People and society

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Geographical exploration

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Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) – Guide to assessment objectives

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OCR Geography B (J384): Decision-Making Exercises, Enquiry Questions, and the Synoptic Challenge

OCR GCSE Geography B: Geography for Enquiring Minds (J384) is built around the principle that geography should be driven by questions, not just content. Each topic area is framed as an enquiry — for example, 'Why are natural hazards becoming an increasing threat?' or 'Can the challenges of urbanisation ever be fully overcome?' — which shapes both the teaching and the assessment. Paper 1, Our Natural World, covers physical geography: global hazards, changing climate, distinctive landscapes (coasts, rivers and glaciation), and sustaining ecosystems. It lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and is worth 60 marks (30%). Paper 2, People and Society, covers human geography: urban futures, dynamic development, and the UK in the 21st century. It has the same format: 1 hour 15 minutes, 60 marks, 30%. The specification's flagship is Paper 3, Geographical Exploration — a synoptic, decision-making paper worth 80 marks (40%). Students receive a resource booklet containing maps, data, articles, and photographs about a real geographical issue, then must analyse the resources, evaluate different options, and recommend a course of action. This paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and tests the full range of geographical skills. All three papers are single tier, graded 9–1. Fieldwork is examined through Paper 3 rather than assessed separately.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1

Our Natural World

⏱ 1 hour 15 minutes🎯 60 marks📊 30% of grade

Global hazards — tectonic and atmosphericChanging climate — evidence and responsesDistinctive landscapes — coasts, rivers and glaciationSustaining ecosystems

Paper 2

People and Society

⏱ 1 hour 15 minutes🎯 60 marks📊 30% of grade

Urban futures — growth and sustainabilityDynamic development — inequality and aidUK in the 21st century — economy and environment

Paper 3

Geographical Exploration

⏱ 1 hour 30 minutes🎯 80 marks📊 40% of grade

Decision-making exercise with resource bookletFieldwork methodology and evaluationSynoptic geographical skills

Key Information

Exam Board	OCR
Specification Code	J384
Qualification	GCSE
Grading Scale	9–1
Assessment Type	3 written exams (no coursework)
Tiers	None (single tier)
Number Of Papers	3
Exam Duration	1h15m (Papers 1 & 2), 1h30m (Paper 3)
Total Marks	200 (60 + 60 + 80)
Calculator Status	Calculator allowed in all papers
Total Resources	57

Key Topics in Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1)

Topics you need to know

Global hazards — tectonic events and tropical stormsClimate change — evidence, mitigation and adaptationDistinctive landscapes — processes and landformsUrban futures — sustainable cities and challengesDynamic development — causes and responses to inequalityDecision-making and geographical enquiry skills

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Describe	State the main features or patterns shown in a resource
Explain	Give geographical reasons for a process, pattern or outcome
Assess	Weigh up evidence, considering multiple perspectives and reaching a judgement
Evaluate	Judge the effectiveness, sustainability or importance of a strategy or approach
Justify	Give evidence-based reasons to support a decision or recommendation
Suggest	Apply geographical knowledge to propose an answer for an unfamiliar situation

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
Grade 9	74–84%
Grade 8	63–73%
Grade 7	53–62%
Grade 6	44–52%
Grade 5	36–43%
Grade 4	28–35%
Grade 3	20–27%
Grade 2	12–19%
Grade 1	~5–11%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across three papers (200 total marks). Actual boundaries vary by series — check OCR's website.

Cracking the Decision-Making Paper: OCR Geography B's Most Distinctive Challenge

Paper 3 is where this specification stands apart. The decision-making exercise gives you a resource booklet about a real geographical issue and asks you to recommend a solution. Practise by reading unfamiliar case studies and identifying: who are the stakeholders? What are the trade-offs? What geographical evidence supports each option? Your recommendation must be justified with data from the booklet, not just your personal opinion. For Papers 1 and 2, learn the enquiry questions that frame each topic area. The exam questions are often phrased using the exact enquiry wording from the specification, so knowing these questions helps you anticipate what will be asked and structure your revision accordingly. Resource booklets accompany Papers 1 and 2 as well as Paper 3. Build the habit of annotating resources before you answer — circle key data, underline trends, and note anomalies. This annotation becomes the evidence you weave into your response. The 8-mark 'evaluate' questions in Papers 1 and 2 follow a consistent format: you are given a statement and asked how far you agree. Use the PEE+J structure — Point, Evidence, Explanation, plus a final Judgement — to ensure your answer reaches a conclusion rather than simply listing points.

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OCR GCSE Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1) Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download Past Papers

June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

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OCR Geography B (J384): Decision-Making Exercises, Enquiry Questions, and the Synoptic Challenge

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in Geography B (Geography for Enquiring Minds) (9-1)

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

Cracking the Decision-Making Paper: OCR Geography B's Most Distinctive Challenge

More OCR GCSE Subjects

Gateway Science Suite

Twenty First Century Science Suite

Mathematics (9-1)

Mathematics

History

History B (Schools History Project) (9-1)

Physics

Chemistry

Geography

History A (Explaining the Modern World) (9-1)

Biology

Religious Studies (9-1)

Classical Greek (9-1)

Classical Civilisation (9-1)

Latin (9-1)

English Language (9-1)

English Language

Geography A (Geographical Themes) (9-1)

English Literature (9-1)

English Literature

Citizenship Studies (9-1)

Ancient History (9-1)

Physical Education (9-1)

Economics (9-1)

Business (9-1)

Business

Psychology (9-1)

Design and Technology (9-1)

Music (9-1)

Drama (9-1)

Drama

Food Preparation and Nutrition (9-1)

Computer Science (9-1)

Computer Science

Media Studies (9-1)

Art and Design (9-1)

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