WJECGCSE27 resources

WJEC GCSE Geology Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free WJEC GCSE Geology past papers, mark schemes & examiner reports. Rock types, fossils, Earth processes and fieldwork. 27 resources.

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Type
Year

27 of 27 resources — page 1 of 2

Summer 2023

4 files

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Mark Scheme – Summer 2023

Mark Scheme
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GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology [Resource] – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper
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GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Past Paper – Summer 2023

Past Paper

Summer 2022

4 files

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Mark Scheme – Summer 2022

Mark Scheme
📄

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper
📄

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Past Paper – Summer 2022

Past Paper

Autumn 2020

5 files
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GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology [Resource] – Past Paper – Autumn 2020

Past Paper

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Mark Scheme – Autumn 2020

Mark Scheme
📄

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Past Paper – Autumn 2020

Past Paper
📄

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology [Resource] – Past Paper – Autumn 2020

Past Paper
📄

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Past Paper – Autumn 2020

Past Paper

Summer 2019

5 files

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Mark Scheme – Summer 2019

Mark Scheme

GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Mark Scheme – Summer 2019

Mark Scheme
📋

GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology [ Paper size: A4 Font size: 18] – Modified Paper – Summer 2019

Modified Paper
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GCSE Geology – Comp 1 Geo Principles Written: Geological Principles Written – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper
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GCSE Geology – Comp 2 Investigative Geology: Investigative Geology – Past Paper – Summer 2019

Past Paper

Summer 2018

1 file
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2018

Past Paper

Summer 2016

1 file
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2016

Past Paper

Summer 2015

1 file
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2015

Past Paper

Summer 2014

2 files
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [ Paper size: A4 Font size: ] – Modified Paper – Summer 2014

Modified Paper
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2014

Past Paper

Summer 2013

1 file
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2013

Past Paper

Summer 2012

1 file
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GCSE GEOLOGY WRITTEN PAPER: WRITTEN PAPER [RESOURCE] – Past Paper – Summer 2012

Past Paper

Earth Science, Rock Identification, and Wales's Geological Heritage

WJEC GCSE Geology is one of the rarest GCSE subjects in the UK, offered by very few schools. It provides specialist study of Earth processes, rock types, minerals, fossils, geological hazards, and Earth's history — content that goes far beyond the brief geological coverage in Geography or Science. Component 1 (Geological Principles) is a written examination covering the three rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) and the rock cycle, mineral identification, fossils and geological time, plate tectonics and geological hazards, weathering and erosion, and geological maps and cross-sections. Component 2 (Investigative Geology) includes practical and fieldwork-based assessment testing students' ability to identify rocks and minerals, interpret geological maps, and investigate geological processes. Wales offers an exceptional geological context for this qualification. The Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian geological periods are named after Welsh locations and ancient Welsh peoples. Students can study geological processes using real examples from the Welsh landscape — the volcanic rocks of Snowdonia, the coal measures of South Wales, the limestone pavements of the Gower Peninsula, and the fossils of the Welsh Borderlands. This archive contains 27 resources from Autumn 2020 to Summer 2023, including practical resource materials.

Exam Paper Structure

Component 1Calculator ✓

Geological Principles

Written examination🎯 marks📊 50% of grade
Rock types and the rock cycleMinerals and fossilsPlate tectonics and hazardsGeological maps and cross-sections
Component 2Calculator ✓

Investigative Geology

Practical/fieldwork🎯 marks📊 50% of grade
Rock and mineral identificationFieldwork investigationData analysis and interpretationGeological processes in practice

Key Information

Exam BoardWJEC
QualificationGCSE
Grading ScaleA*–G
Assessment Type1 written paper + practical/fieldwork assessment
Component 1Written exam — Geological Principles
Component 2Investigative Geology — practical and fieldwork
Welsh HeritageCambrian, Ordovician and Silurian periods named after Welsh locations
Available SessionsAutumn 2020 – Summer 2023
Total Resources27

Key Topics in Geology

Topics you need to know

Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocksMineral identificationFossils and geological timePlate tectonics and geological hazardsWeathering, erosion and depositionGeological maps and cross-sectionsWelsh geological heritage

Exam Command Words

Command wordWhat the examiner expects
IdentifyName the rock, mineral, or geological feature shown in the photograph or specimen
DescribeGive a detailed account of a geological process, rock texture, or landscape feature
ExplainGive geological reasons for the formation of a feature, rock type, or landscape
DrawProduce a geological cross-section, diagram, or sketch map with appropriate labels and annotations
SuggestUse geological principles to propose an explanation for an unfamiliar geological feature or scenario
CompareIdentify similarities and differences between rock types, processes, or geological features

Typical Grade Boundaries

GradeApproximate mark needed
Grade A*74–84%
Grade A62–73%
Grade B50–61%
Grade C38–49%
Grade D28–37%

⚠️ Typical boundaries. Geology has a small entry, so boundaries may fluctuate. Actual boundaries vary by series.

Rock Identification Skills, Geological Map Reading, and Understanding Deep Time

Rock identification must be systematic, not guesswork. For each rock, learn: grain size and texture, mineral composition, hardness, colour, and how it forms. Create a dichotomous key: Is it crystalline? → Yes → Are crystals large? → Yes → Granite. This systematic approach is exactly how exam questions are structured and how marks are awarded. Geological maps and cross-sections are tested extensively. Practise reading dip and strike symbols, identifying faults and folds, working out the geological history (principle of superposition, cross-cutting relationships), and drawing cross-sections from map data. The skill of visualising three-dimensional geological structures from two-dimensional maps takes practice — work through past paper map questions until the spatial reasoning becomes intuitive. Geological time is difficult to comprehend but essential. Learn the major eras and periods (Precambrian, Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cenozoic) and the key events associated with each (formation of major rock types, evolution of life, mass extinctions). Using Welsh geological sites as memory anchors helps: Cambrian = Cambria = Wales.

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