The final NSC Geography examination consists of short and long questions. It assesses your understanding of various topics as well as your application of your mapwork knowledge.
Guide
Everything you need to know about Grade 12 Geography
By David Dicks - 4 minute readGeography is a content-heavy subject that explores human and physical environments. This subject requires many skills such as mapwork skills which can be challenging for students. Studyclix is here to make your final examination preparation easier and lighten your load.
In this guide:
Show all sections
What is involved?
The exam
You will undertake two NSC Geography exam papers that are written on separate days and worth 150 marks each. Each paper has a theory and a mapwork section and lasts three hours. As you must sit for the entire duration of the three hours, there is ample time to complete the paper.
Top Tip
It is important to take your time writing down your answers to avoid making silly mistakes.
Paper breakdown
The final geography examination is broken down in the following way:
Paper 1
Section A: Climate and Weather and Geomorphology (Theory) - consists of two questions worth 60 marks each.
Section B: Geographical Skills and Techniques (Mapwork) - consists of one question worth 30 marks.
Paper 2
Section A: Settlement and Economic Geography of South Africa (Theory) - consists of two questions worth 60 marks each.
Section B: Geographical Skills and Techniques (Mapwork) - consists of one question worth 30 marks.
Section breakdown
Section A
- Questions 1 and 2 are based on theory and are worth 60 marks each.
- Each of the two questions will begin with a variety of short/objective-type questions worth 15 marks (the format of these questions will vary). This is followed by 3 sub-questions which are worth 15 marks each.
- Each of the two questions will include a paragraph-type question for 8 marks, i.e. (4 x 2) = (8). The paragraph question may not be answered in bullet point format and will require insight and analytical thinking skills. The paragraph question can be in any of these sub-questions.
- A variety of source materials will be used such as satellite images, synoptic weather charts, graphs, statistics, tables, info-graphics, sketch maps, cartoons, photographs, case studies and newspaper articles.
- You must be able to illustrate all the geographical concepts taught. Illustrations could be simple labelled diagrams/sketches or detailed annotated (with explanatory labels) diagrams/sketches.
- The 15-mark sub-questions content could cover more than one aspect within a broad topic.
Section B
- Question 3 is based on mapwork, i.e. geographical skills and techniques for 30 marks and will be divided as follows: map skills and calculations (10 marks), map interpretation (12 marks) and GIS (8 marks).
- Multiple-choice questions can be integrated into any section of mapwork.
- A 1:50 000 topographic map extract and a 1:10 000 orthophoto map extract will be used for testing purposes.
- Questions 1 and 2 are based on theory and are worth 60 marks each.
- Each of the two questions will begin with a variety of short/objective-type questions worth 15 marks (the format of these questions will vary). This is followed by 3 sub-questions which are worth 15 marks each.
- Each of the two questions will include a paragraph-type question for 8 marks, i.e. (4 x 2) = (8). The paragraph question may not be answered in bullet point format and will require insight and analytical thinking skills. The paragraph question can be in any of these sub-questions.
- A variety of source materials will be used such as satellite images, synoptic weather charts, graphs, statistics, tables, info-graphics, sketch maps, cartoons, photographs, case studies and newspaper articles.
- You must be able to illustrate all the geographical concepts taught. Illustrations could be simple labelled diagrams/sketches or detailed annotated (with explanatory labels) diagrams/sketches.
- The 15-mark sub-questions content could cover more than one aspect within a broad topic.
How to prepare for your geography exam
Know the details of your topics
Knowing the different aspects that will be assessed in each topic will help you focus on the topics being tested and not waste study time on content that will not be tested in your examination. To find a detailed breakdown of the content being tested in each paper, take a look at the examination guidelines here.
Fact and qualifier
Since 2022, should a question have the action verbs, 'explain', 'describe' or 'justify', it means that the question will be marked with the Fact and Qualifier method. This means that you will not be awarded any marks if there is only a ‘fact’ provided.
For example, a ‘fact’ answer such as, “There will be a lot of water”, may look like it answers the question but it does not. There must be a ‘qualifier’ statement attached to the ‘fact’ to validate it. The qualifier statement is the 'why' to the fact provided and it shows that you understand the question and the answer. Your answer will become, “There will be a lot of water because the informal settlement has a lack of drainage infrastructure”. See how that answer is fuller and makes more sense.
If this seems daunting for you to remember, make it a rule of thumb to always answer in full descriptive sentences and provide the qualifier statement, even if you think it is not necessary. When in doubt, provide explanations in your answers.
Know the topic rotation
Economic Geography
The education department rotates content and themes for economic geography on a roster. More specifically, they rotate the topics for IDZs, SDIs, agriculture, mining and core industrial regions.
These topics account for a very large portion of the final NSC examination Paper 2 and knowing these topics could save you a lot of time in studying. Here is the rotation of topics for economic geography:
Important
This is subject to change so double-check with your subject advisor, course content guide or teacher.
Climatology
Mid-latitude cyclones, tropical cyclones and synoptic charts are asked in detail in every NSC exam. Be sure to know these topics well.
Mapwork
It is hard to study for mapwork because there is no way to know which map you will be receiving. Here are some tips for mapwork:
Study all of your calculations, basic map interpretation and all of your GIS definitions.
When answering calculation questions, always show all workings out and units of measurement.
Map interpretation tends to have a large amount of theory-based questions from the economic, settlement and geomorphology sections.
Slow down and take your time to look at the map. When questions point to specific points of interest on the map, be sure to take the time to see why the point of interest is so important.
Be sure you are working on the correct map according to the question. The question will either point to the 'orthophoto' or 'topographical' map.
Bring a magnifying glass to your examination.
Practice past papers
Working through past papers helps you familiarise yourself with question formats and consolidate your knowledge by answering questions. The more papers you practice, the more confident you'll feel in the actual exam. At Studyclix, there are various ways you can access official DBE past papers:
Top Tip
Hit a wall on a question? Feeling lost on a topic? Need some study buddies? Check out our vibrant community page! Students and teachers often share tips, advice, and support to help you ace your studies.
Use flashcards
Learn key concepts and dates through our interactive flashcards.
How do they work?
Click through all of the flashcards you need to know in each topic using the 'previous' and 'next' buttons on the flashcards.
Want to mix it up? Hit the shuffle button. Looking to test yourself again? Do it by hitting restart. You can also share, print or view the full deck. It's all at your fingertips.
Find all the flashcards we have here.
Good luck, you've got this!
By David Dicks
With more than 9 years of teaching experience and experience as a national marker for Geography, David is an expert in advising students on how best to get top grades in the Matric.