Summary of "HOW TO ANSWER A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY 20 MARKERS (A* LEVEL ANSWERS) - Last-minute panic revision!"
Main ideas / lessons (how to answer A-Level Geography 20-mark questions)
Overall purpose of a 20-marker
A 20-marker = an extended “evaluate” question, meaning you must:
- Assess (as in a 12-marker), and then
- Go further by evaluating through:
- comparison
- questioning validity
- considering alternative factors/views
Mindset: 20 markers are like 12 markers with “extra spice”—you still need argument + evidence, but you add evaluation steps.
“Evaluate” meaning (as taught in the video)
“Evaluate” is defined as:
- Doing more than just assessing
- Arguing both sides / multiple views
- Then questioning your arguments (i.e., testing how valid they are)
Spatial and temporal scale (core evaluation tool)
Evaluation should consistently use spatial and temporal scales, such as:
- Long-term vs short-term
- Local vs national vs international
Guiding comparisons suggested:
- Long-term factors are often more significant than short-term ones.
- International/global factors often carry more influence than purely local ones.
Methodology / step-by-step instructions
1) Time management for a 20-marker
- Ideal total time: about 20–25 minutes
- Acceptable range: 25–29 minutes
- Danger zone: 30 minutes or more → stop and move on.
Timing includes:
- ~2 minutes to plan
- ~5 minutes per main body paragraph (3 paragraphs)
2) Planning requirement (do not skip)
- Plan for at least 1 minute
- Plan should be very bare-bones (not detailed), including:
- Intro components (key terms + factors + line of argument)
- Notes of key factors for each main body paragraph
- How you’ll conclude
Optional tactic:
- Track your start time and aim to finish within the planned window.
3) Overall structure (mandatory parts)
Your essay must include:
- Introduction: MUST be included; larger than in 12-mark answers
- Three main body paragraphs: MUST be included
- Conclusion: MUST be included
How to write the Introduction
Include these elements (in this order):
- Define key terms and ideas
- Introduce your arguments/factors/views
- Use a contextual statistic (a “random” relevant figure) to stand out
- Include the spatial/temporal argument early (the “ultimate hack”)
- State how factors operate at different scales (short/long-term; local/global)
Example question referenced in the video:
- “Evaluate the view that Coastal flood risks are increasing mainly because of rising sea levels.”
How to format each Main Body Paragraph
Recommended paragraph design: “2-1 technique”
Use three chunky paragraphs:
- 2 paragraphs supporting the side you want to end up with
- 1 paragraph opposing the side (or vice versa)
Purpose:
- Allows balance, but makes the conclusion easier
- Keeps the essay’s “arching theme” aligned with your intended outcome
Alternative variant:
- If writing 5 paragraphs, you can do 3 vs 2 while keeping the same leaning logic.
Core paragraph template: P-E-E + “evaluation hack”
Each paragraph should follow:
- Point
- State the argument/factor’s relevance to the question
- Explicitly connect to spatial/temporal scale using language like:
- “On one hand…”
- “This is the most significant on a short-term/long-term scale…”
- Evidence
- Provide place-specific detail (don’t overstuff, per the video warning)
-
Explanation
- Explain how the evidence supports your point
- Where appropriate, bring in relevant models/concepts (example given: sustainability-related ideas)
-
Evaluation hack (the key 20-mark difference)
- After assessing, add an extra step:
- Compare your factor to another factor
- Question the validity of your own argument
- After assessing, add an extra step:
Use evaluation language such as:
- “However…”
- “This argument is far too shallow because…”
- “It can be argued that another factor…”
Repeated message from the video: Evaluation = comparison + questioning validity. These comparison lines are what separate 12 from 20.
How to write the Evaluation section inside body paragraphs (the “hack” in practice)
A repeated structure:
- Claim the factor is important at a certain scale
- Back it up with short evidence + explanation
- Then add:
- Validity test: “Is it really only true on that scale?”
- Alternative factor: “Climate change / another factor drives it more overall.”
Short example idea from the video:
- Sea level rise may be a short-term driver of coastal flooding, but climate change (bigger, longer-term, wider impacts) is the overarching cause.
How to write the Conclusion (3-step method)
Conclusion steps
- One line linking to the question
- Decide and state whether the view is:
- agreed with
- disagreed with
- partly true / impartial
- Decide and state whether the view is:
- Reiterate the main points
- Briefly name the most significant factor(s)
- Include scale (short vs long term; local vs global)
- Briefly compare factors and state which comes out on top
- Reinforce evaluation by explaining which factor dominates and why
Time-saving tip:
-
If you’re running out of time, still write the conclusion (even briefly). The video suggests it can “save” marks.
-
Example: if only ~30 seconds remain mid-paragraph, jump to the conclusion.
Key differences between 12-mark and 20-mark answers (explicitly stated)
- 12-marker: often evaluates via significance, especially near the end
- 20-marker: requires comparison throughout the essay, not only at the end
20-marker evaluation requires:
- Repeated comparison between factors
- Explicitly questioning the validity of your argument
- A more developed introduction and conclusion
Feedback received on the exemplar essay (as described by the presenter)
- The essay was “decent,” but to reach higher marks:
- It could assess the scale of social, economic, and environmental impacts for each factor (though this would take longer)
- The conclusion felt a bit rushed
- It could include more explanation, e.g. explicitly linking:
- climate change → sea level rise → flooding
- It could include more explanation, e.g. explicitly linking:
Speakers / sources featured
- Speaker/Presenter: Josh Leong (host of the video; teaches the method)
- Source referenced in content: IPCC (used for an estimate about sea level rise)
Category
Educational
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