Geography 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• support their answers with detailed evidence from case studies and examples where appropriate
• know a range of primary and secondary fieldwork methodologies
• integrate knowledge from all relevant focus areas when answering questions as some questions may require students to draw on information from more than one focus area
• use the mark value and key terms in each question to guide the depth and detail of the response. For structured extended-response questions, ensure the length and complexity of the response to each part of the question is appropriate for the mark allocation
• review their responses to ensure that they address the question requirements.

Question 16

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify key areas from the topographic map and correctly draw and label areas on the precis map (a)
• label areas that are forest, agriculture and residential correctly (a)
• describe how the use of a précis map of Freiburg could be useful for a geographer (b)
• describe areas of usefulness, including links to sustainability, urban sprawl, development, conducting fieldwork, planning, and transport (b).

Areas for students to improve include: 

• using the key provided and outlining each defined section (a)
• referring specifically to Freiburg in the response (b). 

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify one issue with conducting fieldwork at Site 1 clearly and outline the issue in relation to accuracy, safety, or practicality of data collection (a)
• use the source material in the stimulus booklet and the scenario provided to inform their response
• justify why one appropriate fieldwork method for Site 2 would be suitable for collecting the required geographical data, for example, surveying residents living adjacent to Site 2 is an effective fieldwork method because they have first-hand experience of the boundary between the residential and forest areas, including changes over time, and can provide insights into their use of the forest, human impacts and issues that may not be seen in one fieldwork visit to Site 2 (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• outlining clearly one issue with conducting fieldwork at Site 1, rather than listing a range of issues (a)
• drawing on the fieldwork purpose statement at the beginning of the question to support the justification of the chosen fieldwork method (b).

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of ecosystem value by incorporating information from Source E and/or F and outlining the value shown, for example, recreational value with Source E showing people hiking in the Black Forest and immersing themselves in nature, improving their well-being and physical fitness (a)
• maintain a clear structure that connected one trend to its causes and subsequent effects, for example, habitat loss from urbanisation and agriculture fragments ecosystems, making it difficult for species to survive, resulting in population decline (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing specific features of the Black Forest ecosystem, not just general information (a)
• referring directly to broadsheet material in responses where applicable (a)
• demonstrating understanding that a trend must be something changing over time, not a static pattern (b)
• incorporating case study material that meaningfully relates to the specific demands of the question (b).

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• account for the identity of one place within a large urban settlement, for example, Green Square is Australia's largest, innovative urban renewal project, with a strong focus on sustainability and high-density, integrated community living. Green Square's identity has transformed from a former industrial area to an aspirational, high-density, and highly sustainable suburb (a)
• analyse the links that exist between one place in a rural setting and other places, demonstrating understanding of the implications of these links. For example, Mudgee’s agricultural products, particularly wine, are exported to major centres like Sydney and Melbourne, leading to economic growth, jobs and population increase in Mudgee (b).

Areas for students to improve include: 

• demonstrating understanding that the key word ‘account’ requires reasons for the identity of the place, not just a description of the identity (a)
• demonstrating understanding that the key word ‘analyse’ requires students to identify components and the relationship between them, and draw out and relate implications of the links, not just provide a description of the links(b).

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide characteristics and features of the role of global forums in achieving global sustainability, for example, global forums are meetings where representatives from different countries discuss and negotiate sustainable solutions to global issues such as climate change (a)
• demonstrate understanding that global forums involve collaboration between countries with an outcome of setting frameworks, goals, or recommendations to help achieve global sustainability, for example, the main goal of the Paris Agreement is to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to hold global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels (a)
• provide information on the positive and/or negative effects of one influence on a global economic activity, for example, improvements in transport technology such as the A380 Airbus have impacted tourism and the environment (b)
• compare two strategies for achieving sustainability in a global economic activity, for example, in viticulture the use of organic farming techniques and technologies such as drip irrigation (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding of a global forum and the role of global forums in achieving economic sustainability (a)
• identifying issues created by the chosen influence and providing information about the positive and/or negative impacts that influence has on global economic activity (b)
• recognising what an ‘influence’ on a global economic activity is, for example, discussing the impacts an influence has on tourism as a global economic activity, rather than identifying tourism as the ‘influence’ and discussing the impacts of tourism on people and environments (b)
• showing how two strategies for achieving sustainability in a global economic activity were similar or different, rather than describing the two strategies (c)
• providing a clear and detailed comparison of the two strategies for achieving sustainability in a global economic activity, rather than just using terms such as comparatively or similarly (c).

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• make a judgement of the value, quality, outcomes, results or size of the initiative or project in relation to two pillars of sustainability, with evidence to support the judgement of the success of the initiative or project. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• referring to a specific initiative or project, rather than writing about sustainability action in general, such as halting global warming
• ensuring they include judgement in their response, and do not simply describe the initiative or project.

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline the distinct identity of a city of more than 5 million people outside of Australia, such as Singapore, London, New York or Mumbai (a)
• focus on the key idea of the ‘character’ of the chosen city (a)
• include relevant features, for example, London’s financial hubs (Canary Wharf, the City), multicultural neighbourhoods, and historic urban centres create a complex, layered character (a)
• provide characteristics and features of two distinct challenges in their selected city, for example, housing affordability and traffic congestion, air pollution and transport overload, waste management pressures and sanitation, unemployment and cost of living (b)
• use accurate case study details, for example, New York’s housing crisis where lack of affordable housing has seen average rental costs increased to up to $3,500 per month or São Paulo’s traffic congestion where insufficient public transport resulted in commuters averaging more than two hours of travel each day in their cars (b)
• make a clear judgement on the effectiveness of the strategies to improve the quality of life in their selected city, for example, strategy → evidence → judgement → all linked to improving people's quality of life (c)
• name specific strategies with detailed evaluation and explicit links to Quality of Life (QOL), rather than making general statements, for example, London’s Crossrail Elizabeth Line has greatly improved QOL by reducing east-west travel time by up to 30%, increasing accessibility and reducing peak-hour congestion, which means people could spend more time with their families, or New York’s Vision Zero program has been effective to a certain extent, reducing pedestrian fatalities by 27%, increasing personal safety and community confidence, leading to more people walking, improving their health and wellbeing (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on the key features and the unique character of their chosen city such as cultural identity, economic role, key districts (for example, Shinjuku, Brooklyn, Camden) and social diversity, rather than listing generic facts (a)
• providing distinct examples of challenges, rather than two aspects of the same challenge, such as housing affordability and cost of living or water sanitation and water quality (b)
• providing specific and relevant examples from the city (c)
• using evaluative terms such as 'highly effective, moderately effective, effective to a limited extent' (c)
• linking clearly to how the strategy improves quality of life, for example, the strategy reduces commute times by 20%, improves accessibility and reduces stress, which directly enhances overall wellbeing (c)
• evaluating current strategies, not future ideas (c).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of both:
  • the nature of ecosystem functioning using concepts such as energy flows, nutrient cycling, dynamic equilibrium, feedback loops and relationships between natural systems, and
  • the complexity of ecosystem functioning using concepts such as biodiversity (endemism, niche), interdependence, succession, vulnerability, resilience, and other fluctuations in functioning
• provide a detailed explanation of the cause-and-effect relationships of ecosystem functioning, for example, the effect of disrupted energy flows on biodiversity, the impact of nutrient cycling on ecosystem resilience, or how negative feedback loops help maintain dynamic equilibrium
• integrate ecosystem case studies within and outside of Australia, such as, (within Australia) the Great Southern Reef, Towra Point Wetlands, Australian Alps Great Barrier Reef, Macquarie Marshes, and (outside of Australia) Coral Triangle, Amazon Rainforest, Borneo Rainforest, Florida Everglades, Oregan Sand Dunes and Yellowstone National Park
• integrate information from the Stimulus Booklet, including photographs, the topographic map, the climate graph and fieldwork, where relevant
• provide clear, well-structured responses, including an introduction, several body paragraphs and a conclusion, that address each aspect of the question in detail, using relevant geographical terminology and concepts
• use applicable geographic terminology related to the question correctly, such as positive and negative feedback loops, tipping points, shifting baselines, vulnerability, resilience, disturbance regime and ecological integrity. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing supporting evidence, statistics and illustrative examples
• using appropriate terms and concepts.