Comparative Guide: IGCSE & O Level Geography in Bangladesh
For schools and teachers in Bangladesh, the choice of Geography syllabus shapes how learners investigate our changing world — from rivers and coasts to cities, climate and development. This guide compares Cambridge O Level Geography (2217), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4GE1 & 4XGE1 Modular), and OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography (9230), focusing on assessment structure, practical/fieldwork skills, and day-to-day classroom implications.
Cambridge O Level Geography (2217)
Content & Structure
- Papers (all candidates):
- Paper 1 – Physical Geography (1h45, ~36%)
- Paper 2 – Human Geography (1h45, ~36%)
- Paper 3 – Geographical Investigations (1h30, ~28%)
- Coverage: Rivers, coasts, ecosystems, tectonic hazards, climate change, population, urban change, development, changing economies, resource provision.
- Skills: Map/graph/photo interpretation, decision-making, enquiry and evaluation threaded across all papers.
- Series: Typically November (check local availability).
Implications for Teaching
- Three-paper model enables balanced sequencing: physical → human → investigations.
- Fieldwork and enquiry skills are examined in a written paper — plan explicit practice of hypotheses, methods, data handling and evaluation.
- Decision-making style items benefit from case-study banks and up-to-date exemplars.
Implications for Students
- Regular practice with data-response and extended answers improves performance across all three components.
- Geographical vocabulary and command words (describe/explain/assess) should be explicitly taught and revisited.
Opportunities
- Clear progression to AS/A Level Geography; widely recognised across South Asia.
- Flexible case-study selection allows local and global contexts.
Cambridge O Level Geography (2217)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4GE1 — Linear)
Content & Structure
- Paper 1 – Physical Geography (1h10, 70 marks, 40%): choose topics on Rivers, Coasts, Hazardous environments + a fieldwork-related question for one of these.
- Paper 2 – Human Geography (1h45, 105 marks, 60%): choose topics on Economic activity & energy, Rural, Urban + a fieldwork-related question for one of these; plus one question from Global Issues (Fragile environments/climate change, Globalisation & migration, Development & human welfare).
- Fieldwork: assessed through written questions (no practical exam), including unfamiliar-context enquiry skills.
- Series: June (global availability varies locally).
Implications for Teaching
- Two-paper model; ensure breadth across both physical and human with deliberate fieldwork methods and analysis.
- Topic choice lets departments align with teacher expertise (e.g., rivers + urban + development).
Implications for Students
- Data handling, cartographic skills, quantitative reasoning (e.g., hydrographs, choropleths) are common — schedule weekly skills drills.
- Extended responses require structured argument using case-study evidence.
Opportunities
- Large ecosystem of past papers, mark schemes, ResultsPlus analytics and examWizard items.
Edexcel IGCSE Geography (4GE1 — Linear)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4XGE1 — Modular)
Content & Structure
- Unit 1 – Physical Geography (1h10, 40%): Rivers / Coasts / Hazardous environments + fieldwork-related question (choose topic).
- Unit 2 – Human Geography (1h45, 60%): Economic & energy / Rural / Urban + fieldwork-related question; plus Global Issues (as per linear).
- Modular features: Units can be sat/resat in June/November; final grade awarded on cash-in.
Implications for Teaching
- Staged assessment enables phased delivery and targeted revision blocks.
- Maintain spiral review so Unit 1 knowledge supports Unit 2 decision-making and vice versa.
Implications for Students
- Resit flexibility reduces pressure; requires consistent retention across the year.
Opportunities
- Same content as linear with scheduling flexibility; good for schools aligning with term calendars or mock windows.
Edexcel IGCSE Geography (4XGE1 — Modular)
OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography (9230)
Content & Structure
- Paper 1 – Living with the physical environment (1h30, ~36%): Natural hazards; The living world; Physical landscapes (coasts plus hot desert or rivers choice).
- Paper 2 – Challenges in the human environment (1h30, ~36%): Urban issues; Changing economic world; Global issues (Water & energy or Population & communication choice).
- Paper 3 – Geographical & Fieldwork skills (1h15, ~28%): Geographical, fieldwork and enquiry skills, including unfamiliar contexts and an individual enquiry.
- Tiering: Single tier (9–1).
Implications for Teaching
- Integrated skills across all papers; plan explicit practice of graphing, map skills, sampling, and evaluation.
- Choice elements (e.g., hot desert vs rivers; water & energy vs population & communication) allow tailoring to local relevance and teacher specialism.
Implications for Students
- Clear paper structure; regular practice with unfamiliar-context fieldwork questions builds confidence.
Opportunities
- Strong resources ecosystem (schemes of work, exemplars, ERA-style analytics).
OxfordAQA IGCSE Geography (9230)
Key Comparisons at a Glance
Use this to align topic coverage, skills emphasis and assessment scheduling with your school’s staffing and calendar.
Swipe / scroll to explore →
| Exam Board | Papers & Duration | Assessment Model | Core Topics | Choice / Options | Fieldwork & Skills Model | Notes for Curriculum Design | Official Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge O Level (2217) | P1 Physical 1h45 (~36%) P2 Human 1h45 (~36%) P3 Investigations 1h30 (~28%) |
Three papers; physical + human + investigations | Rivers; Coasts; Ecosystems; Tectonics; Climate change; Population; Urban; Development; Economies; Resources | Centres select case studies; content is fixed by topic | Enquiry skills assessed via written Paper 3 (no practical exam) | Plan a skills spine across the year; build decision-making practice for evaluative items | Cambridge |
| Edexcel IGCSE (4GE1 — Linear) | P1 Physical 1h10 (40%) P2 Human 1h45 (60%) |
Two papers; topic choice within sections | Physical: Rivers/Coasts/Hazards Human: Economic & energy / Rural / Urban + Global Issues |
P1: choose 2 of 3 topics; fieldwork Q on chosen topic P2: choose 2 of 3 + one Global Issues option |
Fieldwork and enquiry assessed in written questions, incl. unfamiliar contexts | Route planning is flexible; align topics to teacher strengths; schedule weekly skills drills | Edexcel Linear |
| Edexcel IGCSE (4XGE1 — Modular) | Unit 1 Physical 1h10 (40%) Unit 2 Human 1h45 (60%) |
Same content as linear, split across two units; resits allowed | As per linear: Physical + Human + Global Issues | Same section choices as linear | Fieldwork assessed via written items in both units | Stage delivery (Unit 1 → Unit 2). Keep spiral review so knowledge carries between units | Edexcel Modular |
| OxfordAQA IGCSE (9230) | P1 Physical 1h30 (~36%) P2 Human 1h30 (~36%) P3 Skills 1h15 (~28%) |
Three papers; integrated skills with a dedicated skills paper | Natural hazards; Living world; Coasts + (Hot desert or Rivers); Urban; Changing economic world; Global issues | Physical landscape option (hot desert or rivers); Human global issues option sets (e.g., Water & energy or Population & communication) | Skills and unfamiliar-context fieldwork assessed explicitly on Paper 3 | Choose options that match local relevance (e.g., rivers/monsoon; urbanisation); interleave skills throughout | OxfordAQA |
Conclusion
All three routes assess core geographical knowledge, enquiry and decision-making. The main differences lie in paper structure and where fieldwork skills are examined: separate skills/investigation papers (Cambridge, OxfordAQA) versus embedded fieldwork questions (Edexcel). Topic choice is greatest with Edexcel; OxfordAQA includes option strands within physical/human; Cambridge emphasises a coherent physical–human–investigation progression. Align your route with teacher expertise, resource availability and your assessment calendar.
