OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography A (Geographical Themes) (J383)
Exam structure at a glance for OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography A (Geographical Themes): every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus tiers, practicals and the links you need.
- Board
- OCR
- Specification code
- J383
- Tiers
- No tiers (one paper set for all)
- First teaching
- 2016
- First exams
- 2018
- Exam papers
- 3 · 3 h 30 min in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
The national curriculum has no KS4 programme of study for geography (KS1-3 only).
Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Living in the UK Today | 1 h | 60 +3 SPaG | 30% | Landscapes, people and environmental challenges of the UK; resource booklet; all questions compulsory. |
| Component 02: The World Around Us | 1 h | 60 +3 SPaG | 30% | Ecosystems, people of the planet and environmental threats; resource booklet; all questions compulsory. |
| Component 03: Geographical Skills | 1 h 30 min | 80 +3 SPaG | 40% | Section A skills and synoptic questions; Section B fieldwork questions (own fieldwork and unfamiliar contexts). |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole GCSE. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Question types (our summary): Short answers, 6-mark medium answers and extended answers up to 12 marks plus SPaG.
- Fieldwork: At least two occasions in contrasting locations, physical and human; centre statement by 15 May.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- OCR: Specification at a glance (board website)
- OCR: Specification (PDF, board website)
- OCR: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- OCR: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: ocr.org.uk.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography A (Geographical Themes) exams?
Component 01: 1 h; Component 02: 1 h; Component 03: 1 h 30 min.