OCR's new and improved GCSE Geography B

We’ve now submitted our draft specification (J386) and sample assessment materials to Ofqual for accreditation, ready for an expected first teach in September 2025*.

The changes we’re planning have been shaped by the views of teachers and students from a range of schools, as well as consultations with experts from key organisations, including the Royal Meteorological Society and Field Studies Council.

We’ll now be working closely with Ofqual to ensure our qualification is accredited for teaching in 2025. In the meantime, you can:

explore our new DRAFT specification and sample assessment materials
discover the comprehensive support package that will be available ahead of first teach
sign up for our email updates to stay informed about the development
speak to one of our team about the qualification.

*subject to accreditation - date may change. 

Our planned refreshed GCSE B* offers:

✅ Time and space to enjoy the qualification

We’ve clarified and slimmed down the amount of content. This will ensure you have more time for teaching and consolidation, completing fieldwork, and preparing your students for exams.

✅ Accessibility and inclusivity for all

We want all students to have a positive exam experience. We’ll be using student-friendly language in our assessments, embedding resources into papers where possible and introducing more manageable extended response questions to help ensure this.

We’ve also published a refined list of command words in our specification, which will be used consistently, and we’ve kept maths and stats to the minimum required by the DfE. Equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are embedded throughout every aspect of this qualification.

✅ Relevance to students’ lives

Our qualification will be the most up-to-date Geography GCSE available. It's been designed to empower students to tackle future challenges. For example, we’ve collaborated with the Royal Meteorological Society to update our climate change topic and shine a light on positive action through mitigation and adaptation.

✅ An enhanced fieldwork experience

We've ensured a better balance between ‘familiar’ and ‘unfamiliar’ fieldwork so that students’ own fieldwork feels valued.

✅ Comprehensive support from the start

Whether you're new to OCR or have been teaching with us for a while, our package offers everything you need – from professional development courses to switching and mapping guides, schemes of work to curriculum planners. We also have support for non-specialist teachers of geography.

Want to know more?

Book your place at one of our upcoming FREE online showcase events, designed to provide an overview of the refreshed qualification.

Alternatively, request a call or email us, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have – whether you’re new to OCR, thinking of switching or have been teaching with us for a while.

*Please note, all the above is subject to accreditation.

We have submitted our draft specification, sample assessment materials (SAMs) and mark schemes for our new GCSE Geography B to Ofqual.
Ofqual will now review our submission against their General Conditions, as well as qualification and subject level conditions, including the DfE’s Geography GCSE requirements.
After this review, Ofqual may accredit the qualification. Alternatively, they may request we make some changes. This review and feedback process can take a few months. However, it’s necessary to ensure we develop the best possible qualification for you and your students. We'll collaborate closely with Ofqual throughout.
We’ll keep you informed as we progress – make sure you’re signed up for our emails so you never miss an update. In the meantime, we'll be busy developing resources to support you with your teaching of the qualification, and your students’ learning.
Once our qualification is accredited, we’ll let you know and share our approved specification, SAMs and support materials, so you can prepare for a first teach in September 2025*.

Learn more about Ofqual’s accreditation process here.

*dates are dependent on the Ofqual accreditation process and may be subject to change.

“This is a broad and balanced curriculum, and provides opportunities for students and teachers alike to grapple with many of the issues, challenges and opportunities, which are impacting on our lives in the 2020s.”

“The merging of content is logical and offers opportunities for consolidation whilst also providing greater time for students to apply their learning enabling them to realise the relevance to their everyday lives.”

“I feel very positive about these changes, they seem sensible.”

“I think these are great changes, especially increasing the familiar fieldwork and amount of marks in each section.”

“It is a real breath of fresh air to read a syllabus that accurately reflects the realities of the world which we are living in and the responses we can and need to take. I'm particularly heartened by the inclusion of local community practices and indigenous knowledge to inform climate change solutions.” Holly Everett, Director of Community, Thoughtbox Education

Feedback gathered during our customer testing phase.

To help you teach the qualification, ahead of first teach, a host of resources and training will be made available on our secure platform, Teach Cambridge.

Planning

curriculum planners
comprehensive schemes of work
switching and mapping guides
fieldwork guidance
a list of non-OCR suggested teaching resources you can use

Assessment

detailed assessment guides explaining how to approach the assessment

sample assessment materials

practice papers

candidate exemplars and style-answers

exam walkthrough

Active Results – our free online results analysis service that allows you to review your students' exam performance

Access to Scripts – our free, on-demand service that allows you to download copies of students’ completed question papers to help decide whether to request a review of marking, and to support teaching and learning

ExamBuilder – our free question-building platform that helps you to build your own tests as our bank of past live-series questions grows.

Learn more about Teach Cambridge, including how to gain access, on our website.  You can also find out more about signing up for a two-week trial, if you're new to OCR.

As well as this, we will be offering a range of professional development courses, from getting started with us to exploring and preparing for our exams. We’re also working to update our textbook.