Practice gce model questions vol1 geography 2025 Past Questions

Question 1 View Details

The town of Lagosville had a population of 120,000 in the year 2000. From 2000 to 2005 the annual natural increase rate was $1.2\%$ (compounded yearly). From 2005 to 2010 the annual natural increase rate fell to $0.8\%$ and, in addition, 500 people left the town each year. What was the population at the end of 2010? Give your answer rounded to the nearest whole person.

A. 131200

Correct B. 130012

C. 128900

D. 129512

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 2 View Details

A manufacturing firm is choosing between two possible sites. Site A has a fixed capital cost of £2.5 million, a variable production cost of £12 per unit and is 80 km from the main market. Site B has a fixed capital cost of £1.8 million, a variable production cost of £14 per unit and is 150 km from the market. Transport cost is £0.05 per unit per kilometre. If the firm expects to produce $Q$ units per year, for what range of $Q$ will the total annual cost at Site A be lower than at Site B? Express the minimum integer value of $Q$ that makes Site A cheaper.

A. 128500

Correct B. 127273

C. 126000

D. 130000

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 3 View Details

A catchment area of 25 km² consists of 40 % impervious surfaces (runoff coefficient $C=0.9$), 30 % residential areas ($C=0.6$) and 30 % agricultural land ($C=0.3$). For a design storm with intensity $I = 30$ mm h$^{-1}$ acting over the time of concentration, use the Rational Method to calculate the peak discharge $Q$ in cubic metres per second. Give your answer to one decimal place.

A. 125.1

Correct B. 131.3

C. 1.3

D. 472.5

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 4 View Details

A supermarket chain requires a minimum weekly revenue of £1.2 million to be viable. The average household size in the region is 4 persons and the average weekly grocery expenditure per household is £80. It is estimated that 60 % of households within the supermarket's catchment will shop there. The region has a uniform population density of 150 persons per km². What is the minimum radius (in km, to one decimal place) of a circular catchment that must be served to contain enough population for the supermarket to meet its revenue target?

A. 212.2

B. 11.3

Correct C. 14.6

D. 12.6

Correct Answer: C

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 5 View Details

A region receives a mean annual precipitation of 800 mm and has a mean annual temperature of 22 °C. Using the rainfall‑to‑temperature ratio criterion (rainfall / temperature > 30 indicates tropical rainforest, 10-30 indicates savanna, < 10 indicates desert), determine the dominant vegetation type expected in this region.

Correct A. tropical rainforest

B. temperate forest

C. savanna

D. desert

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 6 View Details

Town X had a population of 50 000 in the year 2020. For the first five years the annual growth rate was 2 %, after which it increased to 3 % per year for the next five years. The average household size is 4 persons and the town currently has 12 000 houses. Assuming compound growth, calculate the number of additional houses required by the end of 2030.

A. 3500

B. 4500

C. 5000

Correct D. 4000

Correct Answer: D

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 7 View Details

River Y is 120 km long and drops 300 m from source to mouth. An empirical relation gives the average flow velocity $v = 5\sqrt{S}$ where $S$ is the channel gradient (drop/length) expressed as a decimal. Calculate the time, in days (to one decimal place), that a water particle takes to travel from the source to the mouth.

Correct A. 5.6

B. 6.2

C. 4.8

D. 5.0

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 8 View Details

Region A has the following average monthly temperatures (°C): 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33, 33, 31, 28, 25, 23 and monthly precipitation (mm): 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 120, 150, 140, 100, 70, 40, 30. Region B has temperatures (°C): 10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 26, 28, 27, 24, 20, 15, 11 and precipitation (mm): 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 20, 30, 50, 70, 80. Using the simplified Köppen criteria (temperate climate: coldest month 0-18 °C, warmest >10 °C; a dry summer when the driest summer month receives less than one‑third of the wettest winter month and less than 40 mm), identify the Köppen climate type of each region (choose from Cfa, Cfb, Csb, Csc) and state which region is more suitable for cultivating olives, which require a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and an annual precipitation between 300 mm and 800 mm.

A. Neither region is suitable

Correct B. Region B

C. Both regions are equally suitable

D. Region A

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 9 View Details

A hydro‑electric plant on River Z uses a turbine with an efficiency of 85 % and generates 120 MW of power. The river discharge at the site is 150 m³ s⁻¹. Assuming water density $ \rho = 1000\; \text{kg m}^{-3} $ and gravitational acceleration $ g = 9.81\; \text{m s}^{-2} $, calculate the effective head (height) of the water in metres (rounded to the nearest metre).

A. 84

B. 72

Correct C. 96

D. 110

Correct Answer: C

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 10 View Details

The dominant wave period on a coastal shelf is 8 s. Using the deep‑water approximation, the wave speed is $ c = \frac{gT}{2\pi} $ and the wavelength is $ L = cT $. The deep‑water wave base depth is half the wavelength. Calculate the deep‑water wave base depth in metres (rounded to the nearest metre).

A. 30

B. 60

C. 45

Correct D. 50

Correct Answer: D

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 11 View Details

A location has a mean temperature of its warmest month of $22^{\circ}\text{C}$ and of its coldest month of $5^{\circ}\text{C}$. The annual precipitation is $650$ mm, of which $70\%$ falls in the summer months (April-September). Using the Köppen climate classification, determine the climate type of the location.

A. Dfa

B. Cwa

Correct C. Cfa

D. Cfb

Correct Answer: C

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 12 View Details

A small catchment has a main channel length of $1.2$ km and a slope of $5\%$. Using the Kirpich equation $T_c = 0.0195\,L^{0.77}\,S^{-0.385}$ (where $L$ is in metres and $S$ is the slope expressed as a decimal), calculate the time of concentration $T_c$ in minutes. If a land‑use improvement reduces the time of concentration by $15\%$, what is the adjusted $T_c$?

A. 11.20

B. 13.80

Correct C. 12.35

D. 10.45

Correct Answer: C

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 13 View Details

In a soil sample the percentage of sand is twice the percentage of clay, and the percentage of silt is $20\%$ less than the percentage of sand. The three fractions sum to $100\%$. Determine the percentages of sand, silt and clay, and state the USDA soil‑texture class that corresponds to these proportions.

A. clay loam

Correct B. loam

C. sandy loam

D. silt loam

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 14 View Details

Two environmental hazards affect a coastal community.\n\n* Flood: annual probability $0.02$, potential economic loss £5 million. A levee can be built for £300 000 and reduces the flood probability by $60\%$.\n* Landslide: annual probability $0.01$, potential economic loss £8 million. Slope‑drainage works for £250 000 and reduces the landslide probability by $50\%$.\n\nFor each hazard, calculate the net annual benefit of the mitigation (expected loss reduction minus mitigation cost). Which mitigation should be prioritised based on the larger net benefit?

Correct A. Landslide mitigation

B. Neither mitigation is worthwhile

C. Flood mitigation

D. Both mitigations have equal net benefit

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 15 View Details

Two synoptic stations lie on the same latitude $45^{\circ}$ N and are separated east-west by $200$ km. Station A records a sea‑level pressure of $1012$ hPa, while station B records $1004$ hPa. Assuming geostrophic balance, estimate the geostrophic wind speed between the stations. Use $f = 2\Omega\sin\phi$ with $\Omega = 7.2921\times10^{-5}$ s(^{-1}\) and air density $\rho = 1.225$ kg m(^{-3}\). Express the answer in metres per second, rounded to the nearest whole number.

A. 28

Correct B. 32

C. 40

D. 35

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 16 View Details

A manufacturing plant must choose between Town A and Town B for its location. The raw material source is 30 km from Town A and 70 km from Town B. Transport cost for raw material is £0.50 per tonne per kilometre and the plant needs 200 tonnes per month. Labour cost per hour is £12 in Town A and £10 in Town B; each works 160 hours per month. Worker productivity (units produced per hour) falls with distance d (km) from the raw material source according to $ \text{productivity}=5-0.02d $. The plant must produce 10,000 units each month. Determine which town gives the lower total monthly cost (transport plus labour).

Correct A. Town A

B. Town C

C. Both towns have equal cost

D. Town B

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 17 View Details

A map of a region has a scale of 1 : 250,000. On the map the distance between Town X and Town Y is 4 cm. If a car travels at a constant speed of 60 km h⁻¹, how many minutes will the journey take?

A. 15 minutes

Correct B. 10 minutes

C. 12 minutes

D. 8 minutes

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 18 View Details

A coastal town faces two environmental hazards.\n\n• Storm surge: probability 0.02 per year, potential damage £120 million. A sea‑wall costing £30 million would reduce the probability by 70 %.\n\n• Industrial chemical spill: probability 0.05 per year, potential damage £45 million. A containment system costing £20 million would reduce the damage by 60 %.\n\nThe town has a budget of £30 million and can implement only one mitigation measure. Which mitigation should be chosen to achieve the greatest reduction in expected annual loss?

Correct A. Sea‑wall (storm surge mitigation)

B. Do nothing (no mitigation)

C. Both measures combined (storm surge and chemical spill mitigation)

D. Industrial containment system (chemical spill mitigation)

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 19 View Details

A commuter travels from suburb X to city centre Y. Two possible routes are available:\n\nRoute 1 - Direct bus: distance 15 km, average speed 30 km h⁻¹, average waiting time 5 min, fare £2.\n\nRoute 2 - Train then bus: train leg 8 km at 60 km h⁻¹, waiting 2 min; bus leg from the train station Z to Y is 7 km at 35 km h⁻¹, waiting 4 min; changing between train and bus adds a 3 min transfer penalty. The train fare is £1.5 and the bus fare from Z to Y is £1.2.\n\nWhich route gives the shorter total travel time and which route is cheaper?

Correct A. Shorter time: Route 2; Cheaper: Route 1

B. Shorter time: Route 2; Cheaper: Route 2

C. Shorter time: Route 1; Cheaper: Route 2

D. Shorter time: Route 1; Cheaper: Route 1

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 20 View Details

A plateau covers an area of 150 km² and is eroded at an average rate of 0.25 mm per year.\n\n(a) What uplift rate (in mm per thousand years) is required to exactly balance the erosion?\n(b) If the actual tectonic uplift is 0.15 mm per year, state whether the plateau is net eroding or building up and by how many millimetres per year.

Correct A. (a) 250 mm/kyr; (b) net erosion of 0.10 mm per year

B. (a) 300 mm/kyr; (b) net erosion of 0.15 mm per year

C. (a) 200 mm/kyr; (b) net erosion of 0.05 mm per year

D. (a) 250 mm/kyr; (b) net uplift of 0.05 mm per year

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 21 View Details

Given a soil profile 40 cm deep with a bulk density of 1.4 g cm⁻³, a gravimetric field capacity of 0.25 g g⁻¹ and a gravimetric wilting point of 0.12 g g⁻¹, calculate the depth of water (in mm) that is available to plants (i.e., the difference between field capacity and wilting point) over the whole profile.

Correct A. 73 mm

B. 81 mm

C. 68 mm

D. 55 mm

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 22 View Details

An evergreen forest has a leaf‑area index (LAI) of 6. The incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is 45 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹. The fraction of PAR intercepted by the canopy is given by $f = 1 - e^{-k \times LAI}$ where the extinction coefficient $k = 0.5$. The photosynthetic efficiency of the intercepted PAR is 2.5 %, and each megajoule of PAR corresponds to 0.48 mol of photons. At the given efficiency, each mole of photons fixes 0.12 g of carbon. Calculate the daily gross primary production (GPP) in g C m⁻² day⁻¹.

A. 3.12 g C m⁻² day⁻¹

Correct B. 2.46 g C m⁻² day⁻¹

C. 2.10 g C m⁻² day⁻¹

D. 1.85 g C m⁻² day⁻¹

Correct Answer: B

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 23 View Details

In the year 2000 a town had a population of 120 000. Its population follows the logistic growth model \[P(t)=\frac{K}{1+\left(\frac{K-P_{0}}{P_{0}}\right)e^{-rt}}\] where the carrying capacity $K = 250\,000$ persons and the intrinsic growth rate $r = 0.04$ yr⁻¹. Determine the projected population in the year 2025.

Correct A. 178 800

B. 175 600

C. 190 500

D. 180 200

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 24 View Details

Two alternative public‑transport routes connect suburb A to the city centre B. *Route 1*: a 12 km bus journey at an average speed of 24 km h⁻¹, a waiting time of 5 min before boarding, followed by a 2 km walk at 5 km h⁻¹. *Route 2*: an 8 km tram journey at 30 km h⁻¹ with no waiting time, followed by a 3 km bike ride at 12 km h⁻¹, but the bike requires a 4 min set‑up time before riding. Assuming the traveller starts the journey at the same time for both routes, which route gives the shorter total travel time? State the preferred route and the time difference between the two routes in minutes (rounded to the nearest minute).

Correct A. Route 2, 24 minutes faster

B. Route 1, 24 minutes faster

C. Route 1, 5 minutes faster

D. Route 2, 12 minutes faster

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

Question 25 View Details

To obtain a wheat yield of 8 t ha⁻¹, a farmer needs to supply enough nitrogen for the grain. Wheat grain contains 2 % nitrogen on a dry‑weight basis. The soil already provides 30 kg N ha⁻¹ that is readily available. The fertilizer to be used is urea, which is 46 % nitrogen by weight. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of wheat is 60 % (i.e., only 60 % of the nitrogen applied as fertilizer is taken up by the crop). Urea costs $0.50 per kilogram. Calculate the minimum amount of urea (in kg ha⁻¹) the farmer must apply and the total cost (in dollars) of the fertilizer.

Correct A. 471 kg of urea costing $235.5

B. 400 kg of urea costing $200.0

C. 785 kg of urea costing $392.5

D. 471 kg of urea costing $300.0

Correct Answer: A

Want to see the full step-by-step solution? Unlock AI Explanation & Analytics

gce model questions vol1 2025 geography | Objective

Master the Exam!

Help others prepare! Share this practice hub: