GEOGRAPHY-INTEGRATED · Common Test for University Admissions (大学入学共通テスト)
GEOGRAPHY-INTEGRATED/11
Geography Integrated
Geography: Integrated & Inquiry · 2024 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.2 / 5
100
60 min
Map/statistics integration: combine a map pattern with climate, topography, population or industry data and explain why the spatial distribution makes sense.
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
100
Duration
60 min
Session difficulty
3.2 / 5
Calculator policy
Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short source…
DNC geography items are often built around unfamiliar source combinations; the intended skill is transferring geographic concepts to new material.
For social-subject scheduling, one subject receives 60 minutes; two selected subjects are handled in a 130-minute sitting, so practise sustaining source reading across both.
Expect calculations such as population density, dependency ratio, rate of change and share of total; write numerator and denominator before dividing.
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Cognitive skills emphasised in official test design.
Data and Mapping interpretation
Weight: 35100%Causal explanation
Weight: 2571%Regional comparison
Weight: 2057%Applied decision-making
Weight: 2057%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
Map reading: Ignoring units and treating density, rate and total as the same measure. — Circle the unit before reading answer choices and…
Climate: Explaining rainfall only by latitude. — Check wind direction, mountain barriers, ocean currents and seasonal pressure belts.
Hazards: Confusing hazard occurrence with disaster risk. — Risk combines hazard, exposure and vulnerability; identify which one the propo…
Industry: Assuming heavy industry always locates near raw materials. — Consider market access, labor, transport nodes, policy incentives …
Regional comparison: Relying on memorized stereotypes of countries or regions. — Anchor every comparison in the source data first, then a…
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Official body
National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC)
Grading system
Per-subject raw scores (素点); universities convert to deviation values (偏差値, mean 50) — no national pass/fail grade
Scale band
0–100 raw
Scale band
Deviation 50 = mean
Scale band
University cut-off
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
Start with scale and legend
Before interpreting any map, identify scale, orientation, units and classification method. Many distractors exploit confusing absolute values with rates or local scale with national scale.
Pair physical and human causes
For agriculture, settlement, energy and hazards, write one physical factor and one human factor. Common Test geography often expects interaction, not a single-cause answer.
Master climate logic
Practise reading temperature range, precipitation seasonality and wind/current effects. Use latitude, altitude, continentality and monsoon/westerly influence as your four-part climate checklist.
Read graphs quantitatively
Estimate ratios and trends, not just direction. If a graph shows per-capita values, population size may reverse the apparent national total.
Use sustainability vocabulary precisely
Distinguish mitigation, adaptation, resilience, vulnerability and exposure. Disaster-prevention questions often ask which measure fits the hazard stage shown in the source.
Compare regions by evidence
When two regions look similar, rank them by the data actually supplied: export mix, age structure, rainfall, transport access or urban hierarchy.
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
No data available in official reports
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
No data available in official reports
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Maps
Official topic weighting
GIS and geographic skills
Official topic weighting
Natural environments and disaster prevention
Official topic weighting
Population, settlement and industry
Official topic weighting
Globalization, culture and regional sustainability
Official topic weighting
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Natural environments and disaster prevention
Globalization, culture and regional sustainability
Maps, GIS and geographic skills
Population, settlement and industry
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Geography Integrated: for one subject / when taking two subjects Maps, GIS materials, graphs, photographs, short sources and regional comparison items
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Maps
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiGIS and geographic skills
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiNatural environments and disaster prevention
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiPopulation, settlement and industry
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiGlobalization, culture and regional sustainability
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short source…
- 2Message
DNC geography items are often built around unfamiliar source combinations; the intended skill is transferring geographic concepts to new material.
- 3Message
For social-subject scheduling, one subject receives 60 minutes; two selected subjects are handled in a 130-minute sitting, so practise sustaining source reading across both.
- 4Message
Expect calculations such as population density, dependency ratio, rate of change and share of total; write numerator and denominator before dividing.
- 5Message
The DNC Problem Evaluation Committee publishes per-subject reports after each January session, rating alignment with the Course of Study (学習指導要領), item difficulty balance, and whether items discriminate without exceeding syllabus scope.
- 6Pitfall
Map reading: Ignoring units and treating density, rate and total as the same measure. — Circle the unit before reading answer choices and…
- 7Pitfall
Climate: Explaining rainfall only by latitude. — Check wind direction, mountain barriers, ocean currents and seasonal pressure belts.
- 8Pitfall
Hazards: Confusing hazard occurrence with disaster risk. — Risk combines hazard, exposure and vulnerability; identify which one the propo…
- 9Pitfall
Industry: Assuming heavy industry always locates near raw materials. — Consider market access, labor, transport nodes, policy incentives …
- 10Pitfall
Regional comparison: Relying on memorized stereotypes of countries or regions. — Anchor every comparison in the source data first, then a…
- 11Strength
Start with scale and legend: Before interpreting any map, identify scale, orientation, units and classification method. Many dist
- 12Strength
Pair physical and human causes: For agriculture, settlement, energy and hazards, write one physical factor and one human factor. Com
- 13Strength
Master climate logic: Practise reading temperature range, precipitation seasonality and wind/current effects. Use latitude
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2024 2024
Geography: Integrated & Inquiry
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short sources t
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short source…
DNC geography items are often built around unfamiliar source combinations; the intended skill is transferring geographic concepts to new material.
For social-subject scheduling, one subject receives 60 minutes; two selected subjects are handled in a 130-minute sitting, so practise sustaining source reading across both.
Map reading: Ignoring units and treating density, rate and total as the same measure. — Circle the unit before reading answer choices and…
Climate: Explaining rainfall only by latitude. — Check wind direction, mountain barriers, ocean currents and seasonal pressure belts.
- Total marks
- 100
- Duration
- 60 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.2 / 5
- Calculator policy
- Scientific calculators permitted only where specified in the DNC implementation guidelines; programming functions and CAS are prohibited. En
Session analysis
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short sources to explain spatial patterns rather than recalling place names alone. National Center for University Entrance Examinations (DNC) emphasises map/statistics integration: combine a map pattern with climate, topography, population or industry data and explain why the spatial distribution makes sense.. Priority revision: Maps, GIS and geographic skills, Natural environments and disaster prevention, Population, settlement and industry, Globalization, culture and regional sustainability. Before interpreting any map, identify scale, orientation, units and classification method. Many distractors exploit confusing absolute values with rates or local scale with national scale.
Updated 2026-07-03
Paper breakdown
Geography Integrated: for one subject / when taking two subjects Maps, GIS materials, graphs, photographs, short sources and regional comparison items
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by syllabus topic
Revision priority from official test-design weighting.
Mark accessibility
Estimated difficulty spread based on official design.
Map/statistics integration: combine a map pattern with climate, topography, popu
Paper structure
Official paper breakdown for this subject.
Geography Integrated
100·10·100%
Official syllabus scope
地理総合 assesses geographic perspectives from the Course of Study: maps and GIS, natural environments, population, industry, settlement, culture, disaster and sustainable regional planning. R7 Common Test tasks emphasize interpreting maps, statistics, photographs and short sources to explain spatial patterns rather than recalling place names alone.
Difficulty verdict
Rated 3/5 for January sessions. Map/statistics integration: combine a map pattern with climate, topography, population or industry data and explain why the spatial distribution makes sense.
What examiners measure
1. Read maps, diagrams, satellite images and statistical tables accurately. 2. Explain spatial patterns using scale, location, distribution and regional interaction. 3. Connect physical geography to hazards, resources, settlement and human activity. 4. Evaluate regional issues from sustainability, disaster prevention and global interdependence perspectives. 5. Use evidence from multiple sources to choose the best geographic explanation.
Where the marks are
Highest-weight syllabus areas: Maps, GIS and geographic skills; Natural environments and disaster prevention; Population, settlement and industry; Globalization, culture and regional sustainability.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- DNC geography items are often built around unfamiliar source combinations; the intended skill is transferring geographic concepts to new material.
- For social-subject scheduling, one subject receives 60 minutes; two selected subjects are handled in a 130-minute sitting, so practise sustaining source reading across both.
- Expect calculations such as population density, dependency ratio, rate of change and share of total; write numerator and denominator before dividing.
- A choropleth map does not show absolute totals unless the legend says so; small regions with high rates may still have low totals.
- Natural-environment questions frequently combine climate diagrams with landform or vegetation evidence. The best answer usually explains both.
- Sustainability items reward trade-off thinking: economic benefit, environmental load, social equity and disaster resilience may point in different directions.
- Problem reports emphasize judging information from maps and diagrams, so speed comes from reading the visual source before reading long options.
- Paper 1: Geography Integrated · 100 marks · 60 min for one subject / 130 min when taking two subjects · Maps, GIS materials, graphs, photographs, short sources and regional comparison items.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 60 min for one subject / 130 min when taking two subjects
- Total marks
- 100
- Weighting
- 100%
- Question types
- Maps, GIS materials, graphs, photographs, short sources and regional comparison items
- Before interpreting any map, identify scale, orientation, units and classification method. Many distractors exploit confusing absolute values with rates or local scale with national scale.
- For agriculture, settlement, energy and hazards, write one physical factor and one human factor. Common Test geography often expects interaction, not a single-cause answer.
- Practise reading temperature range, precipitation seasonality and wind/current effects. Use latitude, altitude, continentality and monsoon/westerly influence as your four-part climate checklist.
Common mistakes
Map reading
Ignoring units and treating density, rate and total as the same measure.
How to avoid: Circle the unit before reading answer choices and convert mentally to per-area or per-person meaning.
Climate
Explaining rainfall only by latitude.
How to avoid: Check wind direction, mountain barriers, ocean currents and seasonal pressure belts.
Hazards
Confusing hazard occurrence with disaster risk.
How to avoid: Risk combines hazard, exposure and vulnerability; identify which one the proposed measure changes.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.