Humanities
ZIMSEC A-Level Geography
Syllabus topics
89 topics and subtopics in the 2015-2022 syllabus, examined from 1 Jan 2018.
- 1
Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
Form 5: coordinates, projection, GPS, conceptual models, georeferencing and data capture. Form 6: the remote sensing system, image acquisition, resolution and…
- 2
Geo-statistical Analysis and Presentation
Form 5: levels of measurement, univariate and bivariate statistics, graphs and maps, research techniques. Form 6: spatial interpolation and measures of…
- 3
Environmental Management
Form 5, with Environmental Impact Assessment and environmental management projects continued in Form 6. Examined in Paper 1.
- 4
Atmospheric Processes and Phenomena
Form 5: energy budgets, the Earth-atmosphere energy budget, weather processes, air masses (with cyclones and anticyclones). Form 6: micro-climates, climate…
- 5
Geomorphology
Form 5: plate tectonics, rocks and weathering, slope development. Form 6: tropical landform development, hazards, impact and mitigation (mass movements)…
- 6
Hydrology and Fluvial Processes
Form 5 only; the matrix notes that the topic was completed in Form 5. Examined in Paper 1.
- 7
Biogeography
Form 5: vegetation distribution, plant succession, biogeochemical cycles, Gersmehl (printed 'Gerschmel') diagrams, biomes, biodiversity, adaptation. Form 6…
- 7.1 Factors affecting vegetation distribution; Biomass and biomes (tropical and temperate biomes); Plant and animal adaptation
- 7.2 Plant succession
- 7.3 Biogeochemical cycles; Gerschmel diagrams
- 7.4 Biodiversity (plant and animal diversity); Sustainable management of ecosystem
- 7.5 Soil forming factors, soil profiles and soil catena; Measurement of soil characteristics
- 8
Population and Migration
Form 5: population indicators, health and diseases, growth, population-resource relationships. Form 6: migration, patterns, causes and impacts, population…
- 9
Settlement Dynamics
Form 5: site and location, hierarchy, growth points, land reform and resettlement, functions, rural-urban interaction, urbanisation. Form 6: urban morphology…
- 9.1 Site and location of settlements; Functions of rural and urban settlements; Rural-urban interaction
- 9.2 Settlement hierarchy
- 9.3 Growth points
- 9.4 Land reform and resettlement
- 9.5 Urbanisation and counter urbanisation
- 9.6 Urban morphology; Settlement development
- 9.7 Spheres of influence; Delimitation of the CBD
- 9.8 Rural and urban land use planning
- 10
Agricultural Production and Food Security
Form 5: factors, location, farming systems in the tropics, the Green Revolution. Form 6: land reform and food security, value addition and agribusiness…
- 11
Mining and Mineral Beneficiation
Form 5: legislation, EIA, prospecting, mineralogy, enterprises, impacts. Form 6: value addition and beneficiation, marketing, safety and health. Examined in…
- 11.1 Mining legislation and mining policies in Zimbabwe
- 11.2 Prospecting methods; Mineralogy
- 11.3 Environmental Impact Assessment in mining; Small and large scale mining enterprises; Impact of mining and mitigation; Safety and health in mining
- 11.4 Value addition and beneficiation methods; Marketing of minerals
- 12
Industrial Dynamics
Form 5 only; the matrix notes that the topic was completed in Form 5. Includes the tourism industry. Examined in Paper 2.
- 13
Energy Sources and Development
Form 5: energy sources in Zimbabwe, clean sources, green energy generation. Form 6: global distribution, global trends, sustainable management. Examined in…
- 14
Transport Systems and Trade
Form 5: transport systems, their patterns and transport enterprise. Form 6: trade policies, trends, global inequalities in trade, factors influencing global…
- 14.1 Distribution of transport systems and their purposes in Zimbabwe; Factors governing patterns of transport networks
- 14.2 Transport enterprise
- 14.3 Trade policies in Zimbabwe and their impact on trade; Current trends in Zimbabwean trade; Trade opportunities in the local area
- 14.4 Global inequalities in trade flows and solutions
- 14.5 Factors influencing global trade patterns
- 15
Regional Inequalities and Development
Form 5. Examined in Paper 2. The scope and sequence also lists 'SMEs in Zimbabwe and their impact on economic development' under Form 6; the matrix of the…
- P
Map interpretation and examination skills
Ours, not a printed topic. The syllabus assumes map interpretation skills (1.4 Assumptions) and Paper 3 Section B sets a topographical map question; the…
About this syllabus
The ZIMSEC A-Level Geography syllabus (Forms 5-6) has fifteen compulsory topics. It begins with practical geography: GIS and remote sensing, and geo-statistical analysis and presentation (levels of measurement, correlation, regression, hypothesis tests, graphs and maps, research techniques, spatial interpolation and autocorrelation). The physical topics are environmental management, atmospheric processes, geomorphology (plate tectonics, weathering, slopes, tropical landforms, mass movements), hydrology and fluvial processes, and biogeography (vegetation, succession, nutrient cycles, biodiversity, soils). The human topics are population and migration, settlement dynamics, agricultural production and food security, mining and mineral beneficiation, industrial dynamics (with tourism), energy sources, transport systems and trade, and regional inequalities and development, with strong Zimbabwean and southern African emphasis, enterprise projects and indigenous knowledge systems.
How you are assessed
Continuous assessment (research project, community project, practical, theory tests) carries 40%. The examination carries 60%: Paper 1 physical geography (3 hours, 100 marks, 25%), Paper 2 human geography (3 hours, 100 marks, 25%) and Paper 3 practical (3 hours, 75 marks, 10%: statistics, mapping and GIS, research techniques).
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