Geography: Cambridge 2027 syllabus mapping

Cambridge International AS & A Level 9696 · Examination year 2027

AI-assisted conceptual placements, not official Cambridge endorsement or independent teacher approval. A linked practice question does not establish complete teaching, practical competence or exam readiness.

Current question placements: 74 / 74
Direct conceptual matches: 36
Partial matches: 31
Enrichment: 6
Placements needing review: 1
Inventory entries without linked practice: 81

Inventory scope: specified content sections. Source inventory: partial; further source entries require review. Independent teacher approval: pending.

Official references

9696 Geography 2027-2029; changes on PDF pages 58-59 · 1, September 2024 · checked 2026-10-24
Singapore PUB: Four National Taps · Public agency account accessed 2026-10-24 · checked 2026-10-24
Singapore PUB: desalination and reverse-osmosis energy · Public agency account accessed 2026-10-24 · checked 2026-10-24
WHO: cholera transmission and prevention · 29 September 2026 · checked 2026-10-24
Grove et al.: primary experimental abstract on water and mantle-wedge melting, EPA-hosted record · 2006 research abstract; full paper not read · checked 2026-10-24
USGS primary landslide study: rainfall, pore pressure and movement · 2011 research abstract; not a supplied student case study · checked 2026-10-24
NOAA research agency: sediment, light and thermal stress on coral · Agency explanation accessed 2026-10-24 · checked 2026-10-24
NOAA Hurricane Research Division: tropical cyclone genesis conditions · Agency explanation accessed 2026-10-24 · checked 2026-10-24
Met Office: subtropical subsidence and desert climates · Agency explanation accessed 2026-10-24 · checked 2026-10-24

Practice by syllabus reference

both · Core (3 entries)

Geography 9696: both · Core
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
AO1	Geographical knowledge and understanding	No linked practice
AO2	Use resources, numerical methods and analysis	Drainage basin response, question 4 (direct) Drainage basin response, question 6 (partial) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 2 (partial) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 6 (partial) Population and migration, question 5 (partial) Urban heat and inequality, question 2 (partial) Urban heat and inequality, question 4 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 1 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 2 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 3 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 4 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 5 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 6 (partial)
AO3	Evaluate geographical explanations and decisions	Coastal sediment budgets, question 6 (partial) Carbon and water feedbacks, question 5 (partial) Urban heat and inequality, question 6 (partial) Fieldwork sampling and inference, question 6 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 1 (10 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 1
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
1.1.1	Basin systems and water balance	Drainage basin response, question 2 (direct)
1.1.2	Water transfers	Drainage basin response, question 1 (direct)
1.1.3	Controls on basin flows	Drainage basin response, question 4 (direct)
1.1.4	Storm hydrographs	Water, hazards and development, question 1 (direct) Drainage basin response, question 3 (direct)
1.2.1	River processes	No linked practice
1.2.2	Flow and discharge	No linked practice
1.2.3	Fluvial landforms	No linked practice
1.3.1	Flood causes	No linked practice
1.3.2	Flood impacts	No linked practice
1.3.3	Flood management and a real case	Drainage basin response, question 5 (partial) Drainage basin response, question 6 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 2 (10 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 2
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
2.1.1	Energy transfers	No linked practice
2.1.2	Global energy budget	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 1 (direct)
2.1.3	Global circulation	No linked practice
2.1.4	Seasonal climatic patterns	No linked practice
2.1.5	Diurnal energy budget	Urban heat and inequality, question 1 (direct)
2.2.1	Moisture processes	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 2 (direct)
2.2.2	Precipitation mechanisms	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 2 (direct)
2.2.3	Precipitation types	No linked practice
2.3.1	Evidence for climatic change	No linked practice
2.3.2	Causes of enhanced warming	Carbon and water feedbacks, question 1 (partial) Carbon and water feedbacks, question 3 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 3 (8 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 3
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
3.1.1	Plate characteristics	No linked practice
3.1.2	Plate motion and evidence	No linked practice
3.1.3	Plate boundary patterns	No linked practice
3.2.1	Boundary processes	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 3 (direct)
3.2.2	Tectonic landforms	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 3 (direct)
3.3.1	Mass movement forms	No linked practice
3.3.2	Mass movement causes	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 4 (partial)
3.3.3	Slope management and a real case	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 4 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 4 (9 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 4
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
4.1.1	Population density and distribution	No linked practice
4.1.2	Population growth patterns	No linked practice
4.1.3	Natural increase and migration	Population and migration, question 1 (direct) Population and migration, question 2 (direct)
4.2.1	Population structure and dependency	Population and migration, question 4 (partial) 2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 5 (direct)
4.2.2	Demographic transition	No linked practice
4.2.3	Population policy in contrasting countries	No linked practice
4.3.1	International migration types	No linked practice
4.3.2	Migration decisions and barriers	Population and migration, question 3 (partial)
4.3.3	Migration effects and a real case	Population and migration, question 5 (partial) Population and migration, question 6 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 5 (9 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 5
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
5.1.1	Water resource patterns	No linked practice
5.1.2	Human influence on the water cycle	No linked practice
5.1.3	Water demand and scarcity	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 6 (direct)
5.2.1	Water supply quantity and quality	No linked practice
5.2.2	Water demand factors	No linked practice
5.2.3	Water security	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 6 (direct)
5.3.1	Increasing water access and supply	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 7 (direct) 2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 8 (partial)
5.3.2	Managing demand	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 7 (direct)
5.3.3	Water governance and a real country case	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 8 (partial)

AS · Compulsory AS topic 6 (9 entries)

Geography 9696: AS · Compulsory AS topic 6
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
6.1.1	Urbanisation processes	No linked practice
6.1.2	Urban growth causes and effects	No linked practice
6.1.3	Settlement hierarchy and global cities	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 9 (direct)
6.2.1	Urban structure and place	No linked practice
6.2.2	Relocating urban activities	No linked practice
6.2.3	Residential patterns	No linked practice
6.3.1	Urban sustainability trade-offs	Urban heat and inequality, question 5 (direct)
6.3.2	Urban waste, transport, housing and green space	Coasts and sustainable cities, question 3 (partial) Urban heat and inequality, question 3 (direct)
6.3.3	Urban strategies and a real city case	Coasts and sustainable cities, question 3 (partial)

A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 7 (choose two per paper) (11 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 7 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
7.1.1	Tropical environment distribution	No linked practice
7.1.2	Tropical climatic characteristics	No linked practice
7.1.3	ITCZ, monsoon and ENSO	No linked practice
7.2.1	Tropical weathering	No linked practice
7.2.2	Granite landforms	No linked practice
7.2.3	Tropical karst	No linked practice
7.3.1	Tropical vegetation	No linked practice
7.3.2	Tropical soils	No linked practice
7.3.3	Tropical nutrient cycling	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 10 (direct)
7.4.1	Tropical environmental pressures	No linked practice
7.4.2	Tropical ecosystem management case	No linked practice

A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 8 (choose two per paper) (11 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 8 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
8.1.1	Waves and coastal controls	No linked practice
8.1.2	Marine erosion	Coasts and sustainable cities, question 1 (direct)
8.1.3	Subaerial coastal processes	No linked practice
8.1.4	Sediment movement and cells	Coasts and sustainable cities, question 2 (partial) Coastal sediment budgets, question 1 (direct) Coastal sediment budgets, question 2 (direct) Coastal sediment budgets, question 3 (direct) Coastal sediment budgets, question 4 (direct)
8.2.1	Controls on coastal landforms	No linked practice
8.2.2	Erosional landforms	No linked practice
8.2.3	Depositional landforms	No linked practice
8.2.4	Dunes, marshes and mangroves	No linked practice
8.3.1	Coral growth and reef conditions	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 11 (direct)
8.3.2	Coral threats and management	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 11 (direct)
8.4.1	Coastal management case	Coasts and sustainable cities, question 2 (partial) Coastal sediment budgets, question 5 (partial) Coastal sediment budgets, question 6 (partial)

A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 9 (choose two per paper) (11 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 9 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
9.1.1	Earthquake and volcanic distributions	No linked practice
9.1.2	Earthquake hazards and impacts	Water, hazards and development, question 2 (direct) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 1 (direct) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 2 (partial) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 3 (direct) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 4 (direct) Tectonic risk and resilience, question 6 (partial)
9.1.3	Volcanic hazards	No linked practice
9.1.4	Tectonic hazard monitoring and management	Tectonic risk and resilience, question 5 (direct)
9.2.1	Tropical cyclone formation and distribution	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 12 (partial)
9.2.2	Cyclone hazards and risk	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 12 (partial)
9.2.3	Cyclone management	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 12 (partial)
9.3.1	Wildfire conditions and ignition	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 13 (partial)
9.3.2	Wildfire spread and impacts	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 13 (partial)
9.3.3	Wildfire management	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 13 (partial)
9.4.1	Multi-hazard location case	No linked practice

A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 10 (choose two per paper) (11 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 3 Global Environments: topic 10 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
10.1.1	Arid environment distribution	No linked practice
10.1.2	Arid climatic characteristics	No linked practice
10.1.3	Aridity causes	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 14 (direct)
10.2.1	Arid weathering	No linked practice
10.2.2	Wind processes	No linked practice
10.2.3	Water processes	No linked practice
10.2.4	Arid landforms	No linked practice
10.3.1	Dryland vegetation adaptations	No linked practice
10.3.2	Arid soils	No linked practice
10.4.1	Dryland degradation and salinisation	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 14 (direct)
10.4.2	Arid management case	No linked practice

A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 11 (choose two per paper) (8 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 11 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
11.1.1	Climate projections and net zero	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 15 (direct)
11.1.2	Cold and marine environment impacts	No linked practice
11.1.3	Feedbacks and tipping points	Carbon and water feedbacks, question 4 (direct) 2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 15 (direct)
11.2.1	Socioeconomic climate impacts	No linked practice
11.2.2	Unequal vulnerability	No linked practice
11.3.1	International climate governance	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 16 (direct)
11.3.2	Mitigation and adaptation	Carbon and water feedbacks, question 3 (partial) Carbon and water feedbacks, question 5 (partial) Carbon and water feedbacks, question 6 (partial) 2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 16 (direct)
11.3.3	Contrasting national climate responses	No linked practice

A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 12 (choose two per paper) (11 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 12 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
12.1.1	Energy resources	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 17 (direct)
12.1.2	Energy transition challenges	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 17 (direct)
12.1.3	National energy supply and demand	No linked practice
12.1.4	Contrasting country energy cases	No linked practice
12.2.1	Rural pollution sources	No linked practice
12.2.2	Rural environmental management	No linked practice
12.2.3	Rural management case	No linked practice
12.3.1	Urban pollution sources	No linked practice
12.3.2	Urban environmental management	No linked practice
12.3.3	Urban planning controls	No linked practice
12.3.4	Urban management case	No linked practice

A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 13 (choose two per paper) (8 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 13 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
13.1.1	Visible trade flows	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 18 (direct)
13.1.2	Trade patterns and production networks	Global production and development, question 1 (partial) 2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 18 (direct)
13.1.3	Contrasting trade cases	No linked practice
13.2.1	WTO, UNCTAD and Aid for Trade	No linked practice
13.2.2	Aid forms and evaluation	No linked practice
13.3.1	Tourism patterns	No linked practice
13.3.2	Tourism impacts and capacity	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 19 (direct)
13.3.3	Contrasting tourism cases	No linked practice

A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 14 (choose two per paper) (9 entries)

Geography 9696: A · Paper 4 Global Themes: topic 14 (choose two per paper)
Reference	Concept	Linked practice
14.1.1	Disease patterns and measurement	No linked practice
14.1.2	Spatial morbidity factors	No linked practice
14.2.1	Influenza	No linked practice
14.2.2	Cholera	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 20 (partial)
14.2.3	Malaria	No linked practice
14.3.1	Monitoring and controlling disease	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 20 (partial)
14.3.2	Outbreak responses	2027 physical and human geography gaps, question 20 (partial)
14.3.3	Contrasting pandemic country cases	No linked practice
14.3.4	Disease eradication programme	No linked practice

Remaining academic requirements

Inventory records numbered content sections1.1.1-14.3.4 and AOs, not each nested bullet's separate knowledge, examples or practical competence. All six AS topics are compulsory; A-Level selects two topics from7-10 and two from11-14. Presence of a short task is not topic completion.
New compulsory water resources and management and the new Climate change and governance and Disease geography options are explicit. Former Production, location and change / Economic transition content is not automatically retained; accounting/development tasks remain enrichment where no direct retained section is evidenced.
Authentic recent detailed case knowledge remains missing across flood/slope/coastal/tropical/arid/multi-hazard management, migration, population policy, cities, contrasting climate/energy/trade/tourism/pandemic countries and eradication programmes. Fictional calculations cannot discharge those requirements (PDF page14).
Map interpretation at1:25000/1:50000, unfamiliar multi-resource analysis and sustained15/20-mark evaluation need further materials and teacher assessment. Practical work is encouraged but not assessed as a separate fieldwork component (p15). GIS is encouraged, not used in the exam (p16).
Version1 changes on pages58-59 are the applicable notice; no separate update PDF was linked on the target syllabus page at review. New AO numbering, paper titles and AS45+15 mark sections must not be replaced by the2026 structure.
The apparel factory pollution question lacks an urban/rural location and is teacher_review rather than forced into12.2/12.3. Peat listed-flow residual does not establish total carbon or greenhouse forcing.

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