European Baccalaureate Geography exam-day guide
European Baccalaureate Geography · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the identity document your school or examination centre requires. The exact accepted forms and whether a school-issued card suffices are set by your centre - confirm with the provider before exam day rather than assuming a national ID card alone is enough.
Exact date, start time and room
The European Baccalaureate written session runs on fixed dates, but your centre controls room allocation and reporting time. Confirm the precise schedule and arrival deadline with your school's Baccalaureate coordinator, and note that arrival cut-offs and late-entry rules are centre-specific - confirm with the provider.
Permitted stationery
Bring several pens in blue or black, pencils, an eraser and a sharpener. Whether pencil may be used for final answers, and whether correction fluid or tape is allowed, varies - confirm with the provider. Write final answers in the medium your centre specifies.
Geometry set and calculator status
Geography papers can involve map, graph or data interpretation. Bring a ruler and, if your centre permits it, a calculator. The accepted calculator models, and whether graphing or programmable calculators are excluded, are set by the examination authority - confirm with the provider.
Approved atlas or source materials
Some geography tasks rely on maps or data supplied inside the paper; others may allow an atlas. Do not assume an atlas is permitted. Confirm with the provider exactly which reference materials, if any, may be taken to your seat.
Clear pencil case or none
Many centres require stationery to be visible, for example in a transparent case or loose on the desk. The rule is centre-specific - confirm with the provider and pack accordingly to avoid having items confiscated at the door.
No phone or smart device at your desk
Leave phones, smartwatches and any wearable device switched off and stored as your centre directs. Possession at the desk, even switched off, can be treated as misconduct. The exact storage procedure is centre-specific - confirm with the provider.
Water in a plain container and a small snack
A clear bottle with the label removed is commonly accepted; food and drink rules during the session vary. Confirm with the provider whether snacks are allowed and whether they must be kept outside the room.
Know your candidate number and seat details
Learn your candidate number and any seat allocation in advance so you are not searching for paperwork at the door. How numbers are issued and displayed is handled by your centre - confirm with the provider.
Plan your journey with a buffer
Aim to arrive well before the reporting time to absorb transport delays. Because late-entry rules are centre-specific, build in margin rather than relying on being admitted after the start - confirm the cut-off with the provider.
Language and dictionary arrangements
The European Baccalaureate is multilingual, and arrangements for the language of the paper and for dictionaries differ by section and centre. Do not bring a dictionary unless you have confirmed it is permitted - confirm with the provider.
Rest and logistics the night before
Sleep, eat properly and lay out your ID, stationery and schedule the evening before. Avoid last-minute cramming of new content; a short review of case-study examples and key terminology is more useful.
Plan the day
Confirm logistics with your Baccalaureate coordinator: exact date, reporting time, room, permitted equipment and any dictionary or atlas rule. Write the answers down. Do not leave equipment questions to the morning of the exam.
Review the paper's structure and command words rather than new content. Practise interpreting the verbs used in questions - describe, explain, compare, evaluate, justify - and rehearse how many developed points each type demands at the mark tariff.
Rehearse your case-study bank. Prepare a small set of well-learned examples with named places, dates and figures that can serve several themes: population and migration, urban change, economic activity, resources, and environmental or hazard management. Precise, relevant examples earn more than vague generalities.
Do one timed practice task under exam conditions, ideally including a data-response or map-based question. Practise allocating reading time, planning time and writing time, and check that your handwriting and diagram labelling stay legible under time pressure.
Do a light review only: key terminology, your case-study list, and the structure of longer answers. Stop early enough to sleep well. Avoid learning new case studies at this stage, as half-learned detail invites errors.
Pack your bag: ID, stationery, geometry set, calculator if permitted, clear case, water, and any confirmed permitted materials. Check the journey plan and set two alarms. Reconfirm the reporting time with the provider if anything is unclear.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Keep conversation with other candidates light; last-minute fact-swapping often creates doubt. Once seated, read the front of the paper carefully for instructions, mark allocations and any choice requirements.
Read all instructions and the full question set before writing. Note how many questions are compulsory, how many you must choose, and the marks for each. Build a short time budget in the margin so no question is starved of time.
Spend a few minutes per question identifying the command word, the theme and the case studies you will use. For data-response items, read the axis labels, units, legend and scale before interpreting the pattern. A brief plan prevents answers that drift off the question.
Match length and depth to the mark tariff. Define terms where useful, support each claim with a named example or figure, and use connectives to show cause and effect. In evaluation questions, give both sides and reach a supported judgement rather than listing points.
Label diagrams fully - title, axes, units, scale and key - and refer to them in the text. When quoting data, give the figure and its unit and say what it shows. Keep calculations tidy so method marks are visible.
Reserve the last several minutes to check that every required question has been attempted, that question numbers are clear, and that you have not left a choice question unanswered. Correct obvious unit, spelling or labelling errors, then stop writing when instructed.
Rules to check
Bring the identity document your centre requires and keep it on the desk if instructed. Accepted forms of ID are set locally - confirm with the provider before exam day.
Follow the centre's rules on what may be taken to your seat. Phones, smartwatches and other devices must be off and stored as directed; possession at the desk can be treated as misconduct even if unused.
Do not communicate with other candidates once in the examination room, and do not look at another candidate's work. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need anything.
Do not bring unauthorised materials - notes, annotated atlases, formula sheets or dictionaries - unless you have confirmed in writing that they are permitted. If in doubt, leave them outside the room.
Scoring follows the published mark scheme for each question, including credit for method, use of examples and quality of evaluation. Answer the question as set: irrelevant material, however accurate, earns little. The precise weighting is set by the examination authority - confirm with the provider.
Arrival cut-offs, late entry and arrangements for leaving the room early are centre-specific. Confirm these with the provider in advance rather than assuming you will be admitted or released at a particular point.
If you need to leave the room during the session, for example for a break or medical reason, attract an invigilator's attention. Supervision arrangements for absences are centre-specific - confirm with the provider.
If you believe there is a problem with the paper or your conditions, tell an invigilator immediately and note the time; raise it through your school afterwards. Do not attempt to resolve it by discussing the paper with others during the session.