Settlements and service provision: past paper questions
Real questions on settlements and service provision
The newest 20 of 45 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 0976/12 · May/June 2025 · Q2a(i)[1]
What is meant by rural settlement?
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2025 · Q2a(ii)[2]
Suggest two low-order services which you would expect to find in a rural settlement such as the one shown in Fig. 2.1.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2025 · Q2a(iii)[3]
Explain why rural settlements such as the one shown in Fig. 2.1 only have low-order services.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2025 · Q2a(iv)[4]
Suggest reasons for the growth of the settlement shown in Fig. 2.1.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2025 · Q2b(i)[3]
Using Fig. 2.2, compare the settlement patterns in areas X and Y.
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · October/November 2024 · Q3a(i)[1]
rank and population size
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · October/November 2024 · Q3a(ii)[1]
rank and amount of settlements.
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · October/November 2024 · Q3b[1]
Identify one service found in the small towns but not in the villages.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2024 · Q2c[7]
For an area you have studied, describe and explain the service provision. Name of area Section B Answer one question from this section.
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · May/June 2024 · Q3a[2]
Identify the type of settlement pattern shown in each photograph. Fig. 3. Fig. 3.2
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2023 · Q2a(i)[1]
What type of settlement is shown at X in Fig. 2.1? Circle one of the following. dispersed settlement rural settlement squatter settlement
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · October/November 2023 · Q3a(ii)[2]
Fig. 3.2 (Insert) shows a local neighbourhood clothing shop. State how this shop will differ from a clothing shop in Fig. 3.1 using the headings below. range of goods threshold population
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · May/June 2023 · Q2b(i)[3]
Using information from Fig. 2.2 only, compare the sphere of influence of the general store and the large supermarket.
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · October/November 2022 · Q3a(i)[2]
Describe the housing shown in Fig. 3.1.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2021 · Q2a(ii)[2]
Name the following settlements shown in Fig. 2.1: the town in the north west of the area the village approximately 8 km south west of Majihun.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2021 · Q2a(iii)[3]
Choose one service from the list below which may be available in a village. Give reasons for your choice. general store hospital jewellers shoe shop Service Reasons
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2021 · Q2a(iv)[4]
The only secondary school in the area shown in Fig. 2.1 is in Kenema. Suggest why only a few of the children who live in Konjo are likely to attend secondary school.
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2021 · Q2b(i)[3]
Name the settlement pattern shown in each of maps A, B and C. Map A Map B Map C
See it on the paper → - 0976/12 · October/November 2021 · Q2b(ii)[5]
Explain why different settlement patterns develop in rural areas.
See it on the paper → - 0976/22 · May/June 2021 · Q3a(i)[1]
Using information from Table 3.1, plot the number of district towns in Fig. 3.1 below. 60 50 40 number 30 of settlements 20 10 0 SS low LSC SC DT SRT RT high position in settlement hierarchy Fig. 3.1
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Most answers showed an understanding of the word ‘rural’, explaining that it is countryside, but often gave no definition of the word ‘settlement’ by reference to it being an area or place where people lived.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0976/12 Q2(a)(i) (Cambridge)
Answers varied in quality. The most popular responses were ‘grocer’, ‘post office’ and ‘church’. Vague examples such as ‘shop’ needed more precision for credit. Some candidates gave answers of jobs, such as ‘farming’, or goods, such as ‘milk’, which indicated a misunderstanding of the word ‘services’.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0976/12 Q2(a)(ii) (Cambridge)
Most candidates scored at least one mark by referring to the population being small. Whilst a minority of candidates gained further marks for reference to other mark scheme ideas, especially those relating to the viability of higher order services, few gained full marks. There was very little accurate use of terms such as threshold population and sphere of influence.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0976/12 Q2(a)(iii) (Cambridge)
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