IAL Geography Unit 4 (Researching Geography): how to write the research report

Short answer: IAL Geography Unit 4 Researching Geography (WGE04) asks you to write one 60-mark, report-style essay on an option you have studied in depth. Build a portfolio of dated, located case studies beforehand. Then use clear sections, name your sources and reach a balanced conclusion. Each habit matches a mark criterion.

How IAL Geography Unit 4 Researching Geography is assessed

Unit 4 is a 1 hour 30 minute exam worth 60 marks. It makes up 20% of the International A Level (IAL) [1].

You study one option in depth. The options are Tectonic Activity and Hazards, Feeding the World's People, Cultural Diversity: People and Landscapes, and Human Health and Disease [1].

Before the exam you receive pre-release material. This is a set of research focus questions for each option. In the exam you answer one question from a list [1].

The Unit 4 paper is a single 60-mark question in the sample assessment materials. It is a report-style essay with clear sections and referencing, and the quality of your written communication is assessed [2].

There is no coursework in this qualification. Research and fieldwork skills are tested in the exam itself [1]. That is why your preparation has to be thorough.

What the mark criteria reward

The sample assessment materials split the 60 marks across five criteria [2]. Each one tells you what to put on the page.

The assessment objectives (AOs) split the question's marks as AO1 16, AO2 24 and AO3 20 [2]. AO2 is the largest share, so you need to use your evidence, not only list it.

Across the whole IAL, Unit 4 contributes 5.3% AO1, 8% AO2 and 6.7% AO3 [1].

The top band describes a coherent report structure and a clear methodology. It also expects a rationale for your choice of evidence, including possible partiality, and accurate referencing of a wide range of sources [2]. Partiality means a source may show only one viewpoint or serve the interests of its author.

Command words steer your conclusion. 'Discuss' means present more than one side and reach an evaluative conclusion. 'To what extent' means set out the main arguments for and against, then justify your judgement [1].

Build your research portfolio before the exam

The specification expects independent work and reading that builds a portfolio to select from in the exam. It also expects located examples from countries at all levels of development [1].

Use this routine over the weeks before your exam:

1. Choose three case studies. Take one from a developed country, one from an emerging country and one from a developing country. This supports the research knowledge criterion and gives you range.
2. Record the date and author of every source. You cannot reference accurately from memory. A dated source also shows you know how current the evidence is.
3. Write a two-line note on partiality. Ask who produced the source, what it measures and what it leaves out. This matches the methodology and sourcing criterion.
4. Practise on the pre-release questions. Plan an answer to each one, then choose which case studies you would use and why.
5. Keep a short list of counter-arguments. You need evidence for both sides to meet the conclusion criterion.

Notes you can quote and reference are more useful than long notes you cannot trace.

A report structure with timings

Use headed sections. The exam is 90 minutes for 60 marks, which is 1.5 minutes a mark (90 ÷ 60). This is our suggested split of the 90 minutes, not board guidance:

• Read and plan: 10 minutes. Underline the command word and the key terms. Choose your case studies.
• Introduction: 8 minutes. Define the key terms, state your approach and name your sources and why you chose them.
• Research findings: 20 minutes. Present your located evidence under sub-headings, one case study per section.
• Analysis: 28 minutes. Compare cases, link them to the question and weigh the evidence.
• Conclusion: 15 minutes. Give a judgement, say how confident you are and why.
• Check references: 9 minutes. Make sure every claim is dated and attributed.

Treat these timings as a rough guide. Analysis has 20 marks, so it gets the most time. Planning and checking come out of the same 90 minutes, so the writing sections do not match 1.5 minutes a mark exactly. Adjust the split to suit how you write.

Worked example: an Option 2 introduction and paragraph

Here is a CC practice question, written in our own words for Option 2, Feeding the World's People. It is not a real pre-release question.

To what extent is hunger a problem of food supply rather than food access? Write a report with sections and references. (60 marks)

Notice how the introduction defines both key terms, states a clear line of argument and explains the choice of sources. Notice also that the paragraph gives dated, attributed figures and then says what they mean for the question. It admits the limit of the evidence and signals the next step, which matches both the analysis and the methodology criteria.

Common mistakes

• An essay without sections. The task is a report. Without headings, your structure is hard to credit.
• No sources named. A claim such as 'studies show' gives a marker little to credit. Give the author, the date and what the source measures.
• A one-sided conclusion. 'To what extent' needs a judgement that weighs both sides and explains your confidence.
• Case studies from one development level only. The specification expects examples from countries at all levels of development [1]. One level makes comparison impossible.
• Facts without application. Analysis is the largest criterion at 20 marks [2]. Always link evidence back to the question.

Why dated evidence matters: the SOFI 2026 example

The figures in the worked paragraph show the kind of evidence an Option 2 answer needs. SOFI 2026, published on 21 July 2026, reports that about 645 million people (7.8% of the world) faced hunger in 2025 [3]. The rate was 8.1% in 2024 [3].

The report also shows Africa at 20.0%, about 309 million people, now higher than Asia's roughly 292 million [3].

Each figure has a date, a place and a source. That matches what the research knowledge and sourcing criteria describe. Use the same habit for every case in your portfolio.