IGCSE Geography 0460 from 2027: what has changed?
From 2027, Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 is assessed by two 75-mark written papers, Paper 1 Physical Geography and Paper 2 Human Geography, plus either coursework or Paper 4 Geographical Investigations. The separate Geographical Skills paper has gone, and skills are now tested across every component. The 2027–2029 syllabus also adds a climate change topic, removes the settlement, water and weather topics, and replaces case studies with "detailed specific examples".
As of October 2026, this matters now, not next year. Any student sitting 0460 in 2027 takes the new syllabus, so this year's Year 11 mocks should already follow the new format. Here is what changed, with old-vs-new tables and a practical guide to building mocks from the papers you already have. For every other subject, see our hub of Cambridge IGCSE syllabus changes for 2027 to 2029.
When does the new 0460 syllabus start?
The 2027–2029 syllabus is used for exams in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The 2025–2026 syllabus covers exams in 2025 and 2026 only. Cambridge says the syllabus was revised "for first examination in 2027".
| Syllabus | Exam series covered |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 (2025–2026) | 2025 and 2026 |
| Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 (2027–2029) | 2027, 2028 and 2029: June and November, plus March in India |
| Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Geography 0976 (2027–2029) | 2027, 2028 and 2029: June and November |
| Cambridge O Level Geography 2217 (2027–2029) | 2027, 2028 and 2029: November |
So the first 0460 exams on the new syllabus are in March 2027 for schools in India and June 2027 everywhere else. The syllabus tells schools to check they are using the syllabus for the year the candidate sits the exam, so a retake in 2027 is also on the new syllabus. Candidates can't combine 0460 with 0976 or 2217 in the same series.
How do the old and new papers compare?
The written papers move from a 45% themes paper plus a 27.5% skills paper to two equal 36% papers, split into physical and human geography. Coursework and its alternative stay at 60 marks and rise from 27.5% to 28%.
| Component | 2025–2026 syllabus | 2027–2029 syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Geographical Themes: 1 h 45 min, 75 marks (weighted to 100), 45% | Physical Geography: 1 h 45 min, 75 marks, 36% |
| Paper 2 | Geographical Skills: 1 h 30 min, 60 marks, 27.5% | Human Geography: 1 h 45 min, 75 marks, 36% |
| Component 3 | Coursework: up to 2,000 words, 60 marks, 27.5% | Coursework: 1,800–2,200 words, 60 marks, 28% |
| Paper 4 | Alternative to Coursework: 1 h 30 min, 60 marks, 27.5% | Geographical Investigations: 1 h 30 min, 60 marks, 28% |
All candidates take Papers 1 and 2, then either Component 3 or Paper 4, as before. Grades are still A*–G for 0460.
What changes in Paper 1 and Paper 2?
Both papers now have the same layout: a compulsory 25-mark question in Section A, then two 25-mark questions chosen from three in Section B. Paper 1 covers Topics 1–5 (physical) and Paper 2 covers Topics 6–10 (human).
Under the 2025–2026 syllabus, Paper 1 asked students to answer three 25-mark questions, one from each of three sections. The new papers take away some of that choice, because every student must answer the Section A question. Each question has short-answer items and an extended response, and some items are based on source material.
| Paper 1 Physical Geography (Topics 1–5) | Paper 2 Human Geography (Topics 6–10) |
|---|---|
| 1 Changing river environments | 6 Changing populations |
| 2 Changing coastal environments | 7 Changing towns and cities |
| 3 Changing ecosystems | 8 Development |
| 4 Tectonic hazards | 9 Changing economies |
| 5 Climate change | 10 Resource provision |
Which topics were added and removed?
Cambridge has added a climate change topic and removed the settlement, water and weather topics. It has also given more weight to sustainability, which the syllabus asks teachers to consider across all topics.
Reading the two syllabuses side by side, these are the content changes most likely to affect your schemes of work:
- Removed: weather (including weather instruments and the Stevenson screen), water supply, settlement and service provision, population density and distribution, and the hot desert climate and ecosystem.
- Added or made explicit: climate change (evidence, natural and human causes, impacts, mitigation and adaptation), the Antarctic ecosystem alongside the tropical rainforest, river pollution, and the demographic transition model.
- Terminology: MEDCs and LEDCs are replaced by high-, middle- and low-income countries (HICs, MICs and LICs). The syllabus notes that categorising countries "is not always meaningful".
- Examples: case studies are replaced by detailed specific examples. Cambridge recommends choosing examples from 2000 to the present day, and the syllabus lists exactly what each one must cover. The river topic, for example, needs one example of a flood and one of river pollution.
Where have the geographical skills gone?
There is no longer a skills paper. Geographical skills are assessed across all components, including both written papers. Cambridge's 0460 syllabus page says this is to give a more authentic experience of applying skills.
The skills themselves are now listed in one section of the syllabus: cartographic skills (including 1:50 000 and 1:25 000 maps, grid references and cross-sections), graphical skills, GIS and image skills, mathematical skills and fieldwork skills. Calculators may be used in all examinations, and candidates need a pencil, eraser, ruler, protractor and calculator for Papers 1, 2 and 4. Mapwork hasn't disappeared: the 2027 specimen Paper 2 (Human Geography) opens with a question on a 1:50 000 survey map extract.
How have the assessment objectives changed?
AO1 rises from 30% to 32%, AO2 falls from 52% to 48% and AO3 rises from 18% to 20%. AO1 is renamed "Knowledge and understanding" and AO3 becomes "Evaluation and decision-making".
| Assessment objective | 2025–2026 | 2027–2029 |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge with understanding / Knowledge and understanding | 30% | 32% |
| AO2 Skills and analysis | 52% | 48% |
| AO3 Judgement and decision-making / Evaluation and decision-making | 18% | 20% |
The component weightings shift more than the totals suggest. The old Paper 1 was 48% AO1, 30% AO2 and 22% AO3, and the old Paper 2 was 80% AO2. Each new written paper is 37% AO1, 43% AO2 and 20% AO3. In practice, a physical or human geography paper now carries far more data, map and graph work than the old themes paper did. Coursework and Paper 4 stay at 20% AO1, 60% AO2 and 20% AO3.
What changes for coursework and Paper 4?
Coursework now has a word range of 1,800–2,200 words and is submitted through Submit for Assessment. Paper 4 is renamed Geographical Investigations and has two compulsory 30-mark questions.
The five coursework criteria are unchanged in shape: 12 marks each for knowledge and understanding, observation and collection of data, organisation and presentation, analysis and interpretation, and conclusion and evaluation. As before, each criterion is marked in three levels worth 1–4, 5–8 and 9–12 marks, and the new syllabus now sets out a separate marking grid for each criterion. Cambridge says the title, word count, appendices and raw data tables don't count towards the word count, and work well outside the range may be self-penalising. The coursework handbook has also been revised.
Paper 4 keeps its 1 hour 30 minutes and 60 marks, and still assesses the route to geographical enquiry with an emphasis on AO2.
What this means for marking mocks this year
For students sitting in 2027, set mocks in the new format and mark against the 2027 specimen mark schemes. Old past papers are still useful, but only after you check each question against the new content.
Old Paper 1 (Geographical Themes). These are your best source of practice questions for the new written papers. Questions on rivers, coasts, earthquakes and volcanoes and the tropical rainforest fit the new Paper 1. Questions on population, migration, urbanisation, development, food, industry, tourism and energy fit the new Paper 2. Leave out sub-parts on weather, water supply, settlement and service provision, population density and hot deserts. You can build a new-format mock by putting one 25-mark question in Section A and three in Section B, all from the same half of the syllabus.
Watch the "case study" parts. Old extended responses asked for case studies chosen under the old content. Before you reuse one, check that it matches a detailed specific example the new syllabus asks for. A case study of an over-populated country, for instance, has no direct equivalent in the 2027–2029 content.
Old Paper 2 (Geographical Skills). There is no 60-mark skills paper to mock any more, so don't set an old Paper 2 as a whole paper. Its mapwork, graph and photo questions are still good practice, because the same skills now sit inside Papers 1, 2 and 4. Use them as short starters or skills tests.
Old Paper 4 (Alternative to Coursework). This is the closest match: same time, same marks, and every question is compulsory. Check the topic of each question first. A question built around weather instruments, for example, would now fall outside the syllabus.
Mark schemes and terminology. Older mark schemes may use LEDC and MEDC language. Accept HIC, MIC and LIC from your students, because that is what the new papers use.
Grades. There are no grade threshold tables for the 2027–2029 syllabus until it has been examined. If you report grades for a mock built from old questions, call them estimates and explain how you converted them. Our guide to which grade boundaries to use for IGCSE mocks sets out a defensible method. With new papers and new mark schemes, it is also worth agreeing standards before marking; see how to moderate mock marking in a department. After the mock, a question-level analysis shows quickly whether the embedded skills items are where students lose marks.
FAQ
When is the first exam for the new IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus?
The 2027–2029 syllabus is first examined in 2027. That is March 2027 for schools in India, which can use the March series, and June 2027 for everyone else.
Is there still a Geographical Skills paper in IGCSE Geography?
No. From 2027 the skills paper is removed, and geographical skills are assessed across all components, including Paper 1 Physical Geography and Paper 2 Human Geography.
What are the new IGCSE Geography 0460 papers?
Paper 1 Physical Geography and Paper 2 Human Geography are each 1 hour 45 minutes, 75 marks and 36%. Candidates then take either Component 3 Coursework or Paper 4 Geographical Investigations, each 60 marks and 28%.
Can I still use old 0460 past papers for mocks?
Yes, selectively. Old Paper 1 questions on topics that remain fit the new Paper 1 or Paper 2, old Paper 4 is close to the new Paper 4, and old Paper 2 skills questions work as short practice. Remove anything on weather, water supply or settlement.
What replaced MEDCs and LEDCs in IGCSE Geography?
The 2027–2029 syllabus uses high-income, middle-income and low-income countries (HICs, MICs and LICs) to describe countries at different levels of development.
Sources
- Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus for 2027, 2028 and 2029 (version 2)
- Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus for 2025 and 2026 (version 2)
- Syllabus update: Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 for examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (January 2025)
- Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus page and 2027 specimen papers
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Geography 0976 syllabus for 2027, 2028 and 2029
- Cambridge O Level Geography 2217 syllabus for 2027, 2028 and 2029