Cambridge International A Level Geography 9696
Core physical, core human, advanced options and the full statistical toolkit for Cambridge A Level Geography 9696 — every formula, framework and model in one place.
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Aligned with the latest 2026 syllabus and board specifications. This sheet is prepared to match your exam board’s official specifications for the 2026 exam series.
Cambridge A Level Geography (9696) blends physical, human and skills-based assessment across four papers. This formula sheet brings together every core concept from Papers 1 and 2, the advanced options of Papers 3 and 4, and the full set of statistical formulas you must apply with confidence in 2026.
Paper 1 Core Physical: hydrology, atmosphere, rocks & weathering
Paper 2 Core Human: population, migration, settlement dynamics
Advanced Physical & Human options for Papers 3 and 4
Statistical formulas: Spearman, chi-squared, Mann-Whitney, Lorenz
Water cycle, drainage basin systems and river processes & landforms.
Open system equation linking inputs, outputs and stores.
Equation
Q = P − E − T ± ΔS (discharge = precipitation − evaporation − transpiration ± change in storage) Q is channel discharge; ΔS is change in soil/groundwater storage.
Graph showing river response to a rainfall event.
Lag time = time from peak rainfall → peak discharge Rising limb · peak discharge · falling limb · baseflow Flashy hydrograph: short lag time, high peak — caused by urbanisation, impermeable rock, steep slopes.
Erosion
Hydraulic action · abrasion · attrition · solution (corrosion) Transport
Traction · saltation · suspension · solution Landforms
Upper: V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, gorges · Middle: meanders, oxbow lakes · Lower: floodplains, levées, deltas Velocity required to erode, transport or deposit sediment of different sizes.
Clay needs higher velocity to erode than sand because of cohesion; sand is the most easily entrained sediment.
Energy budget, weather systems and weathering processes.
Net radiation = (incoming shortwave − reflected shortwave) − (outgoing longwave − incoming longwave) Albedo: % of incoming radiation reflected — fresh snow ≈ 80–95%, ocean ≈ 5–10% Coriolis deflects winds right in N hemisphere, left in S hemisphere — increases with latitude Low pressure (depression): rising air, convergence, cloud, precipitation High pressure (anticyclone): descending air, divergence, clear skies Three main types — physical, chemical, biological.
Physical
Freeze-thaw (frost shattering), exfoliation (onion-skin), thermal expansion, salt crystallisation Chemical
Carbonation, hydrolysis, oxidation, hydration, solution Biological
Root action, burrowing, organic acids from decay Slow: soil creep, solifluction · Fast: rockfall, landslide, mudflow, slump Slope stability factors
Gradient · regolith depth · vegetation cover · pore-water pressure · seismicity Demographic transition, structure and optimum population.
Five stages of population change linked to economic development.
Stage 1
High stationary — high CBR, high CDR, low NIR Stage 2
Early expanding — high CBR, falling CDR, rising NIR Stage 3
Late expanding — falling CBR, low CDR, falling NIR Stage 4
Low stationary — low CBR, low CDR, low NIR Stage 5
Declining — CBR < CDR, negative NIR (Japan, Germany) Crude Birth Rate (CBR)
(births / total population) × 1000 Crude Death Rate (CDR)
(deaths / total population) × 1000 Natural Increase Rate
(CBR − CDR) / 10 = % per year Dependency Ratio
((0–14) + (65+)) / (15–64) × 100 Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
Average number of children per woman of reproductive age (15–49) Wide base = high birth rates (LIC) · Pillar/inverted = ageing population (HIC) · Bulges/dents reveal historical events (wars, epidemics) Optimum population: size at which a country produces highest per-capita output given resources & technology Overpopulation vs underpopulation depends on resources, not absolute numbers (Boserup vs Malthus) Push-pull, urbanisation and urban land use models.
Push
Conflict, persecution, unemployment, famine, environmental hazards, low wages Pull
Higher wages, family reunification, security, education, healthcare Lee's model
Push factors at origin + pull at destination + intervening obstacles + personal factors Refugees: forced cross-border movement (UNHCR-defined) Remittances: money sent home by migrants — major income source for LICs (e.g. Philippines, Mexico) Brain drain (origin) vs brain gain (destination) Urbanisation: rising % of population in urban areas — fastest in Asia and Africa Counter-urbanisation: HIC movement out of cities; suburbanisation: city growth into the rural-urban fringe Rural-urban fringe pressures: green belts, edge-of-town retail, commuter villages.
Burgess (1925)
Concentric ring model — CBD → factory zone → low-class residential → middle-class → high-class commuter Hoyt (1939)
Sector model — growth along transport routes; high-income sectors avoid industry Mann (1965)
Hybrid concentric + sector for British industrial cities Choose ONE option — examined with extended responses.
Climate, vegetation (rainforest vs savanna), tropical soils (latosols), deforestation, sustainable management Wave types (constructive vs destructive), longshore drift, erosional landforms (cliffs, stacks, arches), depositional (beaches, spits, tombolos), management (hard vs soft engineering) Tectonic (earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis), atmospheric (tropical cyclones), risk = hazard × vulnerability ÷ capacity to cope Park's Disaster Response model: pre-event, relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction.
Aridity index, wind & water erosion in deserts, desertification causes, salinisation, sustainable irrigation Choose ONE option — examined with extended responses.
Trade flows, MNCs, foreign direct investment, debt, aid, fair trade, globalisation winners/losers Clark-Fisher sectoral model (primary → secondary → tertiary → quaternary), NICs, Rostow's stages of growth Energy mix, sustainability, renewable vs non-renewable, climate policy, conservation strategies Weber's industrial location, agricultural change (von Thünen), agribusiness, footloose industries, regional development Apply the right test to the right data type — show your working clearly.
Tests strength of relationship between two ranked variables.
Formula
rs = 1 − (6 Σd² / n(n² − 1)) d
Difference between ranks of paired data; n = number of pairs rs ranges −1 to +1; check significance against critical values for n at 0.05 / 0.01 levels.
Tests whether observed distribution differs significantly from expected.
Formula
χ² = Σ ((O − E)² / E) Degrees of freedom
df = (rows − 1)(columns − 1) Compare χ² to critical value at chosen significance level. H₀: no significant difference.
Compares two independent samples — non-parametric alternative to t-test.
U = n₁n₂ + (n₁(n₁+1)/2) − R₁ Smaller U value is the test statistic; reject H₀ if U ≤ critical value.
Compares means of two samples (parametric — requires normal distribution).
t = (x̄₁ − x̄₂) / √((s₁²/n₁) + (s₂²/n₂)) Measures inequality of distribution (income, land, population).
Gini = A / (A + B), where A = area between line of equality and Lorenz curve, B = area below curve 0 = perfect equality; 1 = perfect inequality.
Measures concentration of an industry/feature in a region vs national average.
LQ = (regional employment in industry / total regional employment) ÷ (national employment in industry / total national employment) LQ > 1 = over-represented; LQ < 1 = under-represented.
4-figure grid reference
Eastings (along corridor) first, then Northings (up stairs) — identifies a 1 km square 6-figure grid reference
Subdivide each square into tenths — identifies a 100 m × 100 m point Bearings: measured clockwise from North in degrees (000°–360°) Boost your Cambridge exam confidence with these proven study strategies from our tutoring experts.
Spearman's rank, chi-squared and Mann-Whitney appear regularly. Practise applying each to past-paper data sets — you must show working.
Examiners reward specific place-based detail. For each core topic and option, prepare one HIC and one LIC case study with names, dates and statistics.
Skills (graph interpretation, statistical tests, OS maps) appear across all four papers — drill them throughout the year, not just before exams.
Top-band answers connect physical processes to human consequences (e.g. flooding → settlement displacement) and vice versa.
Quick answers about this free PDF and how to use it for exam revision and active recall.
Yes. This Tutopiya formula sheet is free to use and you can download it as a PDF from this page for offline revision. There is no payment or account required for the PDF download.
This page groups key Geography formulas in one place for revision. Master Cambridge A Level Geography (9696) with this 2026 formula sheet. Covers Paper 1 Core Physical, Paper 2 Core Human, advanced options, and key statistical formulas including Spearman's rank, chi-squared and Mann-… Always cross-check with your official syllabus and past papers for your exam session.
No. In the exam you must follow only what your exam board allows in the hall—usually the official formula booklet or data sheet where provided. This page is a revision and teaching aid, not a replacement for board-issued materials.
It is written for students preparing for assessments at Post-Secondary in Geography, including classroom revision, homework support, and independent study. Teachers and tutors can also share it as a quick reference.
Work through past paper questions, quote the correct formula before substituting values, and check units and notation every time. Pair this sheet with timed practice and mark schemes so you see how examiners expect working to be set out.
Explore Tutopiya’s study tools, past paper finder, and revision checklists linked from our tools hub, or book a trial lesson with a subject specialist for personalised support alongside this formula reference.
Work through statistical methods, case studies and synoptic essay technique with an experienced Cambridge A Level Geography tutor. We focus on data skills, place-specific detail, and top-band exam strategy.
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This formula sheet aligns with Cambridge Assessment International Education International A Level Geography (9696) syllabus content for 2026 examinations.
Always show working for statistical tests and identify your null and alternative hypotheses explicitly.