Practice G.5 Synthesis, Evaluation, and Skills with authentic IB Geography exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like physical geography, human geography, and geospatial analysis. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 1
The infographic shows the spatial variation in PM2.5 air pollution levels by city and exceeds WHO guidelines
Source: IQAir, World Health Organisation (WHO)
1.[1]
Identify one city where PM2.5 air pollution exceeds 40 µg/m³.
2.[1]
Identify one city where PM2.5 air pollution is within 2× the WHO guideline.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why PM2.5 levels may be higher in cities such as Cairo or Mumbai.
4.[6]
Explain two impacts of air pollution on urban populations and sustainability.
5.[10]
Discuss the causes and consequences of deteriorating air quality in urban areas in middle- and low-income countries.
6.[10]
Evaluate the extent to which urban air pollution challenges can be addressed through planning and policy strategies.
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows global flood events by type (heavy rain, snowmelt/ice, tropical storm/surge, dam failure) and indicates the total population exposed, highlighting Southeast Asia as a high risk region.
Source: Mapbox/Viz by Bloomberg Green (Adapted)
1.[1]
Identify the country with the highest number of people exposed in a single flood event.
2.[1]
Identify the flood type that accounts for the greatest concentration of flood events globally.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why urban areas in Southeast Asia are especially vulnerable to flood events.
4.[6]
Explain two challenges that flooding poses to urban sustainability and resilience in rapidly developing cities.
5.[10]
Discuss how flood risk affects sustainable urban development in low- and middle-income countries.
6.[10]
Evaluate the effectiveness of flood management strategies in urban areas at different levels of development.
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 1
The infographic shows the estimated share of the population living in urban areas in 1950, 2025, and 2050 for selected countries.
Source: United Nations (UN) Population Division
1.[1]
Identify one country where the urban population is projected to exceed 90% by 2050.
2.[1]
Identify one country where the urban population is projected to remain below 50% in 2050.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why urbanisation is projected to increase in countries such as India or Kenya.
4.[6]
Explain two consequences of urban growth for infrastructure or services in low- and middle-income countries.
5.[10]
Discuss the causes of increasing urbanisation in both high-income and low-income countries.
6.[10]
Evaluate the social and environmental implications of projected urban growth by 2050.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 1
The infographic shows the contributions to global surface air temperature anomalies from both land and ocean regions.
Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service (2024)
1.[1]
Identify the land latitude band with the greatest contribution to global surface air temperature anomalies in late 2023.
2.[1]
Identify the ocean latitude band that contributed most consistently to global surface temperature anomalies throughout 2023.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why contributions from ocean regions may be more stable over time than from land regions.
4.[6]
Explain two ways in which urban areas in mid-latitude regions may be particularly affected by rising temperature anomalies.
5.[10]
Discuss how increasing regional temperature anomalies challenge the sustainability of cities in different parts of the world.
6.[10]
Evaluate the extent to which urban planning strategies can reduce the risks associated with rising global temperature anomalies.
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows the share of the urban population living in slums (2022).
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018)
1.[1]
Identify one country where the capital city population exceeds 20 million people.
2.[1]
Identify one country where the capital city population is below 500,000 people.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why capital cities in low-income or newly urbanising countries may have very large populations.
4.[6]
Explain two possible challenges associated with large and rapidly growing capital city populations.
5.[10]
Discuss the causes and consequences of population concentration in capital cities in middle- and low-income countries.
6.[10]
Evaluate the extent to which strategies to decentralise urban development have been successful in reducing pressure on capital cities.
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 1
The infographic shows the estimated share of the population living in urban areas in 1950, 2025, and 2050 for selected countries.
Source: United Nations Habitat
1.[1]
Identify one country where over 80% of the urban population has convenient access to public transport.
2.[1]
Identify one region where less than 20% of the urban population has convenient access to public transport.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why access to public transport may be higher in high-income urban areas.
4.[6]
Explain two challenges faced by cities in low-income countries with limited access to public transportation.
5.[10]
Discuss the role of accessible public transportation in shaping the sustainability and inclusiveness of urban environments.
6.[10]
Evaluate how disparities in public transport accessibility influence patterns of urban inequality within and between countries.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 1
The graph shows the m² (meters squared) of green space per person in cities around the world.
Source: World Health Organisation
1.[1]
Identify one city where green space per person exceeds 30 m².
2.[1]
Identify one city that falls below the WHO minimum recommendation of 9 m².
3.[2]
Outline one reason why some cities have very low levels of green space per person.
4.[6]
Explain two consequences for urban populations living in cities with limited green space.
5.[10]
Discuss the importance of green space provision in enhancing the liveability and resilience of cities.
6.[10]
Evaluate the challenges of ensuring equitable access to green space in rapidly urbanising cities.
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows total water withdrawals per capita by country.
Source: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), AQUASTAT
1.[1]
Identify one country with per capita water withdrawals exceeding 1,000 m³ per year.
2.[1]
Identify one region with per capita water withdrawals below 200 m³ per year.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why urban per capita water withdrawals are high in some high-income countries.
4.[6]
Explain two consequences of excessive water use for urban environments.
5.[10]
Discuss how patterns of water consumption in urban areas reflect levels of development and lifestyle.
6.[10]
Evaluate the extent to which sustainable water management can reduce urban water stress.
Question 9
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows the share of the urban population living in slums (2022).
Source: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
1.[1]
Identify one region where over 70% of the urban population lives in slums.
2.[1]
Identify one region where less than 10% of the urban population lives in slums.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why slum populations are often concentrated in rapidly growing cities in low-income countries.
4.[6]
Explain two challenges faced by people living in slum settlements.
5.[10]
Explain the factors that lead to the growth of informal settlements (slums) in rapidly urbanizing cities.
6.[10]
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used to improve the quality of life for people living in informal settlements.
Question 10
SL & HLPaper 1
The map shows the percentage of the population living in urban areas in 2023.
Source: United Nations (UN) Population Division (Via World Bank) (2025)
1.[1]
Identify one country where more than 90% of the population lives in urban areas.
2.[1]
Identify one country where less than 20% of the population lives in urban areas.
3.[2]
Outline one reason why the share of the population living in urban areas is lower in some countries.
4.[6]
Explain two consequences of rapid urbanisation for countries with low levels of urban infrastructure.
5.[10]
Discuss the causes and consequences of uneven levels of urbanisation between countries at different levels of development.
6.[10]
Evaluate the extent to which urbanisation contributes to sustainable development.