IB Geography SL · 2019 to 2025
Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins
85 past paper questions from 14 papers across 14 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
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SL archive · 2019 to 2026
Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins
Latest exam session: May 2026
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Topics in Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
7.1
Drainage basin hydrology and geomorphology
25% of marks · 31 questions
- DueThe drainage basin as a system
- DueRiver discharge and hydrographs
7.2
Flooding and flood mitigation
15% of marks · 8 questions
7.3
Water scarcity and water quality
20% of marks · 22 questions
- RisingWater scarcity and stress
7.4
Water management futures
40% of marks · 24 questions
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Top 4 of 8 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2019: 1 question | 1Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2020: 1 question | 3Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2021: 3 questions | 3Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2022: 3 questions | 2Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2023: 2 questions | 2Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2024: 2 questions | 2Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2025: 2 questions | 1Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures, 2026: 1 question | |
| 1Water quality and pollution, 2019: 1 question | 3Water quality and pollution, 2020: 3 questions | ·Water quality and pollution, 2021: 0 questions | ·Water quality and pollution, 2022: 0 questions | 2Water quality and pollution, 2023: 2 questions | 2Water quality and pollution, 2024: 2 questions | 1Water quality and pollution, 2025: 1 question | 1Water quality and pollution, 2026: 1 question | |
| 2Flooding and flood mitigation, 2019: 2 questions | ·Flooding and flood mitigation, 2020: 0 questions | 1Flooding and flood mitigation, 2021: 1 question | 1Flooding and flood mitigation, 2022: 1 question | 2Flooding and flood mitigation, 2023: 2 questions | ·Flooding and flood mitigation, 2024: 0 questions | 1Flooding and flood mitigation, 2025: 1 question | 1Flooding and flood mitigation, 2026: 1 question | |
| 1River processes and landforms, 2019: 1 question | ·River processes and landforms, 2020: 0 questions | 5River processes and landforms, 2021: 5 questions | ·River processes and landforms, 2022: 0 questions | ·River processes and landforms, 2023: 0 questions | 2River processes and landforms, 2024: 2 questions | 4River processes and landforms, 2025: 4 questions | ·River processes and landforms, 2026: 0 questions |
4 more micro-topics with a free account
- DueThe drainage basin as a system· last Nov 24 P1
- Frequently testedin at least a quarter of all papers, and still appearing in the last two years
- Regularin roughly one paper in six or more
- Dueusually examined, but missing from the last two exam sessions
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Questions on Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins, by exam session
Which papers asked about Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins, and which question numbers. Open a paper to see them highlighted.
May 2026
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2025
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2025
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2024
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2024
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2023
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2023
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2022
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2022
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2021
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2021
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2020
2 questions across 1 paper
November 2019
2 questions across 1 paper
May 2019
2 questions across 1 paper
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which Geography SL exam sessions are covered for Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins?
15 exam sessions from 2019 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 14 papers in this archive.
Which Unit 7: Option A: Freshwater - drainage basins topic comes up most?
Stakeholders, conflict and wetland futures (7.4.2): in 35% of papers, last seen May 26 P1. Usually "Examine", worth about 10.5 marks in a paper that includes it.
Can I see the original question and mark scheme?
No. The wording belongs to the IB. You get the citation, the marks, the command term and the skill tested, plus our own matched practice questions with worked answers and AI marking.
What do "banker", "due" and "rising" mean?
Banker: examined in at least one sitting in four and still appearing. Due: regular before, but absent for the last two exam sessions. Rising: clearly more common in the last two years. Our classification of real papers, not an IB statistic.
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