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A Level

A Level Geology Tutoring

Understand the deep history of the Earth. Our expert tutors help you master rocks, structures, and geological processes from core principles.

Whether you're working through minerals and igneous rocks in Year 12, tackling plate tectonics and geohazards in Year 13, or preparing your fieldwork skills, our tutors provide structured support tailored to your exam board and goals.

Matched in 24h
A & A* grade tutors
First session guarantee
4.8/5 Trustpilot

What You Get with A Level Geology Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Exam Mastery

  • Structured question technique: describing, explaining, and evaluating geological processes
  • Data and diagram analysis: reading geological maps, cross-sections, and graphs
  • Extended writing: building a geological argument with evidence
  • Past paper practice with mark scheme analysis and examiner tips

Fieldwork & Practical Skills

  • Rock and mineral identification from hand specimens and photographs
  • Geological map interpretation: reading dip, strike, unconformities, and faults
  • Field sketch drawing and annotating geological exposures
  • Practical skills questions in the written exam - tested specifically

Concept Building

  • Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock cycles - processes and products
  • Plate tectonics: boundaries, mantle dynamics, and the Wilson cycle
  • Stratigraphy and Earth history: how geologists read time in rock
  • Regular progress tracking and personalised study plans
Real student results

Students Improving Their Geology Grades

C → A
"Geological map interpretation was where I kept losing marks. My tutor spent two sessions just on reading dip, strike, and unconformities and I went from struggling to confident."
C

Connor B.

A Level Geology, OCR, Summer 2024

B → A*
"Plate tectonics felt like a list of facts to memorise. My tutor showed me how all the evidence links together as one coherent story and my essays became much stronger."
L

Lily A.

A Level Geology, OCR, Summer 2024

D → C
"I confused metamorphic rock types constantly. My tutor created a clear classification system and I stopped making the same mistakes in the exam."
G

George F.

A Level Geology, OCR, Summer 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with A Level Geology tutoring

1

Buy a Bundle

Choose 3 to 100 hours based on your needs. Split across subjects if needed.

2

Complete Onboarding

Tell us your exam board, year group, weak areas, goals, and scheduling preferences.

3

Get Matched & Start

Matched within 24 hours. Schedule your first session immediately.

First Session Guarantee

Not satisfied? Contact us within 24 hours. We'll address concerns, offer a rematch, or provide a full refund.

AS Level vs Full A Level: What's the Difference?

We support students at both stages - here's how they compare

Area
AS Level (Year 12)
A Level (Year 12–13)
Content Covered
Minerals, rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), geological time, fossils and stratigraphy
Geological structures, plate tectonics, geohazards, economic and environmental geology
Qualification
Standalone AS Level qualification
Completes the full A Level across Year 12 + Year 13
Papers
2 papers - materials and basic Earth processes
3 papers - including evaluating and synthesising with fieldwork element
Practical Skills
Rock identification, basic map reading
Geological cross-sections, structural interpretation, full fieldwork skills assessment
Mathematical Content
Basic calculations: age, grain size, dip angles
Geophysical methods, seismic wave calculations, resource estimation

A Level Geology Syllabus Coverage

Our tutors are experienced with OCR A Level Geology and related specifications. Whether you're struggling with structural geology, geohazard risk assessment, or reading geological maps, we provide targeted support exactly where you need it.

1
Minerals & Rocks

  • Crystal chemistry and mineral properties: hardness, cleavage, fracture, lustre
  • Rock-forming minerals: quartz, feldspars, micas, pyroxenes, olivine
  • Igneous rocks: classification, textures, Bowen's reaction series
  • Sedimentary rocks: clastic, chemical, organic; environments of deposition
  • +1 more

2
Geological Structures

  • Stress and strain in rocks: compression, tension, shear
  • Folds: anticlines, synclines, recumbent and isoclinal folds
  • Faults: normal, reverse, strike-slip, thrust faults
  • Unconformities: angular, disconformity, non-conformity
  • +1 more

3
Earth History & Stratigraphy

  • The geological timescale: eons, eras, periods, epochs
  • Relative dating: superposition, cross-cutting relationships, inclusions
  • Absolute dating: radiometric dating, half-life calculations
  • Biostratigraphy: using fossils as stratigraphic markers
  • +1 more

4
Plate Tectonics

  • Evidence for plate tectonics: sea-floor spreading, palaeomagnetism, fossil distribution
  • Types of plate boundaries: constructive, destructive, conservative
  • The Wilson cycle: ocean opening, subduction, and collision
  • Mantle convection and hotspots
  • +1 more

5
Geohazards

  • Earthquakes: focus, epicentre, seismic waves, seismograms
  • Volcanic eruptions: types, products, VEI, predicting eruptions
  • Tsunamis: generation, propagation, and coastal impact
  • Geohazard risk assessment: hazard, vulnerability, and exposure
  • +1 more

6
Resources & Environmental Geology

  • Hydrocarbons: formation, migration, traps, and extraction
  • Groundwater: aquifers, permeability, the water table
  • Metallic mineral deposits: hydrothermal, magmatic, placer
  • Climate change evidence from the geological record
  • +1 more
Assessment breakdown

A Level Geology Assessment Structure

Understand exactly how you'll be assessed and prepare strategically for each component

Exam boards covered:OCRAQA

Paper 1 - Earth Materials

Written Exam
Weighting
37%

Minerals, rocks, geological structures, and the practical skills of rock identification and map reading

2 hours
Short structured questions and extended writing - includes questions on rock and mineral specimens
Minerals, igneous/sedimentary/metamorphic rocks, geological structures, stratigraphic principles

Paper 2 - Earth Dynamics

Written Exam
Weighting
37%

Plate tectonics, geohazards, Earth history, and economic geology

2 hours
Short structured questions and extended writing - includes data response and map interpretation
Plate tectonics, geohazards, Earth history and evolution of life, resources and environmental geology

Paper 3 - Evaluating and Synthesising

Written Exam
Weighting
26%

Synoptic questions drawing on all content, plus fieldwork and investigation skills

1 hour 30 minutes
Section A: Fieldwork and practical skills | Section B: Extended synthesis and evaluation questions
All geological topics - synoptic connections, evaluating geological evidence, fieldwork methodology

Grade Boundaries (Summer 2024)

Grade
Min. %
A*
74%+
A
60%+
B
50%+
C
40%+
D
30%+
E
20%+

Grade boundaries shift each session. These are indicative based on recent exam-board data.

Key Assessment Notes

  • A Level Geology is primarily offered by OCR - check your school's specification carefully
  • Fieldwork skills are assessed within the written papers, not as a separate NEA
  • Rock and mineral identification from photographs is examined - practise this specifically
  • Grade boundaries shift each year based on overall cohort performance

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about A Level Geology tutoring

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