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A-Level Geology Tutor & Online Tuition

Short answer

The A-Level Geology course is one-to-one tutoring, taught live online: every lesson is 90 minutes.

A private group is for 3 or more friends who sign up together (the group programme is 30 hours per subject); there are no published start dates, and we agree the start date and lesson times with you.

In one-to-one tutoring, packages are from €85 a lesson.

A-Level Geology tutoring for OCR H414: seven modules from Foundations in geology and Global tectonics to Geohazards and Basin analysis, plus fieldwork.

One-to-one and small groups · Live online · OCR and WJEC specifications

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About the subject

A-Level Geology: what it covers and who it suits

A-Level Geology tutoring at TestPrep Europe follows OCR's A Level Geology specification (H414; the AS is H014). We teach the seven modules, from Foundations in geology and Global tectonics to Petrology and economic geology, Geohazards and Basin analysis, together with the practical and fieldwork skills examined across all three papers, with explicit attention to diagram discipline and quantitative geology. OCR is withdrawing H414: September 2026 is the final first-teaching date and summer 2028 the final exam series, with no resit opportunity.

  • Three written papers: Fundamentals of geology (41%), Scientific literacy in geology (37%) and Practical skills in geology (22%), each drawing on all seven modules
  • Minerals and rocks, petrology and geological structures drilled with diagram practice
  • Quantitative geology (strike/dip, structural calculations) drilled separately
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A-Level Geology (OCR H414) examines Earth's roughly 4.6-billion-year history and its constantly changing structure through modules such as Global tectonics, Petrology and economic geology and Geohazards. It is valuable for students considering geology, geophysics, mining, the energy industry or environmental consultancy.

A-Level Geology covers Earth from its deep interior to its surface processes, the fossil record and the formation of natural resources. OCR H414 is organised into seven modules: Development of practical skills in geology, Foundations in geology, Global tectonics, Interpreting the past, Petrology and economic geology, Geohazards and Basin analysis. Students gain practical skills in fieldwork, sample analysis and geological-map interpretation while engaging with plate tectonics, earthquake geology and the long-term climate changes recorded in rocks, such as icehouse–greenhouse cycles.

One-to-one A-Level Geology tutoring

Our one-to-one A-Level tutoring is built around your current grade, your target grade and the exam board you are sitting. Each lesson works on your weak topics, drills OCR, WJEC past-paper questions and walks through mark schemes, so you know exactly how marks are awarded.

A private group for A-Level Geology

There is no open group timetable for this subject. If 3 or more of you sign up together, we open a private group course for you. The price per student depends on how many subjects you take, with 30 hours of live lessons in each: 1 subject (30 hours) €1,031, 2 subjects (60 hours) €1,927, 3 subjects (90 hours) €2,689 and 4 subjects (120 hours) €3,496. Each student buys their own place online, and we let you know as soon as your group is ready.

Exam

A-Level Geology exam format

Exam boards: OCR, WJEC

  • Fundamentals of geology (OCR H414/01)

    41%

    2 hours 15 minutes, 110 marks. Questions from all seven modules: multiple choice in Section A (25 marks); short and extended answers, calculations and practical skills in Section B (85 marks).

  • Scientific literacy in geology (OCR H414/02)

    37%

    2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks. Short and extended answer questions from all seven modules, with particular emphasis on scientific literacy.

  • Practical skills in geology (OCR H414/03)

    22%

    1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks. Questions from all seven modules with particular emphasis on practical skills, including an excerpt from a small-scale geological map.

  • Practical Endorsement (OCR H414/04)

    Reported separately

    Teacher-assessed through at least 12 practical activities and reported separately from the A Level grade. At least four days of fieldwork are also required across the course.

  • Final exam series

    Summer 2028

    OCR is withdrawing A Level Geology (H414). The final first-teaching date is September 2026 and the final assessment opportunity is summer 2028; there is no resit opportunity.

One-to-one A-Level tutoring

A-Level Geology Private Tutoring

Private A-Level lessons planned around your exam board's specification, your current grade and the grade you are aiming for. Every lesson is live and online, with a tutor who teaches this subject.

  • A lesson plan built around your exam board and target grade
  • Past-paper questions worked through with the board's mark schemes
  • Exam technique for each paper, from command words to timing
  • Lesson times that fit around your school week

How it works

  1. 1

    Tell us your goal

    We start from your school syllabus, your exam date and the result you are aiming for.

  2. 2

    Your own plan

    We map out the lessons you need, unit by unit.

  3. 3

    Live one-to-one lessons

    Meet your tutor online at times that suit your week.

  4. 4

    Regular progress checks

    Homework and a short check after each lesson show how you are getting on.

Start one-to-one A-Level Geology

Per lesson in a package

From €85

Single lesson €90

See all prices

Right for you if you want a plan built around your exam board, flexible lesson times and a tutor's full attention.

Book one-to-one lessons

Before choosing a package, you can book one paid lesson.

Our A-Level tutors began teaching in 2018 or earlier.

  • 100% First-Lesson Money-Back Guarantee

    Not satisfied? Full refund, no questions asked.

    We do not offer free trial lessons. Payment is required before your first lesson.

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  • Flexible Billing

    Local cards welcome, instalments available.

Lessons cancelled less than 3 hours before the start count as taken. Full terms

Included in lessons

Practice built into your A-Level Geology lessons

Every topic you cover in A-Level Geology is reinforced with question sets your tutor puts together for you. This programme has no separately sold question bank or practice test.

Mock exams included in the programme
  • Targeted questions on every topic
  • Practice sets built around your weak areas
  • Exam-style practice with past papers and mark schemes
  • Worked solutions and feedback on every question

Syllabus

A-Level Geology topics

Topic names are those of the OCR H414 specification; other exam boards order and name them a little differently.

1

Module 1: Development of practical skills in geology

  • Practical skills assessed in a written examination
  • Practical skills assessed in the Practical Endorsement
  • Practical skills developed through fieldwork and assessed in a written examination
2

Module 2: Foundations in geology

  • Minerals and rocks
  • Fossils and time
3

Module 3: Global tectonics

  • Earth structure
  • Plate tectonics
  • Geological structures
4

Module 4: Interpreting the past

  • Sedimentary environments in time
  • Geochronology
5

Module 5: Petrology and economic geology

  • Applied sedimentology
  • Fluids and geological processes
  • Igneous petrology
  • Metamorphic petrology
  • Mining geology
6

Module 6: Geohazards

  • Geohazards
  • Engineering geology
7

Module 7: Basin analysis

  • Key concepts for basin analysis
  • Basin analysis in practice

Approach

How we teach A-Level Geology

Study plan

  1. 1

    Phase 1 — Foundations in geology

    Year 12 foundations

    • Minerals and rocks: identification from hand specimens
    • Fossils and time
  2. 2

    Phase 2 — Global tectonics

    Year 12

    • Earth structure and plate tectonics
    • Folds, faults, strike/dip and geological maps
  3. 3

    Phase 3 — Interpreting the past + petrology

    Year 13

    • Sedimentary environments in time and geochronology
    • Igneous and metamorphic petrology, applied sedimentology and mining geology
  4. 4

    Phase 4 — Geohazards, basin analysis + mocks

    Year 13 exam preparation

    • Geohazards and engineering geology
    • Basin analysis
    • Timed past papers for all three components

How lessons work

  • Diagram discipline

    Cross-sections, block diagrams and stratigraphic columns must be fully labelled with scale. We drill diagram practice as a primary skill.

  • Quantitative geology

    Strike/dip, structural calculations and basic stratigraphy require numerical fluency. We drill explicit numerical workflows.

  • Practical paper as a paper of its own

    Practical-related questions are treated as a distinct skill, not a content-review afterthought.

Advice

A-Level Geology: common mistakes and study tips

  • MistakeDiagrams without scale or labels.

    FixAll cross-sections, block diagrams and stratigraphic columns must be fully labelled with scale and units.

  • MistakeStrike/dip notation inconsistent.

    FixAlways state the convention (e.g. 040°/30°SE) and use it consistently throughout the answer.

  • MistakeMineral identification by colour alone.

    FixAlways cite multiple diagnostic properties (cleavage, hardness, lustre, streak).

  • MistakeGeohazards answered without examples.

    FixSupport Geohazards answers with named, located examples; the specification also looks at hazards experienced in the UK.

  • MistakePractical answers without controls or variables.

    FixIndependent, dependent and controlled variables must be named explicitly.

Study tips

  • Practise reading geological maps and drawing cross-sections — the Practical skills in geology paper includes an excerpt from a small-scale geological map.
  • Work from real hand specimens and thin-section diagrams when learning minerals and rocks.
  • Keep your field notes well organised: techniques from the minimum four days of fieldwork are examined in the written papers, and the Practical Endorsement needs a record of your own work.
  • Map the relationships between tectonic processes and rock formation visually.

Ready to raise your A-Level Geology grade?

You can start one-to-one A-Level Geology lessons with a single lesson. Every package and price is on one page.

  • Live one-to-one lessons online
  • No package needed — book a single lesson
  • Lesson times that fit your school week
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FAQ

A-Level Geology Prep — Frequently Asked Questions

The questions students ask most about A-Level Geology preparation.

Geological engineering, oil and mining, environmental consultancy, natural-hazard risk assessment and academic research.

It is not compulsory, but many earth-science degrees look for Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Biology alongside Geology. Mathematics matters most for engineering pathways; check each university's entry requirements.

Helpful. A-Level Geology benefits from chemistry and physics foundations, especially for mineralogy and structural geology.

Through the written papers: techniques from the minimum four days of fieldwork are examined, especially in Practical skills in geology. The Practical Endorsement (at least 12 assessed practical activities, teacher-assessed) is reported separately from the A-Level grade.

Yes for earth sciences, geology, geophysics, and environmental-science pathways.

It depends on the starting point, the modules that need most work and the time left before the exams. We agree a plan with you after a Free Intro Call.

The money-back guarantee covers live lessons. If you are not satisfied after your first private lesson, we refund your payment in full. We do not offer free trial lessons. Payment is required before your first lesson.

You can cancel a lesson package at any time. Lessons already given are charged at the single-lesson price and the rest is refunded. The first-lesson guarantee applies on top.

Lessons cancelled less than 3 hours before the start count as taken and are not refunded. A lesson that has not been paid for 3 hours before it starts is cancelled automatically.

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