O-LevelPakistan StudiesThe environment of PakistanOct/Nov 2025 · Q525 Marks

Study Fig. 5.1, a map of the road network in southern and western Pakistan. [Figure 5.1]

(a)(i)Using Fig. 5.1 only: name city Y _______________ name city Z _______________ what is the approximate distance by road between Y and Z taking the shortest route? _______________ km[3]
(a)(ii)Suggest two factors that can affect the development of roads in Pakistan.[2]
(b)(i)State one advantage and one disadvantage of air travel and rail travel for transporting goods within Pakistan. | advantage | disadvantage ---|---|--- air travel | | rail travel | |[4]
(b)(ii)Describe one way in which airports in Pakistan have been improved for passengers.[2]
(c)(i)Study Fig. 5.2, a graph showing mobile phone subscriptions in Pakistan. [Figure 5.2] Complete Fig. 5.2 using the information in the table. year | mobile phone subscription rate (per 100 people) ---|--- 2016 | 64 2017 | 67[2]
(c)(ii)Using Fig. 5.2 only, describe the trend of mobile phone subscriptions in Pakistan.[2]
(c)(iii)Explain two reasons why internet provision across Pakistan is uneven. You should develop your answer.[4]
(d)'Reliable internet provision across all of Pakistan would make education more accessible to everyone.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your judgement and refer to examples you have studied. You should consider different points of view in your answer.[6]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2025). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[3] Y: Quetta
Z: Multan
Accept any value between 400–600 km
[2] topography/mountainous land/deserts/rugged landscape/uneven/flat land/land covered with forest
extreme temperatures/extreme climate/heavy snowfall/monsoon/heavy rainfall
flooding/landslides/earthquakes
labour/difficult working conditions
machinery/technology/construction materials
population distribution/density/location of big cities/increased population/demand/high traffic
location of airports/ports/dry ports/EPZs
investment/costs/finance/capital/government policy
[4] quicker/fastest option
best for perishable/lightweight/high value goods
higher security of goods
expensive/high fuel costs
not possible for very heavy items
limited capacity/space available
high CO2 emissions/environmental impact
can be impacted by extreme weather
high fuel consumption
can transport large amounts of cargo/goods
planned timetable for travel
reduces congestion on roads
cost effective
can experience delays
network only between major towns and cities/can't deliver to door
safety issues/potential for accidents/trains can derail/goods can get damaged in transit
[2] expansion of airports/new airports/more runways/increased flight schedule; means more choice for passengers/increased passenger capacity
online ticketing/self-check in; makes the process simpler/quicker/reduced queuing time/available 24/7
new/digital systems at departure gates/security; enable boarding processes/identity checks to be quicker
moving walkways; make travelling around the airport easier/faster
improved security; makes passengers feel safer when travelling/more trust in environment
provision of restaurants/shopping/Wi-Fi; improves the experience for passengers
more seating/private lounges/washroom/faith rooms; which makes the airport experience more comfortable
accessibility improvements/wheelchair availability; makes it easier/possible for everyone to travel
staff have been trained in customer service; passengers can have queries answered
improved transport access to airports/new car parks/bus services; makes airports easier/quicker to get to
[2] Completed line graph, 2016 = 64, 2017 = 67
1 mark for accurate plotting of two points
1 mark for joining points
[2] mostly consistent growth/overall increase/54–55 per 100 to 81–82 per 100 from 2011–2021/increased by 26–28 per 100 overall
increase 2011–2014/growth 54–55 per 100 to 65–66 per 100, 2011–2014/increased by 10–12 per 100 2011–2014
(small) decrease (2014–2015)/65–66 per 100 to 60 per 100 between 2014–2015/decreased by 5–6/100 in (2014–2015)
increase 2015–2021/increase from 60 per 100 to 81–82 per 100 between 2015 and 2021
[4] some areas of the country are unsuitable for signal masts/lack of signal masts/towers/cables/optic fibres; for example more remote/mountainous/rugged areas where it is difficult to build
natural hazards/extreme weather events/flooding can damage cables/cut connection; which take a long time to repair
difficult working conditions to install masts/cables; due to extreme temperatures/challenging to find workers
investment tends to focus on urban areas/less investment in rural areas; more demand/easier to connect/not cost effective to cover areas which are less accessible/expensive to install
power supply in some areas of the country is not sufficient/not connected to the grid/loadshedding; which means that routers won't work/poor internet connection/reliant on batteries as back-up
lack of demand in some areas; due to cultural traditions/access to education/low population
different internet providers available; which vary in quality of provision/vary in signal coverage
[6] would allow access to online schooling/study in remote locations
would be much cheaper than building schools/colleges
can be used to open up possibilities for adult education/around work commitments
can provide access to internationally available courses, improved access to resources and information in schools/colleges
some people may not be able to afford the subscription to internet/technology required for education e.g. laptop
investment in teacher training/infrastructure required – need to have teachers available for online teaching
online education may not be as good/enjoyable as in person/requires self-discipline/may result in low motivation
different priorities in a family/social values – for some families there is a need for people to earn money rather than investing in education