How should I tackle the extended (8 mark) questions?

The key here is to pay attention to the key 'command' or 'trigger' words in the title of the question. 'Assess' and 'Evaluate' are often used to prompt the student. With these questions it is key to offer a balanced argument that provides different perspectives on the topic at hand. For example,if you were to answer an 'assess' question on the topic of Megacity development, your response might compare top-down to bottom up strategies, the advantages/disadvantages of both, as well as their social, economic and environmental impacts. Purely being descriptive and regurgitating facts and information, will not allow you to access the higher mark bands, so it is essential to be critical of the examples that you provide!