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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Geography

Junior Cycle Geography: Soils

How often Soils comes up on the Geography papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Soils, Common Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Soils.

(a)Dark, decayed plant and animal matter in soil is called?
  1. Regolith
  2. Humus
  3. Bedrock
(b)In a soil profile, the A horizon is the?
  1. Bedrock
  2. Subsoil
  3. Topsoil
(c)Which fertile, well-drained soil formed under Ireland's old deciduous forests?
  1. Brown earth
  2. Gley soil
  3. Podzol
Show the answers

(a) Humus

(b) Topsoil

(c) Brown earth

Your turn: Common Level questions on Soils.

Common Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Q6A, Q6B, Q6C
2024Not asked
2023Q8A
2022Q5A

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Soils questions

Soils, 2 marks

Heavy rain washing minerals down out of the topsoil is called?

  1. Weathering
  2. Humification
  3. Leaching
Show the answer

Leaching

In wet upland areas leaching carries minerals down. In podzols iron can collect as a hard iron pan, which blocks drainage and leaves the soil poor for farming.

Soils, 3 marks

Which farming practice helps REDUCE soil erosion?

  1. Leaving ploughed fields bare
  2. Planting hedges and cover crops
  3. Overgrazing hillsides with sheep
Show the answer

Planting hedges and cover crops

Roots bind the soil and plants shelter it from wind and rain. Overgrazing and bare fields leave soil exposed, so it is washed or blown away, as has happened in the Sahel.

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