Against the backdrop of the new College Entrance Examination reform, the assessment of the "Weather Systems" topic in the Jiangsu College Entrance Examination has been continuously innovated while upholding its inherent traditions. Centered on essential geographical knowledge, the examination evaluates students’ Geographical Key Competences by constructing innovative situational contexts. Taking this examination content as the research object, this paper analyzes the examination logic of essential knowledge from three dimensions: new geographical concepts, spatiotemporal processes, and regional geographical connections. Meanwhile, it summarizes the cultivation paths of core literacy, including constructing a systematic conceptual framework, focusing on the analysis of spatiotemporal processes, and enhancing regional relevance.