The document provides a revision guide for the mapwork component of geography exams. It outlines key skills needed such as labeling maps, interpreting photographs, and understanding different map types and scales. It emphasizes literacy and being able to describe locations, distributions, and patterns shown on maps. Specific skills are defined for reading ordnance survey maps and using grid references. Examples of exam questions are given focusing on describing settlements, land uses, relief, and drawing sketch maps.

1. Sawan Masani 11Y
Mapwork Revision Guide
Specification
Basic Skills
- Labelling and annotation of diagrams, maps, graphs, sketches etc.
- Drawing sketches from photographs and in the field.
- Literacy: most communication is through the written word raising the importance of good literacy skills.
- Photographs: candidates should be able to use and interpret aerial /oblique and satellite photographs of
rural and / or urban landscapes.
Cartographic Skills
- Atlas maps: recognising and describing distributions and patterns of both human and physical features.
- Sketch maps: draw, label, understand and interpret sketch maps.
- Construct line, bar, scattergraphs and pie diagrams.
- Complete a variety of graphs and maps including choropleth, isoline and proportional symbols.
- Interpret a variety of graphs including those located on maps and topological diagrams.
Ordnance survey maps
- 1:25 000 or 1:50 000 scale, recognise symbols, four and six figure grid references, straight line and winding
distances; direction, draw and annotate cross-sections, height and degree of slope, simple contour patterns,
patterns of vegetation and land use; patterns of communications; location, shape and pattern of settlement;
different land use zones of settlements; infer human activity from map evidence; using maps in association
with photographs.
Basic Skills in exam
- Use six-figure grid references where appropriate.
- Be familiar with place symbols on the Ordnance Survey map.
- Use settlement knowledge e.g. the urban models for cities in MEDCs to describe and explain why certain
features are in that area. For example, a railway was located in the CBD for the ease of transport of people,
and commercial goods.
- Use compass points to describe directions on the O.S. map, e.g. to the north of the map.
- Describe relief using the height and shape of the land in question. Use contour lines to identify physical
features e.g. a spur. When the contour lines are closer together, this means there is a steep gradient. For
example, the image on the left, number 4 matches up with C. This has a very big gradient at first, but then
gradually gets less steep with increased distance between each contour line.
- When describing a place, state the highest and lowest point, and then state the range.
- Use scale correctly, 1:25000 for higher detail maps, and 1:50000 for bigger scale maps. 1 cm on the map
represents 50,000 cm on the ground (= 500 metres or 0.5 kilometres).
- Bring necessary equipment, e.g. string for measuring non-linear distances.

2. - Read the command words e.g. when the question says "explain", use complex sentence structure e.g. "This
is... because..."
- Drainage of an area - describe the surface water e.g. a river and the direction the water is flowing. Trellis -
drainage at right angles. Radial - drainage in a circle.
An image to show the different types of drainage systems formed by streams, rivers, and lakes.
Mock Exam Questions
Describe the pattern of settlement shown on Figure 1, the Ordnance Survey Map (6 Marks).
The key words in the question are underlined and should be focussed on in your answer.
- Don’t explain why some features are located there; only describe what is there on the map.
- Use Grid References to state a place on the map.
- Describe where settlement isn’t and where it isn’t.
- Mention the largest settlement, in this case Ross on Wye to the south-east of the extract, then
state the location of other smaller settlements.
- State if settlements are above the flood plain.
- See if there any limiting factors to why there is no settlement in a certain area.
Compare the land uses in grid squares 5624 and 6127. (4 Marks)
- Land uses could mean warehouses (industrial land use), residential land use, farming land use,
forest land use for fuel.
- Make one comparison in 5624, and then make another comparison in 6127.
Model answer – In grid square, there are some signs of industry as can be seen by the campsite,
caravan site and public houses. There are very little signs of settlement because grid square 5624 is
located on a spur so this makes construction of houses for settlement not viable. Whereas, in grid
square 6127, there is a farm called ‘Park Farm’ (Grid Reference 618274). There is an area of
vegetation like coniferous trees, non-coniferous trees and shrubs which may be cut down for fuel. The
farm might keep farms for arable or pastoral farming to provide for their local area.
Add detailed labels in Figure 2 to explain the location of Ross-on-Wye. An example has been done for you. (4
marks)
- Make sure you draw a line exactly to where you want to explain.
- Explain why something is there, do not just describe e.g. there is a main road.

3. Model answer –
(Pointing to the shaded area of Ross-on Wye) - Above the flood plain for reduced risk of flooding
(Pointing to grid reference 6022 – Chase Woods) – To provide wood for fuel or building equipment so this
would have given ease to the first settlers of Ross of Wye.
(Pointing at the river) – A river provides an essential water supply for the settlers of Ross on Wye, drawing
potential early settlers in. This is known as a wet-point site – water supply in a dry area.
(Pointing to the main road) – Main roads provide greater accessibility to transport goods and food to settlers in
Ross on Wye.
Describe the relief (height and shape of the land) shown on the cross-section in Figure 3. (4 Marks)
- State the starting point grid reference which is located at the start of the x-axis of the cross
section, and the ending point grid reference which is located at the end of the x-axis of the cross
section.
- State the main features on the cross-section.
Model answer – Firstly from Dadnor Court (Grid Reference - 566262) there is a relatively long piece of
extremely gently inclining land (30 metres), this turn goes to a very sleep downward until River Wye is
reached. After, there is a period of gently inclining land until the footpath is reached, there is a continual
increase of height above sea level, until point H (76 metres). This is an escarpment where the triangulation
point is located, and then at grid reference 601624 – Brampton Abbots is reached at a height of 76 metres.
How to draw a sketch map
- Draw the main lines of communication e.g. bridges, main roads, railways, stations
- Draw the extent of the built up area
- Draw the north point
- Draw a scale
- Add in the grid reference at the bottom
- Add a key showing the main forms of communication
- Draw a box the same size as the map area you are using
- Label main features on the sketch map
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There is an example of a sketch map on page 125, Figure 6.
To the left is in image taken from Google Books.