Map Skills: Grid References, Scale & Contours — GCSE Geography Revision

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What is Map Skills: Grid References, Scale & Contours?

Ordnance Survey (OS) map skills are fundamental to geography. A four-figure grid reference (e.g., 1234) identifies a grid square, while a six-figure grid reference (e.g., 123345) pinpoints a more precise location within that square. The scale of a map (e.g., 1:25,000) shows the relationship between a distance on the map and the actual distance on the ground. Contour lines join points of equal height and are used to show the relief (shape) of the land.

Board notes: These are essential, examinable skills for all GCSE Geography students (AQA, Edexcel, OCR). Questions requiring students to use an OS map extract to identify features, give grid references, measure distances, or describe relief appear in almost every exam paper.

Worked example

Common mistakes

• 1Getting the order of grid references wrong. The rule is 'along the corridor and up the stairs'. You always read the eastings (the numbers along the bottom/top) first, then the northings (the numbers up the side).
• 2Misreading the scale. On a 1:25,000 map, 1 centimetre on the map represents 25,000 centimetres (or 250 metres) on the ground. A common mistake is to forget to convert the units correctly when measuring distances.
• 3Confusing closely spaced and widely spaced contour lines. Contour lines that are close together indicate steep land, while lines that are far apart show gentle slopes or flat land.

Map Skills: Grid References, Scale & Contours exam questions

Exam-style questions for Map Skills: Grid References, Scale & Contours with mark-scheme style solutions and timing practice. Aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.

Frequently asked questions

• How do you give a four-figure grid reference?

  Find the grid square containing the feature you want to locate. Take the number of the vertical grid line to the left of the square (the easting) and then the number of the horizontal grid line at the bottom of the square (the northing). For example, 4562.

• What does a 1:50,000 scale map mean?

  It means that 1 unit of measurement on the map represents 50,000 of the same units on the ground. For example, 1cm on the map is equal to 50,000cm (or 500 metres or 0.5km) in reality. These maps cover a larger area than 1:25,000 maps but show less detail.