MRAB Spatial Reasoning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A route map shows meters labeled A through E placed on alternating sides of the street. Meter A is on the left, B on the right, C on the left. Where is meter D?
- Left side
- Right side (Correct answer)
- Center of street
- At the corner
Correct answer: Right side
The alternating pattern is left, right, left, right — so meter D follows meter C (left) and must be on the right side.
Question 2: A meter reader's handheld device shows a meter location symbol 3 blocks ahead and 1 block to the left. Starting from their current position, what is the minimum number of blocks they must walk?
- 2
- 3
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 4
The minimum path is 3 blocks forward plus 1 block left = 4 blocks total, assuming a standard grid with no shortcuts.
Question 3: Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between a street map's scale and actual distance?
- A larger scale means shorter actual distances
- 1 inch on the map equals the same number of feet as the stated scale ratio (Correct answer)
- Scale only applies to vertical distances
- Map scales are always in metric units in the US
Correct answer: 1 inch on the map equals the same number of feet as the stated scale ratio
A map scale directly relates map distances to real-world distances — if the scale is 1 inch = 1,000 feet, then measuring 1 inch on the map means 1,000 feet in reality.
Question 4: A meter reader must read meters on both sides of Main Street from 1st to 10th Avenue. To minimize backtracking, the most efficient approach is to:
- Read all left-side meters first, then all right-side meters
- Read both sides simultaneously by zigzagging across the street
- Read left side going east, then right side going west (Correct answer)
- Read meters in the order they appear in the route book regardless of side
Correct answer: Read left side going east, then right side going west
Reading one side going east and the other side going west (a boustrophedon or S-curve pattern) eliminates backtracking and is the standard efficient field approach.
Question 5: On a map, a meter reader's current location is marked with a star. The next meter is 2 inches northeast on a 1 inch = 500 feet scale map. What is the approximate straight-line distance in feet?
- 500 feet
- 707 feet
- 1,000 feet (Correct answer)
- 1,414 feet
Correct answer: 1,000 feet
Two inches on a 1 inch = 500 feet map equals 1,000 feet of straight-line distance (2 × 500 = 1,000 feet).
Question 6: A meter is described as being 'behind the second house on the north side of Maple Street.' Which of the following diagrams best helps a reader find it?
- A list of meter serial numbers
- A street map showing house positions and north arrow (Correct answer)
- A spreadsheet of previous readings
- A chart of billing cycle dates
Correct answer: A street map showing house positions and north arrow
A street map with house positions and a north direction indicator allows the reader to visually locate the second house on the north side and identify the backyard meter location.
MRAB Spatial Reasoning 2
A route map shows meters labeled A through E placed on alternating sides of the street.
Meter A is on the left, B on the right, C on the left.
Where is meter D?