NPOST Spatial Orientation and Map Reading 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You are facing north and turn 90 degrees to your right. Which direction are you now facing?
- North
- East (Correct answer)
- South
- West
Correct answer: East
Turning 90 degrees to the right (clockwise) from north brings you to face east.
Question 2: On a standard map, which direction is typically represented at the top?
- South
- East
- North (Correct answer)
- West
Correct answer: North
By cartographic convention, north is placed at the top of standard maps.
Question 3: You are driving west on a street and turn left at the intersection. What direction are you now traveling?
- North
- East
- South (Correct answer)
- West
Correct answer: South
A left turn when heading west rotates you 90 degrees counterclockwise, putting you facing south.
Question 4: An officer walks 3 blocks north and then 4 blocks east from the station. What is the straight-line distance back to the station?
- 3 blocks
- 4 blocks
- 5 blocks (Correct answer)
- 7 blocks
Correct answer: 5 blocks
Using the Pythagorean theorem, the hypotenuse is √(3² + 4²) = √25 = 5 blocks.
Question 5: On a map with a scale of 1 inch = 0.5 miles, two locations are 6 inches apart on the map. What is the actual distance between them?
- 0.5 miles
- 1 mile
- 3 miles (Correct answer)
- 6 miles
Correct answer: 3 miles
6 inches × 0.5 miles per inch = 3 miles actual distance.
Question 6: You are facing east and make a U-turn. Which direction are you now facing?
- North
- South
- East
- West (Correct answer)
Correct answer: West
A U-turn reverses your direction by 180 degrees, so facing east becomes facing west.
Question 7: A crime scene is described as being located southwest of the police station. To travel directly from the station to the scene, an officer must travel in which two directions?
- North and east
- South and east
- North and west
- South and west (Correct answer)
Correct answer: South and west
Southwest means the location is both south and west of the reference point.
NPOST Spatial Orientation and Map Reading 1
You are facing north and turn 90 degrees to your right.
Which direction are you now facing?