NPOST Spatial Orientation and Map Reading 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A suspect is running north. After one block he turns left, walks one block, then turns left again. What direction is the suspect now moving?
- North
- East
- South (Correct answer)
- West
Correct answer: South
From north, a left turn faces west; another left turn from west faces south.
Question 2: You are facing southwest. If you turn 90 degrees clockwise, you are now facing which direction?
- Southeast
- Northwest (Correct answer)
- Northeast
- North
Correct answer: Northwest
Southwest is 225° on a compass; adding 90° clockwise yields 315°, which is northwest.
Question 3: An officer is 2 blocks north of City Hall. A dispatch call places an incident 3 blocks south of City Hall. How many blocks south must the officer travel to reach the scene?
- 1 block
- 3 blocks
- 5 blocks (Correct answer)
- 6 blocks
Correct answer: 5 blocks
The officer travels 2 blocks south to reach City Hall, then 3 more blocks south to the scene, totaling 5 blocks.
Question 4: On a map where 1 centimeter equals 0.5 kilometers, two locations appear 6 centimeters apart. What is the actual distance between them?
- 0.5 km
- 1 km
- 3 km (Correct answer)
- 6 km
Correct answer: 3 km
6 cm × 0.5 km/cm = 3 km actual distance between the two locations.
Question 5: An officer drives 3 blocks north, then 3 blocks east, then 3 blocks south, then 3 blocks west. Where does the officer end up relative to the starting point?
- 3 blocks north of start
- 3 blocks east of start
- At the starting point (Correct answer)
- 6 blocks from start
Correct answer: At the starting point
Equal distances in opposite directions cancel out: north/south cancel and east/west cancel, returning the officer to the origin.
Question 6: You are at the intersection of 5th Street and 3rd Avenue. Your destination is 8th Street and 7th Avenue. Traveling only along grid streets, what is the minimum number of blocks you must travel?
- 4 blocks
- 6 blocks
- 7 blocks (Correct answer)
- 10 blocks
Correct answer: 7 blocks
You need 3 blocks (5th to 8th Street) plus 4 blocks (3rd to 7th Avenue), totaling 7 blocks minimum.
Question 7: A patrol map shows a crime scene located northeast of the police station. To walk directly from the station to the scene, an officer must travel:
- North only
- East only
- Both north and east (Correct answer)
- Both south and west
Correct answer: Both north and east
Northeast indicates the destination is both north and east of the starting point, requiring movement in both directions.
NPOST Spatial Orientation and Map Reading 2
A suspect is running north.
After one block he turns left, walks one block, then turns left again.
What direction is the suspect now moving?