Texas Civil Service Exam Map Reading and Spatial Orientation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A suspect is reported fleeing northbound on Oak Ave and turns right at the intersection. An officer one block west and two blocks south of the intersection should proceed in which direction to intercept?
- Northeast (Correct answer)
- Northwest
- Southeast
- East
Correct answer: Northeast
Turning right while heading north means the suspect is now heading east; the officer must travel northeast to intercept.
Question 2: On a map, the symbol for a hospital is typically:
- A red cross or H symbol (Correct answer)
- A blue shield
- A green square
- A black star
Correct answer: A red cross or H symbol
Hospitals are universally represented by a red cross or the letter H on most emergency and street maps.
Question 3: Which map projection is most commonly used for navigation because it preserves direction?
- Robinson projection
- Peters projection
- Mercator projection (Correct answer)
- Conic projection
Correct answer: Mercator projection
The Mercator projection preserves compass bearings, making straight lines on the map correspond to constant compass headings.
Question 4: A map grid reference of '5N, 3E' means the location is:
- 3 units north and 5 units east
- 5 units north and 3 units east (Correct answer)
- 5 units south and 3 units west
- 3 units south and 5 units east
Correct answer: 5 units north and 3 units east
In grid references, the first number (5N) indicates 5 units north, and the second number (3E) indicates 3 units east.
Question 5: Two officers are communicating by radio. Officer A is facing north and reports a fire to his left. Officer B is south of Officer A facing north. Where is the fire relative to Officer B?
- To his right
- Behind him
- To his left (Correct answer)
- Directly in front of him
Correct answer: To his left
Both officers face north, so left for both is west; the fire is to Officer B's left as well.
Question 6: On a city map, which street numbering system is most common in Texas cities like Houston?
- Numbers increase toward the city center
- Numbers increase outward from a central baseline (Correct answer)
- Numbers are assigned randomly
- Numbers follow alphabetical street names
Correct answer: Numbers increase outward from a central baseline
Most Texas cities use a grid system where address numbers increase as you move away from a central baseline such as downtown.
Question 7: A map shows a blue shaded area adjacent to a river. This shading most likely represents:
- Industrial zone
- Flood plain or flood zone (Correct answer)
- Park land
- Commercial district
Correct answer: Flood plain or flood zone
Blue shading near bodies of water on maps typically denotes flood plains or areas subject to flooding.
Texas Civil Service Exam Map Reading and Spatial Orientation 3
A suspect is reported fleeing northbound on Oak Ave and turns right at the intersection.
An officer one block west and two blocks south of the intersection should proceed in which direction to intercept?