Texas Civil Service Exam Map Reading and Spatial Orientation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is facing west. She turns 180 degrees clockwise. She is now facing:
- North
- South
- East (Correct answer)
- West
Correct answer: East
A 180-degree turn in any direction always results in facing the opposite direction; opposite of west is east.
Question 2: On a road map, a solid red line typically indicates:
- A dirt road or trail
- A state or US highway (Correct answer)
- A county road
- A private road
Correct answer: A state or US highway
Red or orange solid lines on standard road maps indicate major highways including state or US numbered routes.
Question 3: A dispatch center tells an officer the incident is located at latitude 29° N, longitude 95° W. This location is in:
- Far West Texas near El Paso
- The Texas Panhandle
- The Houston metropolitan area (Correct answer)
- East Texas near Beaumont
Correct answer: The Houston metropolitan area
Latitude 29°N and longitude 95°W corresponds to the Houston, Texas area on the Gulf Coast.
Question 4: An officer must patrol a route that goes: north 2 blocks, east 4 blocks, south 2 blocks. What is the shortest route back to the starting point?
- North 2 blocks
- South 4 blocks
- West 4 blocks (Correct answer)
- East 2 blocks
Correct answer: West 4 blocks
The officer ends up 4 blocks east of the start (north and south cancel out), so traveling 4 blocks west returns to the start.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'bearing' in navigation?
- The altitude of a location above sea level
- A direction measured as degrees clockwise from north (Correct answer)
- The speed at which a patrol unit travels
- The distance between two map grid points
Correct answer: A direction measured as degrees clockwise from north
A bearing is a directional measurement expressed in degrees, measured clockwise from true or magnetic north (0°–360°).
Question 6: On a map, a civil service officer sees that multiple roads converge at a single point. This point most likely represents:
- A dead end
- A traffic circle or roundabout
- A major intersection or town center (Correct answer)
- A one-way street
Correct answer: A major intersection or town center
Multiple roads converging at a single point typically indicates a major intersection, town center, or hub where routes meet.
Question 7: A Texas county map shows a dashed boundary line between two shaded regions. This dashed line most likely represents:
- A railroad line
- A county or district boundary (Correct answer)
- A proposed future road
- A waterway
Correct answer: A county or district boundary
Dashed lines separating differently shaded regions on administrative maps represent political or jurisdictional boundaries such as county lines.
Texas Civil Service Exam Map Reading and Spatial Orientation 5
An officer is facing west.
She turns 180 degrees clockwise.
She is now facing: