The big idea: Paper 1 Option G opens with urban geographic skills -- you must read information off a map or a graph and quote it accurately.
Cartographic
- Reading a topographic or street map.
Graphical
- Reading a value or a trend off an urban graph.
Where the marks go: Marks are awarded for precise, correctly-quoted figures with units, not for explanation.
Key terms for map and graph skills
- Grid reference -- numbers locating a place on a map: eastings (read across) then northings (read up). 'Along the corridor, then up the stairs'.
- Four-figure grid reference -- names a whole grid square (e.g. 1911).
- Six-figure grid reference -- pins an exact point by splitting each square into tenths (e.g. 176104).
- Scale -- the ratio of map distance to real distance (1:50 000 means 1 cm on the map = 0.5 km on the ground).
- Compass direction (bearing) -- N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW between two points.
- Time-series graph -- a line/bar graph with time on the x-axis (e.g. a congestion index over a week).
Eastings first, northings second: Always read the easting (the across number) before the northing (the up number).
The phrase 'along the corridor, then up the stairs' keeps the order right -- swapping them is the most common skills mistake.
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How this is tested: Paper 1 Option G opens with a data-response on a topographic or street map of a real city.
What you may be asked
- State or Identify a feature at a grid reference.
- State a six-figure grid reference.
- Give a compass direction between two places.
- Estimate a distance using the scale.
- Always quote the units and read the axes carefully.
Topographic map extract -- city of Marisport (1:50 000)
| E 17 | E 18 | E 19 | E 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N 12 | Harbour station | Old Town square | Riverside School | Marsh fields |
| N 11 | Container port | Market hall | Hospital | Highway 6A |
| N 10 | Docks | Bus depot | Sports stadium | Ring-road junction |
| N 09 | Industrial estate | Power plant | Reservoir | Forest park |
The three core map reads -- and the method
| Read | Method |
|---|---|
| Feature at a grid reference | Find the easting column, then the northing row -- read what is in that square |
| Six-figure grid reference | Take the square's 4 figures, then estimate tenths across (easting) and up (northing) |
| Compass direction A to B | Stand at A, face B -- read N/NE/E/SE/S/SW/W/NW from the way you must travel |
| Distance A to B | Measure the straight line, then multiply by the scale (1:50 000 -> x 0.5 km per cm) |
Converting a measurement with the scale
- 1:50 000 -- 1 cm on the map = 0.5 km (500 m) on the ground.
- 1:25 000 -- 1 cm on the map = 0.25 km (250 m) on the ground.
- Method: measure the line in cm, then multiply by the km-per-cm value. 3 cm at 1:50 000 = 3 x 0.5 = 1.5 km.
Direction = stand at the start and face the end: For 'direction from Harbour station to the Hospital', stand at Harbour station (E17 N12) and face the Hospital (E19 N11). You move right and slightly down -- that is roughly south-east (SE).
Using the Marisport map extract: (a) state the feature found at grid square E19 N12; (b) give the compass direction travelling from the Container port to the Hospital; (c) the Hospital and the Bus depot are 4 cm apart on the map -- estimate the real distance between them in kilometres.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.
Quote the value exactly, with units: Skills marks are all-or-nothing per part. Give the exact feature name, the compass point, or the figure with its unit (km, the grid-reference digits). A trend word with no figure scores nothing.
Get feedback like a real examiner
Submit your answers and get instant feedback — what you did well, what's missing, and exactly what to write to score full marks.
Option G also gives urban graphs. The skill is the same as on a map: read accurately and quote figures.
Graphs you may meet
- A congestion index.
- A land-value gradient.
- A population-density transect.
- A pollution time-series.
What you do with them
- Read a value off the axis.
- Calculate a difference between two points.
- Describe the trend with figures.
Traffic congestion index, Marisport city centre (one week)
| Day | Morning peak (07:00-09:00) | Evening peak (16:00-18:00) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 62 | 71 |
| Tuesday | 65 | 74 |
| Wednesday | 58 | 69 |
| Thursday | 66 | 78 |
| Friday | 70 | 88 |
| Saturday | 41 | 55 |
How to read an urban time-series graph
- Read a value -- find the day/time on the x-axis, go up to the line/bar, read the y-axis value across.
- Find a peak -- the highest point; name the day/time it occurs and its value.
- Calculate a difference -- subtract one peak value from another (e.g. Friday evening minus Monday evening).
- Describe the trend -- give the overall direction plus figures (e.g. 'congestion rises through the week, peaking Friday at 88').
Real urban graphs you might meet: Lagos -- a congestion index that spikes at rush hour because road growth lags far behind car ownership.
Barcelona -- pollution falling inside its 'superblocks' where through-traffic is removed.
Singapore -- a road-pricing graph showing traffic dropping when the congestion charge rises. Reading these is the same skill as reading the Marisport table above.
Using the Marisport congestion graph: (a) state the morning-peak congestion index on Thursday; (b) calculate the difference between the evening peak on Friday and the evening peak on Wednesday; (c) suggest one reason the index is lowest on Saturday.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.
How this is tested -- a multi-part read: Cartographic and graphical reads are chained across the same topographic map and urban time-series graph -- there is no [10] essay here.
What to expect
- State and Identify [1] for a feature, a six-figure grid reference and a compass direction.
- Estimate [1] for a distance off the scale.
- A read or a peak-difference off a congestion or land-value graph.
Each part is marked independently -- so work fast and accurately
Spot
Spot which read is wanted.
Do
Do it cleanly.
Quote
Quote the figure with its unit.
Move on
Move on to the next part.
The top skill is speed with accuracy.
Read the y-axis first. Find the day on the x-axis, go up to the line, read the index across -- then subtract two peaks for a difference.
Interactive diagram
Explore the labelled diagram, charts and maps for this topic in full study mode.
Using the Marisport congestion graph: estimate the evening-peak index on Tuesday, and identify the day with the highest evening peak.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.
Six-figure grid reference -- splitting a square into tenths
| Step | What to do | Marisport example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Square | Find the four-figure square first (easting, then northing) | Riverside School is in square 1912 |
| 2. Easting tenths | Estimate how far across the square the point sits, in tenths | about 6 tenths across -> 196 |
| 3. Northing tenths | Estimate how far up the square the point sits, in tenths | about 3 tenths up -> 123 |
| 4. Combine | Write easting digits then northing digits | 196123 |
Using the Marisport map and congestion graph together: (a) give the six-figure grid reference of the Hospital, which sits about 4 tenths across and 5 tenths up its square; (b) the Ring-road junction is 6 cm from the Hospital on the 1:50 000 map -- estimate the real distance in kilometres; (c) state the day with the highest evening congestion peak.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.
Two things examiners reward: (1) The right order -- eastings before northings, square before tenths. (2) The unit -- 'km' on distances, the bare digits on a grid reference, the index number on a graph read.