How do you read maps and choose and interpret the right graphs?
Cartographic and graphical skills: reading Ordnance Survey maps (grid references, scale, distance, direction, relief), interpreting atlas, choropleth and other thematic maps, and choosing and interpreting the appropriate graph for a data set.
An Eduqas GCSE Geography A (C111) guide to the cartographic and graphical skills assessed across every component, covering Ordnance Survey map reading (grid references, scale, distance, direction, relief), thematic and choropleth maps, and choosing and interpreting the right graph for a data set.
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What this dot point is asking
This covers the cartographic and graphical skills assessed across every component of Eduqas GCSE Geography A (C111), tested in Component 3 and in map and data questions throughout. Eduqas expects you to read Ordnance Survey (OS) maps (grid references, scale, distance, direction, relief), to interpret thematic maps (atlas, choropleth and others), and to choose and interpret the appropriate graph for a data set.
Reading Ordnance Survey maps
OS maps are central to UK geography, and Eduqas tests several skills.
Relief and contours
Relief is the shape and height of the land, shown by contour lines (lines joining points of equal height) and spot heights.
- Contour lines close together mean a steep slope; lines far apart mean a gentle slope.
- The contour values tell you the height; closely packed high values mark hills and mountains.
- V-shaped contours pointing uphill usually mark a river valley.
Thematic and atlas maps
Thematic maps show a particular theme over an area.
- A choropleth map shades areas by value (darker = higher), used for things like population density or rainfall; it shows patterns well but hides variation within each area.
- An isoline map joins points of equal value with lines (contours, isobars for pressure, isohyets for rainfall).
- A dot map uses dots to show distribution and density.
- A proportional-symbol map uses symbols sized by value (bigger circle = more).
Choosing and interpreting graphs
The right graph depends on the type of data.
- Line graph: continuous change over time (temperature through the year, river discharge).
- Bar graph: comparing separate categories by amount (rainfall in different months, population of cities).
- Pie chart (or divided bar): parts of a whole that add to 100 percent (land use, employment by sector).
- Scatter graph: the relationship between two variables (river velocity against distance downstream), where a line of best fit shows correlation.
- Histogram: the distribution of grouped continuous data.
Interpreting a graph means describing the trend, quoting figures, and noting anomalies.
Try this
Q1. On a 1:25,000 OS map, two points are 8 cm apart. How far apart are they on the ground? [2 marks]
- Cue. On 1:25,000, 1 cm = 25,000 cm = 0.25 km, so km.
Q2. Which graph would best show how a river's discharge changes through the year, and why? [2 marks]
- Cue. A line graph, because discharge is continuous data changing over time, so a line shows the trend across the months.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 2018 (style)4 marksUsing the OS map, give the four-figure and six-figure grid reference of the church, and state the scale's use for measuring distance. (Component 3)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark map-skills question assessing AO4. Markers reward the correct grid-reference method and an understanding of scale.
For grid references, always read the EASTINGS (the numbers along the bottom) FIRST, then the NORTHINGS (up the side): "along the corridor, then up the stairs". A four-figure reference gives the bottom-left corner of a 1 km square (for example 3421). A six-figure reference divides each square into tenths to pinpoint a feature more precisely (for example 345218). On scale: a 1:50,000 OS map means 1 cm on the map equals 50,000 cm (0.5 km) on the ground, so you measure a distance with a ruler or string and multiply by the scale. A strong answer reads eastings before northings and explains the scale correctly.
Eduqas 2021 (style)6 marksA data set shows the percentage of land use in five categories at one site. Identify the most suitable graph and justify your choice. (Component 3)Show worked answer →
A 6-mark skills question assessing AO4 and AO3. Markers reward the correct graph type and a justified reason linked to the data.
Strong answers identify that for showing the proportions of a whole that add up to 100 percent (here, land-use categories), a pie chart (or a percentage/divided bar) is the most suitable, because it shows each category as a share of the total and the relative sizes are easy to compare at a glance. They should justify this against alternatives: a line graph suits continuous change over time, a bar chart suits comparing separate categories by amount, and a scatter graph suits the relationship between two variables, none of which fit "parts of a whole" as well. A good answer names the graph and gives a clear, data-linked justification. Markers reward the match between data type and graph.
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- Weather and climate in the UK: the factors that influence the UK climate, the air masses and the difference between depressions and anticyclones, and the causes, impacts and management of a recent extreme UK weather event.
An Eduqas GCSE Geography A (C111) answer to weather and climate in the UK in Theme 5, covering the factors that shape the UK climate, the air masses, the difference between depressions and anticyclones, and the causes, impacts and management of a recent extreme UK weather event.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Geography A specification (C111) — WJEC Eduqas (2016)