These questions practise skills that run through IGCSE Geography: scale, gradient, data, sampling and explanation. All data is invented for teaching. Write your answer on paper first, then open the working.
The original mixed-practice builder can put together a longer session, and the learning guide shows where each skill sits in the syllabus.
Questions, from easier to harder
Q1. Distance. On a map with scale 1:50 000, a road measures 4 cm. What is the real length in kilometres?
Show answer
4 cm × 50 000 = 200 000 cm. Divide by 100 to get metres: 2000 m. Divide by 1000 to get kilometres: 2 km.
Q2. Range. A climate table shows a monthly rainfall peak of 310 mm and a low of 80 mm. What is the range?
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Range = highest minus lowest = 310 − 80 = 230 mm. Write the unit.
Q3. Direction. The bearing from A to B is 070°. What is the bearing from B to A?
Show answer
The return bearing differs by 180°. 070° + 180° = 250°.
Q4. Percentage change. A town’s population rises from 2 000 000 to 2 300 000. Find the percentage increase.
Show answer
Increase = 300 000. 300 000 ÷ 2 000 000 = 0.15, so the increase is 15%.
Q5. Systematic sampling. A class has 100 houses in a survey area and wants a systematic sample of 20. What interval between houses is needed?
Show answer
100 ÷ 20 = 5, so pick every 5th house. A random starting point between 1 and 5 keeps the start unbiased.
Q6. Area scale. At 1:50 000, a rectangular woodland measures 3 cm by 2 cm on the map. What is its real area in km²?
Show answer
At 1:50 000, 1 cm = 0.5 km. The real sides are 3 × 0.5 = 1.5 km and 2 × 0.5 = 1 km. Area = 1.5 × 1 = 1.5 km². Check: 6 cm² × 0.25 km² per cm² = 1.5 km².
Q7. Gradient. A path climbs 60 m over a horizontal distance of 1.2 km. State the gradient as “1 in n”.
Show answer
Convert to the same units: 1.2 km = 1200 m. Gradient = 60 ÷ 1200 = 1/20, which is 1 in 20 (5%).
Q8. Fair measure. River width is measured at five points: 4.2, 4.8, 5.1, 4.5 and 9.6 m. Find the mean and median, then say which describes the river better.
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Sum = 4.2 + 4.8 + 5.1 + 4.5 + 9.6 = 28.2. Mean = 28.2 ÷ 5 = 5.64 m. Ordered: 4.2, 4.5, 4.8, 5.1, 9.6, so the median is 4.8 m. The 9.6 m value pulls the mean up, so the median describes a typical width better. Five points is a small sample, so the conclusion should be cautious.
If you got these wrong
| What went wrong | Go to |
|---|---|
| Wrong unit or factor in Q1, Q6 or Q7 | Scale, distance and relief, and the clinic on area scale and distance scale |
| Direction or bearing slip in Q3 | Map reference and direction |
| Data summary or percentage slip in Q2, Q4 or Q8 | Graphs, photographs and spatial data |
| Sampling method in Q5 | Fieldwork design and sampling |
| Right numbers but a thin explanation | Extended geographic explanations |
Write each slip in your mistake log, then retest the skill with a fresh question after a few days.
Where next?
Practise case-study use in the case-study reasoning module, where a few linked facts matter more than a long memorised account. See also the clinic on memorising a case without linking it to the task.
If you would like a teacher to watch you work through questions like these, read about online one-to-one Geography tuition.