Lesson Y7-U01-L02

Y7-U01-L02 What is a Map? Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U01-L02, What is a Map?: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Year 7: The UK and Map Skills, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the view called when you look straight down at a place, as a map shows it?

    • The worm's-eye view
    • The bird's-eye view
    • The panoramic view
    • The side view

  2. What does the scale 1:25 000 mean?

    • 1 cm on the map represents 2 500 m (2.5 km) of real land
    • 25 cm on the map represents 1 m of real land, a 25:1 enlargement
    • 1 cm on the map represents 25 000 cm (250 m) of real land
    • 1 cm on the map represents 25 m of real land, a very detailed scale

  3. On a 1:25 000 map, how many metres does 1 cm represent in real life?

    • 25 m
    • 500 m
    • 250 m
    • 2500 m

  4. On a 1:50 000 map, how many metres does 1 cm represent in real life?

    • 500 m
    • 5000 m
    • 250 m
    • 50 m

  5. Which scale shows MORE detail on a map?

    • 1:25 000
    • 1:50 000
    • 1:500 000
    • 1:100 000

  6. On a 1:25 000 map, 4 cm of paper covers how much real land?

    • 1000 m (1 km)
    • 250 m
    • 10 km
    • 400 m

  7. On a 1:25 000 map, two churches are 3 cm apart. How far apart are they in real life?

    • 3 km
    • 300 m
    • 1250 m
    • 750 m

  8. On a 1:50 000 map, two towns are 2 cm apart. How far apart are they in real life?

    • 10 km
    • 1000 m (1 km)
    • 500 m
    • 250 m

  9. Which type of map shows borders, countries and cities?

    • Thematic
    • Political
    • Climate
    • Physical

  10. Which type of map shows mountains, rivers and seas?

    • Thematic
    • Physical
    • Political
    • Road

  11. A map that shows ONE topic only, such as bus routes or rainfall, is called a:

    • political map
    • physical map
    • road map
    • thematic map

  12. A London Tube map is a thematic map because it:

    • shows mountains and rivers across London
    • shows the height of the land above sea level
    • shows every street and building in London
    • shows only the train lines and stations

  13. What does a map's key do?

    • It shows the total area covered by the map
    • It explains what the symbols and colours on the map mean
    • It shows the exact height of each hill on the map
    • It gives the direction of north on the map

  14. Why must a map be drawn to a scale?

    • The real world is too big to fit on paper, so it must be shrunk
    • Scales make maps easier to fold into a pocket for a long car journey
    • Maps must always show the whole world on one page so nobody needs an atlas
    • Paper can only hold drawings that are very small so every map must be tiny

  15. Which statement about a London Tube map is correct?

    • It is not drawn to true distances, so you cannot measure real distances on it
    • It is drawn to the same scale as an Ordnance Survey map, so distances match exactly
    • It uses contour lines to show the height of the land across the whole of London
    • It shows every street in London drawn to scale, including the smallest side roads

  16. A walker on a hill plans a route. Which scale is safer to use, and why?

    • 1:500 000, because it shows the whole country on one sheet
    • 1:50 000, because it covers a larger area of land at once
    • 1:50 000, because it is cheaper to buy than other maps
    • 1:25 000, because it shows more detail such as paths and slopes

  17. A pilot needs to see where the mountains of a country are. Which map type is best?

    • A political map, because it shows the borders and capital cities of each country
    • A road map, because it shows the motorways and main roads in clear detail
    • A physical map, because it shows mountains and the height of the land
    • A thematic map, because it shows the train lines and railway stations in detail

  18. Which pair of map types is correctly matched?

    • A map of mountains: political; a Tube map: physical
    • A map of counties: physical; a rainfall map: political
    • A map of counties: political; a rainfall map: thematic
    • A map of rivers: thematic; a Tube map: political

  19. On a 1:50 000 map, a line measures 6 cm. What real distance does it show?

    • 30 km
    • 300 m
    • 3 km
    • 3 m

  20. Why is a map usually drawn as a view from directly above rather than from the side?

    • The bird's-eye view shows the flat shape of places so routes and distances can be planned
    • The sun must always be directly overhead when a map is drawn, which fixes the scale
    • The ground can only be seen clearly from a low side view across the open land
    • Maps are always drawn from the sides of hills so the height of each place can be read

All KS3 Geography quizzes