Lesson Y7-U01-L03

Y7-U01-L03 Ordnance Survey Map Symbols Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U01-L03, Ordnance Survey Map Symbols: 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. On an Ordnance Survey map, what does the colour blue usually show?

    • Woodland and forests with dense trees and paths
    • Main roads and motorways, drawn as thick red lines
    • Water, such as rivers, lakes and the sea
    • The height of land, shown with brown contour lines

  2. What does the colour green show on an Ordnance Survey map?

    • Steep slopes and high ground, shown by many lines
    • Water, such as lakes, rivers and the sea around the coast
    • Vegetation, such as woodland, forests and parks
    • Buildings, such as houses, shops and the offices in town

  3. What do brown lines (contours) on an Ordnance Survey map show?

    • The boundaries between countries
    • The main roads that link towns together
    • The routes of railway lines
    • The height and shape of the land

  4. What colour are main roads on an Ordnance Survey map?

    • Blue
    • Green
    • Red
    • Brown

  5. Black marks on an Ordnance Survey map usually show which features?

    • Campsites and viewpoints
    • Water and lakes
    • Woodland and parks
    • Buildings and railways

  6. On an Ordnance Survey map, what does a blue letter H stand for?

    • A hospital
    • A post office
    • A car park
    • A church

  7. What does the letter P in a box stand for on an Ordnance Survey map?

    • Parking
    • A post office
    • A hospital
    • A campsite

  8. What does a cross (+) on an Ordnance Survey map mean?

    • A hospital with an emergency entrance
    • A viewpoint with a wide view
    • A campsite where people can stay
    • A church, a place of worship

  9. What does a small black tent symbol show on an Ordnance Survey map?

    • A campsite where people can stay
    • A car park with spaces for visitors
    • A viewpoint with a wide view
    • A hospital with an emergency entrance

  10. What does a blue triangle show on an Ordnance Survey map?

    • A campsite where people can pitch tents for the night
    • A car park with spaces for visitors to the nearby viewpoint
    • A hospital with an emergency entrance and a car park
    • A trig point or viewpoint, a high spot with a great view

  11. Where would you look to find out what a map symbol means?

    • The title of the map
    • The key (legend)
    • The compass rose on the map
    • The scale bar of the map

  12. Why do map-makers use small symbols instead of writing words on a map?

    • Symbols show the exact date each place was built
    • Symbols make maps cheaper to print in colour
    • Symbols show how many people live in each town
    • Space is limited, and a small symbol replaces a long word

  13. Why must every Ordnance Survey map-maker use exactly the same symbols and colours?

    • So that each map shows a different set of features
    • So that the maps can be read only by trained surveyors
    • So that maps can be sold to schools at a discount
    • So anyone can pick up any OS map and read it straight away

  14. Many brown contour lines are very close together on a map. What does this tell you?

    • There is a river nearby
    • A campsite is close by
    • The land is flat and dry
    • The land is steep

  15. On a map, a black tent is inside a patch of green in the top-right corner. What is there?

    • A campsite in a wood, in the top-right of the map
    • A church near a river, in the middle of the map
    • A hospital beside a lake, in the top-right of the map
    • A car park in a town, in the bottom-left of the map

  16. On a map you see a cross (+) beside a blue wiggly line. What is the best description?

    • A campsite standing beside a wood
    • A church standing beside a river
    • A hospital standing beside a lake
    • A post office standing beside a road

  17. A walker wants a high place with a wide view. Which symbol should they look for?

    • A blue letter H
    • A blue triangle
    • A small black tent
    • A letter P in a box

  18. Which symbol and feature pair is correctly matched?

    • Red line: railway
    • Brown lines: river
    • Blue wiggly line: woodland
    • Green patch: woodland

  19. A map shows a campsite tent inside a green patch, with many close brown lines nearby. What does this suggest?

    • A wood to camp in, on land that is steep
    • A car park on a level path beside the camp
    • A lake to swim in, on flat ground
    • A hospital on flat land near the camp

  20. Why does an Ordnance Survey map use a small blue triangle for a viewpoint instead of writing the word?

    • Words are not allowed on Ordnance Survey maps at all
    • Triangles show the exact height of the viewpoint above sea level
    • Triangles are the only shape that printers can draw clearly
    • Space is tight, and a symbol saves room for other features

All KS3 Geography quizzes