Lesson Y9-U05-L03

Y9-U05-L03 Sampling and Choosing Where to Collect Data Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 17

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y9-U05-L03, Sampling and Choosing Where to Collect Data: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 17: Year 9: Thinking Like a Geographer: Fieldwork and Geographical Enquiry, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In sampling, what is a population?

    • The smaller set of points that you actually choose to measure
    • A rule for choosing points at a regular interval along a path
    • A fair group of points that reflects the whole of the area
    • Everything you could possibly measure, such as every shop in a town

  2. What is a sample in fieldwork?

    • A list of every instrument you took into the field with you
    • Everything you could possibly measure across the whole study area and beyond it
    • A pattern in which features are clustered together on a map
    • The smaller set of points you actually measure to represent the whole

  3. Why do geographers take a sample instead of measuring everything?

    • Because the population can never be measured at all by anyone
    • Measuring the whole population usually takes far too long
    • Because samples always produce perfectly accurate and fair results
    • Because samples are the only type of data that graphs can show

  4. What is bias in a sample?

    • When a sample is chosen by a computer using random numbers
    • When every point in the sample is measured on exactly the same day
    • When a sample over-represents one type of place or person and so misleads
    • When a sample contains a very large number of points to measure

  5. Which sampling strategy uses a fixed, regular interval such as every 50 metres?

    • Systematic sampling
    • Biased sampling
    • Random sampling
    • Stratified sampling

  6. Which sampling strategy splits the study area into groups before sampling each group?

    • Quadrat sampling
    • Stratified sampling
    • Systematic sampling
    • Random sampling

  7. You need 4 readings along a 200 metre transect using systematic sampling. What is the interval?

    • 100 metres (200 divided by 2 readings)
    • 40 metres (200 divided by 5 readings)
    • 25 metres (200 divided by 8 readings)
    • 50 metres (200 divided by 4)

  8. A team surveys only the busiest street in a town. What is the main problem?

    • The sample is biased, because it over-represents one type of place
    • The team has used a systematic sampling pattern for the survey
    • The team has collected too many readings for the time they had available
    • The team has measured the population instead of a sample of it

  9. Why does a representative sample matter for a conclusion?

    • An unfair sample can lead to a wrong or misleading conclusion
    • A representative sample always lets you skip the analysis stage
    • A representative sample removes the need to take any readings
    • A representative sample is always the largest one you can take

  10. On a 500 metre straight path, which strategy would suit soil sampling with the least personal choice?

    • Systematic sampling, taking a reading every 50 metres along the path
    • Asking each walker which spot they think is typical
    • Sampling only near the start of the path for ease
    • Choosing only the sunniest spots that look most interesting

  11. Which sampling method gives every point an equal chance of being picked?

    • Stratified sampling, with each group sampled in proportion
    • Systematic sampling, with points at a fixed regular interval
    • Biased sampling, where the sample is picked by the person measuring
    • Random sampling, for example by using random number tables

  12. A town has 40 streets, and a student surveys 8 streets chosen fairly. What is the population here?

    • The 8 streets that were chosen for the survey
    • All 40 streets in the town
    • The 8 streets that the student liked most
    • The number 8, which is how many were surveyed

  13. Which strategy gives the most even coverage along a line such as a footpath?

    • Biased sampling, which picks the points the observer prefers
    • Stratified sampling of the busiest and quietest zones only
    • Random sampling, which can cluster points in one part of the line
    • Systematic sampling, which spaces points evenly along the line

  14. Which weakness is linked to systematic sampling?

    • A fixed interval can miss a litter hotspot that falls between the points
    • It can only be used on maps drawn at a very large scale, such as a whole country map
    • It needs a computer to calculate the points each time
    • It always takes far longer than measuring every point

  15. Which weakness is linked to random sampling?

    • Points are always too far apart to show any pattern
    • Points are always placed too close to the edge of the area
    • Points may cluster together and miss whole areas of the study site
    • Points cannot be recorded using a simple tally chart

  16. Which strategy is best for a town with both rich and poor areas, so that each group is fairly represented?

    • Random sampling, with points chosen only in the richest area
    • Biased sampling, choosing the easiest streets to reach on foot
    • Systematic sampling along the single busiest main road
    • Stratified sampling, sampling each area type in proportion

  17. An enquiry measures litter at 12 parks chosen because they are easy to reach. What is the main risk?

    • The enquiry will have measured too many parks to analyse
    • The sample may be biased, because easy parks may not be typical
    • The enquiry will automatically have a perfect representative sample
    • The enquiry has used the wrong instrument to count the litter

  18. Evaluate in one sentence: why is a larger sample not always more trustworthy?

    • A larger sample removes the need to plan the sampling strategy
    • A large sample that is still biased can give a misleading conclusion
    • A larger sample is always measured with a better instrument
    • A larger sample always costs less time and money to collect

  19. What must a sample be in order to be useful?

    • Representative of the whole population it is drawn from
    • Larger than the population it is drawn from
    • Measured only on the very first day of fieldwork
    • Taken only from places that are easy to reach

  20. Why might a student prefer systematic sampling along a footpath?

    • It only works on maps that are printed in colour
    • It always gives the same mean as any other sampling method
    • It spaces points evenly, so the whole path is covered
    • It removes the need to measure anything at all

All KS3 Geography quizzes