Spatial Orientation and Map/Diagram Reading
What the test measures
These items test your ability to work with directions, scale, and simple diagrams. Expect a map with a legend and scale, questions about which direction or street lies between two points, how far apart places are using the scale, or how a route description translates into movement. Some items ask you to track turns from a stated facing direction.
Traps that show up
- Turning relative to your facing. Instructions are relative to the direction you face, not to the page. Facing south, a right turn puts you facing west.
- Mirrored left and right. Under time pressure, left and right are easily flipped; say the turn out loud in your head.
- Forgetting the scale units. A scale bar may read "1 inch = 1 mile" or "1 cm = 500 m"; using the wrong unit ruins the distance.
- Legend symbols. Unlabeled symbols in the legend (hospital, school, one-way street) carry meaning for the route question.
- Absolute vs. relative direction. "North of the station" is not the same as "across the street from the station."
- Diagonal shortcuts. Straight-line distance on a map is not route distance along the streets.
Rule of thumb
Draw the compass rose on the map and mark your starting facing before you read the first instruction. Track each turn by writing the new facing direction after every move.
Worked example
You face north and turn right, then right again. First turn: east. Second turn: south. Two right turns from north always leave you facing south - a common distractor is "west," which results from counting one turn twice.