Map Reading and Navigation Flashcards
6 cards from real Police Officer practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Map Reading and Navigation flashcards as text
An officer is facing north and turns 90 degrees clockwise. Which direction is the officer now facing?
Answer: East
Starting from north, a 90-degree clockwise rotation points the officer east. Clockwise movement goes N, E, S, W.
On a city map, a patrol district boundary runs east on Oak Street, turns south on Maple Avenue, turns west on Pine Street, and turns north on Elm Avenue. What shape does this boundary form?
Answer: Rectangle or square
Four turns forming right angles create a rectangle or square. This is the classic perimeter shape used in urban patrol grids.
A dispatcher says the suspect was last seen at 3rd and Main heading southwest. If the suspect continues in that direction, which area will they approach?
Answer: An area southwest of 3rd and Main
If the suspect is heading southwest, they are moving toward areas that are southwest - down and to the left on a standard north-up map.
A map scale reads 1 inch = 0.5 miles. Two locations on the map are 6 inches apart. What is the actual distance between the locations?
Answer: 3 miles
Actual distance = map distance x scale = 6 inches x 0.5 miles per inch = 3 miles.
An officer exits the station heading north, turns left, goes two blocks, turns left again, and goes three blocks. In what direction is the officer now traveling?
Answer: South
Starting north, a left turn goes west. Another left turn from west goes south. The officer is now traveling south.
On a grid map, an officer needs to travel from 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue to 5th Street and 7th Avenue. How many blocks must the officer travel assuming no diagonal routes?
Answer: 7 blocks
North-south: 5th minus 2nd = 3 blocks. East-west: 7th minus 3rd = 4 blocks. Total = 3 + 4 = 7 blocks.