Four and six figure grid references
Locate a feature using eastings followed by northings.
Map, graph and calculation skills
Pick a skill. Try a question. Check your answer.
Map scale and distance
Convert a measured map distance into a ground distance.
Bearings
Measure clockwise from north and distinguish outward and return bearings.
Contours and relief
Read height, contour intervals and changing slope.
Gradient
Compare vertical change with horizontal distance in the same units.
Climate graphs
Read monthly temperature, rainfall totals and seasonal differences.
Population pyramids
Compare age groups using percentages of the whole population.
Scatter plots
Describe an association without inferring its cause.
Choropleth maps
Read class boundaries and distinguish rates from totals.
Percentage change
Use the original value as the denominator.
Mean, median and range
Choose and calculate useful summaries of field observations.
Interquartile range
Calculate quartiles using an explicitly stated convention.
Source evaluation
Check a claim against its period, sampling frame and denominator.
Sampling methods
Recognise systematic, random and stratified sampling choices.
Proportional symbols
Scale a circle by its area rather than its radius.
Index numbers
Compare change relative to a base year of 100.
River discharge
Combine a rectangular cross-sectional area with mean velocity.
Coastal change rates
Calculate an average rate while preserving the period measured.
Population density
Use an area denominator and identify what the average conceals.
River hydrographs
Read rainfall and discharge peaks, lag time and the limits of one storm record.
Landscape cross sections
Read an elevation profile and distinguish vertical from horizontal scale.
Latitude and longitude
Locate a point using signed coordinates and hemispheres.
Time series and missing observations
Read change through time without treating a missing observation as zero.
Isoline maps
Read equal-value lines, intervals and the limits of interpolation.
Land-use maps
Calculate area shares from an original classified grid and recognise what the map omits.
Transport accessibility
Find the shortest permitted route through a weighted network.
GIS site selection
Combine location, exclusion zones, site area and journey time using an explicit rule.
Hazard and exposure overlays
Combine a hazard layer with occupied homes without turning ordinal categories into probabilities.
Choosing a data representation
Match the question, variable type and denominator to an appropriate representation.
No matches. Try a shorter term.
Choosing a statistical method?
Compare the methods · Practise fieldwork methods · Check your course
Build a graph or map
Plot readings and check a divided bar or an equal-temperature line.
A-level and advanced statistical methods
Standard deviation
Measure variation and distinguish population and sample denominators.
Spearman rank correlation
Use average ranks for ties and interpret a monotonic association.
Chi-square goodness of fit
Compare category counts with an explicitly stated expected model.
Mann–Whitney U
Rank two independent samples, including tied observations.
Welch two sample t statistic
Compare independent sample means without assuming equal variances.
Gini coefficient
Measure inequality using equal-sized fictional household observations.