DSE Revision: Map and Skills
FoundationDSE Geography rests wholly on the public examination with no school-based assessment: Paper 1 (compulsory) runs 2 hours 45 minutes for 75% and Paper 2 (elective) 1 hour 15 minutes for 25%. This lesson unpacks the assessment structure and drills map skills — six-figure grid references, scale conversion, distance measurement and gradient — the basis of data and skills questions.
- Structure: all public examination, no SBA; Paper 1 is 2 hours 45 minutes for 75% (A 20%, B 15%, C 30%, D 10%), Paper 2 is 1 hour 15 minutes for 25% (E 15%, F 10%)
- Six-figure references run eastings first then northings, three digits each, the third estimating the tenth — reversed order voids the answer
- At 1:20000 one centimetre is 200 metres; measure winding routes with a paper strip, never a straight line
文體小知識：地理議題說明文——拆解地理科文憑試的評核結構，逐步操練六位方格座標、比例尺換算與坡度計算等地圖技能。
§Text Passage
1All marks in DSE Geography come from the public examination; there is no school-based assessment. Since 2019, Paper 1 (compulsory part) lasts two hours and forty-five minutes for 75% of the subject: Section A multiple-choice carries 20%, Section B fieldwork-based questions 15%, Section C data/skills-based and structured questions 30%, and Section D short essay questions 10%. Paper 2 (elective part) lasts one hour and fifteen minutes for 25%: Section E data/skills-based and structured questions carries 15% and Section F short essay questions 10%.
2Each question type has its own aim. Multiple-choice covers the syllabus broadly, testing factual and conceptual understanding as well as routine skills such as map reading; fieldwork-based questions examine knowledge and skills at every stage of an investigation — framing enquiry questions, designing surveys, analysing data and drawing conclusions; data/skills-based and structured questions build step by step on maps, graphs and statistics; short essay questions demand geographic concepts to explain and discuss issues. Results are reported by standards-referenced grading from Level 1 to Level 5, with the best performers at Level 5 awarded 5 stars.
3Map reading is a core skill in Paper 1. A six-figure grid reference reads eastings first, then northings, three digits each. For scale conversion, on a 1:20000 map one centimetre represents 200 metres on the ground. Measure straight lines with a ruler, but measure winding roads or streams with a paper strip accumulated segment by segment before converting — never simply draw a straight line, which grossly underestimates the length.
4Contours join points of equal height: closely spaced lines mean steep slopes, widely spaced lines gentle ones; contours bulging towards higher ground mark a river valley, bulging towards lower ground a spur. Gradient is the vertical interval divided by the horizontal equivalent, conventionally written as one in so-many; with bearings and the legend, slope direction and features can be judged. These skills appear almost every year in Section C and Paper 2, so drill them until they are fast and accurate, leaving time for the essays.
1Summary 重點摘要
DSE Geography rests wholly on the public examination with no school-based assessment: Paper 1 (compulsory) runs 2 hours 45 minutes for 75% and Paper 2 (elective) 1 hour 15 minutes for 25%. This lesson unpacks the assessment structure and drills map skills — six-figure grid references, scale conversion, distance measurement and gradient — the basis of data and skills questions.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A locator reading three digits for eastings and three for northings, fixing a position to a tenth of a one-kilometre grid square.
The vertical grid lines on a map, numbered west to east; they are read first in a six-figure grid reference.
The horizontal grid lines on a map, numbered south to north; they are read second in a six-figure grid reference.
The ratio of map distance to real ground distance; 1:20000 means one centimetre on the map equals 200 metres on the ground.
Lines joining points of equal height; close spacing means steep ground, wide spacing gentle ground, and the direction of bulges reveals valleys and spurs.
The vertical interval divided by the horizontal equivalent, written as one in so-many; the larger the ratio, the steeper the slope.
The direction from one point to another measured in degrees clockwise from true north.
The key to map symbols, needed to identify roads, buildings, vegetation and other features.
Section B of Paper 1, testing knowledge and skills at each fieldwork stage such as framing hypotheses, designing surveys and analysing data.
The DSE reporting mode against set standards, with grades 1 to 5 and 5 stars for the best at Level 5.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the paper — the assessment structureAll Geography marks come from the public examination, with no school-based assessment. Paper 1 (compulsory), 2 hours 45 minutes: Section A multiple-choice 20%, Section B fieldwork-based questions 15%, Section C data/skills-based and structured questions 30%, Section D short essay questions 10% — 75% in total. Paper 2 (elective), 1 hour 15 minutes: Section E data/skills-based and structured questions 15%, Section F short essay questions 10% — 25%. For example, Section C carries the most marks and is map-based, so map skills offer the best return; allocate revision time by weighting, yet do not squeeze the essays, since Sections D and F together still count 20%.
- Step 2: Reading six-figure grid referencesThe rule is 'eastings first, northings second': read the vertical grid lines (eastings, increasing eastwards), then the horizontal lines (northings, increasing northwards), three digits each. The first two digits give the grid square, the third estimates the tenth of the square. For example, a pavilion six-tenths of the way between eastings 04 and 05 gives 046; three-tenths between northings 21 and 22 gives 213; combined: 046213. Two classic errors: reversing the order (north before east) invalidates the whole answer, and omitting the estimated digit (writing 0421) loses marks. Practise by locating the big square first, then mentally slicing it into tenths — speed follows.
- Step 3: Scale conversion and distanceA scale of 1:20000 means 1 centimetre on the map is 20000 centimetres — 200 metres — on the ground; unify units first, then multiply or divide. Measure straight features such as a seawall with a ruler; measure winding roads or streams by folding a paper strip along the line segment by segment, then straighten it, read the length and convert. For example, a curved trail measuring 4.8 centimetres is really 4.8 × 200 = 960 metres long; on a 1:5000 map the same centimetre is only 50 metres, so always read the sheet's scale first — never apply a habitual figure. Answers must carry units and show the working to secure the method marks.
- Step 4: Contours and reading reliefContours join points of equal height. Three rules: closely spaced lines mean steep slopes and wide spacing gentle ones; contours bulging towards higher ground (larger values) mark a river valley, where the stream has carved a V-shape; bulging towards lower ground marks a spur. The highest closed contour reveals a summit, and a tight bundle of lines may be a cliff. For example, a set of contours bulging northeast towards high ground with a stream symbol along the axis indicates a northeast-trending valley; to judge a river's flow direction, follow the contour values downhill — water flows to lower ground. Describe-and-explain questions want the landform named first, then the contour evidence.
- Step 5: Calculating gradientGradient equals the vertical interval divided by the horizontal equivalent, written as one in n. Three steps: first, read the heights of the two points from the contours and subtract for the vertical interval; second, measure the map distance and convert it to the real horizontal distance using the scale; third, divide and express as one in n. For example, starting at 100 metres and ending at 260 metres gives a vertical interval of 160 metres; a horizontal distance of 1000 metres gives 160 ÷ 1000 = 0.16, written as about one in 6.25 — for every 6.25 metres forward horizontally the path climbs 1 metre. Keep the units consistent before dividing, and for 'average gradient' use the two endpoints' totals rather than segment-by-segment values.
- Step 6: Preparing for fieldwork-based questionsSection B carries 15% and examines every stage of fieldwork: posing a testable enquiry question or hypothesis; choosing data collection methods (observation, questionnaires, instrument readings such as data loggers); designing sampling and recording sheets; organising and analysing data (means, graphs); evaluating the methods' limitations; and concluding. For example, in an urban microclimate study the hypothesis might be 'the farther from the city centre, the lower the temperature', and the design must state the time of measurements, the number of sites and the instrument height, or the data cannot be compared. Answer along the stages of the enquiry process: asked for a hypothesis, write a testable statement; asked for a limitation, tie it to the method.
- Step 7: Time allocation and answering strategyPaper 1's 2 hours 45 minutes span four sections, so ration time by weight: keep each multiple-choice item under a minute and skip then circle the hard ones; apportion Sections B and C by marks, reading each map's legend, scale and north arrow before the questions; and reserve about twenty minutes for the Section D essays. For example, an 8-mark question in Section C deserves at most 8 to 10 minutes before moving on and returning later. Three universal tactics: write answers in the designated spaces with clear question numbers; show all working and units in calculations; and use compass terms (north, south, east, west, northeast) plus map evidence in descriptions. In Paper 2's 1 hour 15 minutes for Sections E and F, start with the elective questions you know best.
5Worked example Example
Map exercise: on a Hong Kong map at scale 1:20000, a trail measures 5 centimetres; the starting pavilion lies six-tenths between eastings 04 and 05 and three-tenths between northings 21 and 22, on the 100-metre contour; the hilltop at the trail's end stands on the 260-metre contour. Find (a) the six-figure grid reference of the pavilion; (b) the trail's real length; (c) its average gradient.
- (a) Six-figure reference: eastings first — six-tenths between 04 and 05 gives 046; northings second — three-tenths between 21 and 22 gives 213; combined 046213, never reversed
- (b) Step one: the scale 1:20000 means 1 centimetre on the map is 20000 centimetres — 200 metres — on the ground; unify the units first
- (b) Step two: the trail is 5 centimetres on the map, so its real length = 5 × 200 = 1000 metres, or 1 kilometre; show the working and units in full
- (c) Gradient formula: gradient = vertical interval ÷ horizontal equivalent; the vertical interval = 260 − 100 = 160 metres, and the horizontal equivalent is the trail's 1000 metres
- (c) Expressing the result: 160 ÷ 1000 = 0.16, a gradient of about one in 6.25 — for every 6.25 metres forward the path climbs 1 metre; the answer needs units and a concluding sentence
- Answer: (a) The pavilion's six-figure grid reference is 046213: three digits for eastings first (046), then three for northings (213). (b) At scale 1:20000, 1 centimetre on the map represents 200 metres on the ground; the trail measures 5 centimetres, so its real length = 5 × 200 = 1000 metres, or 1 kilometre. (c) The vertical interval = 260 − 100 = 160 metres; the horizontal equivalent = 1000 metres; the gradient = 160 ÷ 1000 = 0.16, about one in 6.25 — the path climbs 1 metre for every 6.25 metres forward. The mark points lie in the reference's order and estimation, the conversion with working and units, and the gradient's expression — always show the formula and units, and end with a concluding sentence.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1How long is Paper 1, and what sections does it contain?
Q2On a 1:20000 map, what does 3 centimetres represent on the ground?
Q3In what order is a six-figure grid reference read?
Q4What do the spacing and bulges of contours indicate?
Q5Starting at 100 metres, ending at 260 metres, with a horizontal distance of 1000 metres — what is the gradient?
8Recap Recap
- Structure: all public examination, no SBA; Paper 1 is 2 hours 45 minutes for 75% (A 20%, B 15%, C 30%, D 10%), Paper 2 is 1 hour 15 minutes for 25% (E 15%, F 10%)
- Six-figure references run eastings first then northings, three digits each, the third estimating the tenth — reversed order voids the answer
- At 1:20000 one centimetre is 200 metres; measure winding routes with a paper strip, never a straight line
- Contours: close is steep, wide is gentle, bulges towards high ground are valleys and towards low ground spurs; gradient = vertical ÷ horizontal, written one in n
- Section B tests fieldwork stages: hypothesis, survey design, data analysis, evaluating limits, concluding; ration exam time by marks