Police, Firefighter and Criticall Map Reading Practice Test

The critical skill on map reading questions is to find the most direct route.  Practice identifying the shortest or most direct route between two locations on a map.

Each square labeled A to Z and A1 to A20, represent the corner of an intersection. The lines between the squares represent a city block. The intersections and city blocks fall
under 3 categories.

Large blocks: A, B,F, H, N, Q, R, U, W, Y, A3, A5, A7, A9,
A11, A14, A17, A19

Small blocks: C, D, E, I. J, L,M, O, P, S, T, V, X, Z,A1, A4,
A10, Z, A12, A15, A16, A18, A20

Mini blocks: G, K, A2, A6, A8, A13

The time it takes to travel from one city block to another is:
Large blocks
In a car: 4 minutes
On a bike: 6 minutes
On foot: 10 minutes

Small Blocks
In a car: 3 minutes
On a bike: 5 minutes
On foot: 8 minutes

Mini Blocks
In a car: 2 minutes
On a bike: 4 minutes
On foot: 6 minutes

Important Note:

When you go from, say, A to N, Start at the beginning of A, so you traverse A and then arrive at N, so you do not transverse N
Blocks are NOT proportional – 2 small do NOT equal 1 large

1. What is the shortest time it would take a woman to go from block A to S driving a car?

a. 10 minutes
b. 7 and half minutes
c. 8 minutes
d. 13 minutes

2. What is the shortest time it would take a man to go from A to S if he drove the first two blocks, then rode a
bike the rest of the way?

a. 18 minutes
b. 12 minutes
c. 17 minutes
d. 15 minutes

3. A student has to walk home from block U to R. What is the shortest time it would take him if he had to go
through block Q?

a. 34 minutes
b. 32 minutes
c. 37 minutes
d. 29 minutes

4. A police patrol car in block Y has to respond to a call in Block G. How fast can they get there if they are forced
by traffic to avoid Block S?

a. 20 minutes
b. 19 minutes
c. 14 minutes
d. 17 minutes

5. How fast would it take a man on bike to ride from block Z to block A7 if he had to spend two minutes and
half along the way fixing his bike?

a. 22. 5 minutes
b. 22 minutes
c. 24.5 minutes
d. 24 minutes

Note on Traffic Rules for this Map:

• Arrows indicate the ONLY direction traffic may flow on that specific section of the road.
• Assume all streets without arrows allow two-way traffic.
• North is up.

6. Logical Navigation & Traffic Laws You are currently parked at the Library (book icon, bottom left). You receive a call to proceed to the Hospital (red cross). Obeying all indicated traffic flows, which of the following is the valid route?

A) Head East on Elm Dr, then turn Left on Elm Dr (vertical section).
B) Head North on Oak St, turn Right on Cedar Ln, and proceed East.
C) Head North on Oak St, turn Right on Maple Ave, then Right on Birch Blvd.
D) Head West on Elm Dr, then make a U-Turn.

7. Relative Location Identify the landmark that is located South of Pine Rd and West of Birch Blvd.

A) The Fire Station
B) The Park
C) The Hospital
D) The Police Station

8. Directional Flow A vehicle is travelling South on the vertical section of Elm Dr (East of the Park). Upon reaching the intersection with the horizontal section of Elm Dr, which compass direction must the vehicle travel to comply with traffic markers?

A) North
B) South
C) East
D) West

9. Following Instructions Start at the Police Station (top left). Drive East on Maple Ave to the next intersection. Turn Right (South) onto Pine Rd (Wait, Pine Rd is parallel, let’s assume the intersection is with a N-S street). Let’s correct the instruction based on the map: Start at the Police Station. Drive East on Maple Ave to the intersection with Birch Blvd. Turn Right (South) onto Birch Blvd. Turn Right (West) onto Pine Rd. Stop at the next intersection. Where are you located?

A) The corner of Pine Rd and Oak St.
B) The corner of Pine Rd and Cedar Ln.
C) The corner of Maple Ave and Oak St.
D) In front of the Fire Station.

1. A
The shortest route would take a car through A – G – H , covering two large blocks, and a mini block. This would take 10 minutes by car.  (2 large blocks ( 4+4), and a mini block (+2) = 10)

2. B
The shortest route from A to S is A – G – H, taking 6 minutes by car for the first 2 blocks and then 6 minutes by bike. Total time is 12 minutes.

3. A
The shortest route from U to R passing through Q is U – V – W  – Q – R .  Time to walk these blocks is 38 minutes.

4. C
The shortest route from block Y to G, avoiding S, is Y – A1 – T – H. Time by car is 14 minutes.

5. C
The fastest route is Z – A2 – A4 – A6 – A8. Time by bike is 22 minutes, plus 2.5 minutes to fix the bike, for a total of
24.5 minutes.

6.  B

• Option A is incorrect because the arrow on the bottom section of Elm Dr points West; you cannot travel East.

• Option B is Correct. Oak St is a one-way street heading North (indicated by the arrow). You can turn Right onto Cedar Ln, which has an arrow pointing East, leading directly to the Hospital entrance.

• Option C is inefficient and potentially incorrect depending on Birch Blvd’s access, but B is the most direct and clearly legal route.

7. C

• The Fire Station is North of Pine Rd.

• The Park is South of the Hospital.

• The Hospital is clearly situated below (South of) Pine Rd and to the left (West) of Birch Blvd.

8. D

• The vertical section of Elm Dr has a Southward arrow.

• The horizontal section of Elm Dr has a Westward arrow.

• Therefore, when the vehicle turns from the vertical section onto the horizontal section, it must follow the flow of traffic heading West.

9. B

• Start Top Left (Police Station).

• Go East on Maple to Birch Blvd (Top Right corner).

• Turn South on Birch Blvd to Pine Rd.

• Turn West (Right) on Pine Rd.

• Proceeding West on Pine Rd, the next intersection you hit is the vertical street connected to the Hospital, which is Cedar Ln (or the extension of it). The intersection is Pine Rd & Cedar Ln.

1. Read the Question Carefully: Good Advice for any type of question!  Understand what the question is asking. Are there specific instructions?
2. First, Familiarize Yourself with the Map: Try to get a general sense of the layout and any distinguishing features. Note the scale, legend, and orientation (north arrow).
3. Use the Legend: Make sure you understand all the symbols and information.
4. Scale is Important! Scale gives the relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground.
5. Take Your Time: Important for any type of test question!  Analyze the map and any relevant information before attempting to answer. Don’t speed through but don’t hang around either – work carefully and methodically.
6. Eliminate Incorrect Options: Elimination is your best multiple choice strategy.  How to answer multiple choice
7. Practice Regularly: Nothing beats knowing your stuff!  Practice regularly until you feel confident.   How to prepare for a test  How to Study
8. Double-Check Your Answer: Before submitting your answer, review it to ensure accuracy. Look back at the map and the question to confirm that your answer makes sense in context.