Form 3 Geography Practice Paper: Map Reading, Population, Climate And Land Use

Form 3 Geography Practice Paper: Map Reading, Population, Climate and Land Use

2026-11-05

Form 3 Geography – 12 questions – 100 marks – 75 minutes

Form 3 Geography practice paper: 12 questions, 100 marks in 75 minutes on map scale, population, climate, urbanisation, land use, runoff and energy.

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Paper details　Form 3 Geography practice paper with 12 questions, 100 marks in 75 minutes, covering map scale, population density, climate graphs, urbanisation, land use, runoff and energy.

Section A: Map Reading and Population

Answer all questions and show the working and the unit in each calculation.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
1	The scale of a map is 1 : 50 000. (a) What actual distance, in km, does 8 cm on the map represent? (b) How far apart, in cm, would two places 15 km apart appear on this map? (c) Is this a large scale or a small scale map? Explain your answer.	Answer: (a) 8 x 50 000 = 400 000 cm = 4 km. (b) 15 km = 1 500 000 cm, so 1 500 000 / 50 000 = 30 cm. (c) It is a small scale map, because 1 cm represents 0.5 km, so a large area is shown with little detail; scales of 1 : 50 000 or smaller are classed as small scale. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 3 marks in (b) where an unconverted unit earns 1 mark, 1 mark for the judgement and 1 mark for the explanation in (c).
2	District A covers 20 km squared and has 240 000 people; District B covers 45 km squared and has 270 000 people. (a) Find the population density of each district in persons per km squared. (b) Which district is more densely populated? (c) Does a high population density always mean a large population? Use the data to explain.	Answer: (a) A: 240 000 / 20 = 12 000 persons per km squared; B: 270 000 / 45 = 6 000 persons per km squared. (b) District A is more densely populated. (c) No. District B has more people, 270 000 against 240 000, but a lower density of 6 000, because its area is much larger. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 1 mark in (b), 2 marks for the comparison and 2 marks for the explanation in (c).
3	A city has 500 000 people. In one year there are 6 000 births, 3 000 deaths, 2 500 immigrants and 1 500 emigrants. (a) Find the birth rate and the death rate per thousand. (b) Find the rate of natural increase. (c) Find the total growth rate and the population at the end of the year.	Answer: (a) Birth rate = 6 000 / 500 000 x 1000 = 12 per thousand; death rate = 3 000 / 500 000 x 1000 = 6 per thousand. (b) Natural increase = 12 – 6 = 6 per thousand, that is 0.6%. (c) Net migration = 2 500 – 1 500 = 1 000, so total growth = 6 000 – 3 000 + 1 000 = 4 000, a rate of 8 per thousand, and the population becomes 504 000. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 2 marks for net migration and 3 marks for the rate and population in (c).
4	A place has 600 000 people: 90 000 aged 0 to 14, 450 000 aged 15 to 64 and 60 000 aged 65 or over. (a) Find the total dependency ratio. (b) Find the old age dependency ratio. (c) If the number aged 65 or over rises to 105 000 in ten years while the working age group stays the same, find the new old age dependency ratio and state one effect on society.	Answer: (a) (90 000 + 60 000) / 450 000 x 100% = 33.3%. (b) 60 000 / 450 000 x 100% = 13.3%. (c) 105 000 / 450 000 x 100% = 23.3%, which means much heavier spending on health care and elderly services, and fewer workers supporting each dependant. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 3 marks for the ratio and 1 mark for the effect in (c).

Section B: Climate, Urbanisation and Land Use

Answer all questions and show the steps of your calculation.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
5	Climate data for a place: the hottest month, July, averages 28 degrees Celsius and the coldest month, January, averages 16 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall is 1 200 mm, of which 600 mm falls from June to August. (a) Find the annual temperature range. (b) Find the percentage of the annual rainfall that falls in summer. (c) From the month of the highest temperature, decide whether the place is in the northern or the southern hemisphere and explain.	Answer: (a) 28 – 16 = 12 degrees Celsius. (b) 600 / 1 200 x 100% = 50%. (c) The northern hemisphere, because the highest temperature occurs in July, which is summer there while the southern hemisphere has winter. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 3 marks in (b), 1 mark for the hemisphere and 1 mark for the reason in (c).
6	The urban share of the population of a country rose from 40% in 2000 to 60% in 2020. (a) By how many percentage points did it rise? (b) What was the relative increase? (c) Give two factors that drive urbanisation.	Answer: (a) 60 – 40 = 20 percentage points. (b) 20 / 40 x 100% = 50%. (c) Rural push factors such as low farm income and few jobs, and urban pull factors such as factory jobs and better schools and hospitals. Marking: 2 marks in (a), 3 marks in (b), 3 marks in (c) for two valid factors.
7	A city covers 250 km squared. Its land use is 40% residential, 15% industrial, 12% roads and transport, 13% green and open space, and 20% other uses. (a) Find the area of residential land. (b) Find the area of green space. (c) If 10 km squared of industrial land is rezoned as green space, find the new percentage of the city area that is green space.	Answer: (a) 250 x 0.4 = 100 km squared. (b) 250 x 0.13 = 32.5 km squared. (c) (32.5 + 10) / 250 x 100% = 17%. Marking: 2 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 3 marks for the new green area and 1 mark for the percentage in (c).
8	A farm of 12 hectares grows rice at 5.5 tonnes per hectare. (a) Find the total rice output. (b) If the farm switches to vegetables at 18 tonnes per hectare, find the total vegetable output. (c) Find the relative increase in output, to one decimal place.	Answer: (a) 12 x 5.5 = 66 tonnes. (b) 12 x 18 = 216 tonnes. (c) (216 – 66) / 66 x 100% = 227.3%. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 3 marks in (b), 3 marks in (c); using the new output as the denominator earns 1 mark.

Section C: Hydrology, Natural Hazards and Energy

Answer all questions and support your explanations with data or examples.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
9	A river catchment covers 80 km squared, the annual rainfall is 1 800 mm and the runoff coefficient is 0.4. (a) Find the total volume of rain falling on the catchment, in cubic metres. (b) Find the annual runoff. (c) Where does the rest of the rain go? Give two pathways.	Answer: (a) 80 km squared = 80 000 000 m squared, so the volume is 80 000 000 x 1.8 = 144 000 000 cubic metres. (b) 144 000 000 x 0.4 = 57 600 000 cubic metres. (c) The rest is lost by evaporation and transpiration from plants, or infiltrates the soil and groundwater. Marking: 3 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 3 marks in (c) for two pathways.
10	The energy released by an earthquake rises about 32 times for each increase of one unit in magnitude. (a) How many times greater is the energy of a magnitude 6 earthquake than that of a magnitude 3 earthquake? (b) How many times greater is a magnitude 7 earthquake than a magnitude 5 earthquake? (c) Name the three types of plate boundary and state which type produces the strongest earthquakes.	Answer: (a) 32 to the power of 3 = 32 768 times. (b) 32 to the power of 2 = 1 024 times. (c) Divergent, convergent and transform boundaries; convergent boundaries, where one plate is subducted, produce the strongest earthquakes. Marking: 2 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 3 marks for the three types and 1 mark for the convergent type in (c).
11	On a summer afternoon the city centre records 31.5 degrees Celsius while a country park in the same region records 27.0 degrees Celsius. (a) Find the temperature difference. (b) Explain two reasons why the city centre is warmer. (c) Suggest two ways to reduce the effect.	Answer: (a) 31.5 – 27.0 = 4.5 degrees Celsius. (b) Concrete and asphalt absorb and store heat, vehicles and air conditioners release waste heat, tall buildings trap it and there is little vegetation to cool the air by transpiration. (c) Plant more trees and green roofs, use light coloured surfaces and keep open corridors for wind. Marking: 2 marks in (a), 4 marks in (b) for two reasons, 2 marks in (c) for two measures.
12	Solar panels cover a roof of 200 m squared. Each square metre of panel outputs 180 W in full sunshine. (a) Find the total installed capacity in kW. (b) If there are 5 effective sunshine hours a day, find the daily output in kWh. (c) How much energy does the system produce in a year of 365 days? (d) Give one advantage and one limitation of solar power compared with coal.	Answer: (a) 200 x 180 = 36 000 W = 36 kW. (b) 36 x 5 = 180 kWh. (c) 180 x 365 = 65 700 kWh. (d) Advantage: no fuel is burnt and almost no carbon dioxide is released in operation; limitation: output depends on sunshine, weather and the roof area available. Marking: 2 marks in (a), 2 marks in (b), 3 marks in (c), 1 mark for the advantage and 2 marks for the limitation in (d).

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A TutorZone practice paper; original questions and passages, not publisher material.