Representing the Earth

What this exam is like

The Representing the Earth exam has 35 multiple-choice questions across these levels: Primary (12), Secondary (23). Each attempt draws 10 at random from the level you choose. You get two tries per question, and each answer is explained afterwards. At the end you see your grade.

Sample questions

1. 1. What is a globe?

   • A flat map of the world
   • A model of the Earth shaped like a sphere
   • A photo of the Earth taken from a satellite
   • A street plan of a city
   Show the answer

   ✅ A model of the Earth shaped like a sphere

   A globe is the most faithful representation because, like the Earth, it is a sphere: it distorts neither shapes nor sizes. Maps are flat and always distort something.

2. 2. Which parallel is the longest?

   • The Arctic Circle
   • The equator
   • The Tropic of Cancer
   • They are all the same length
   Show the answer

   ✅ The equator

   The equator is about 40,000 km long and the other parallels get shorter towards the poles. It is the meridians that are all the same length.

3. 3. Roughly, at what latitude is the Arctic Circle?

   • 23.5° N
   • 66.5° N
   • 66.5° S
   • 90° N
   Show the answer

   ✅ 66.5° N

   It lies at about 66.5° N: further north there is at least one day a year when the Sun does not set. At 90° N is the North Pole and at 66.5° S, the Antarctic Circle.