Tips for high marks in geography practical examinations
Are you going to take a practical exam for geography this year? What are the things to remember while taking a practical exam in Geography? How to score high marks in a geography practical exam? How to study the geography practical paper easily? This article says it all.
When you search for practical exam tips, the words that come to your mind are physics, chemistry, biology and so on. Geography has never been given much a thought as a subject with practical values. But the truth is that all geography courses nowadays come with a practical test and viva along with the written paper. Read on this article to know more about the geography practical exams and ways to score high marks in them.Why a practical test is conducted in geography?
Geography belongs to social sciences, which means that even though the subject matter of geography relates to social sciences, geography employs the scientific method to approach it. Many colleges in India have started considering geography as a B. Sc subject instead of a B.A subject. All of this indicates the scientific nature of the subject. Understanding any scientific subject without proper practical knowledge is impossible. So a practical mentality should be developed in students who learn geography. That is why practical tests are conducted in geography.Possible questions in geography practical exams
Most often, the geography practical exams cover the following topics:How to score high marks in Geography practical exam?
A geography practical exam, as discussed above, test mainly three types of skills:
To score high marks in Geography practical exams, one needs to master these three skills.Drawing skill development tips
1. To draw accurate latitudinal and longitudinal lines (only in the case of drawing by hand), make sure that you are going by the exact procedure of the projection you are doing. Don't forget different projections demand different kinds of drawings and measurements. Understand the process completely and accurately. Then only will your projection error free. A slight difference in the compass or scale measurements will end up in a ruined projection.
2. In the case of light projections, make sure that you are arranging the set up correctly. Make sure that you are placing the light source in the exact position and angle so that the best outline will be reflected on the paper. Make sure that the placing of the paper is in right position and angle. A slight difference in the angle of the paper, especially in surface projections, will cause a great distortion in the image produced. In the case of cylindrical projections, make sure that the cylinder is touching the right latitude.
3. While drawing a terrain from a contour, don't draw the graph by hand. Instead use a real graph paper. If a real graph is not allowed in the exam hall, you will have to draw the points of the graph by hand. Make sure that you are drawing and dividing x axis and y axis to exactly equal divisions. A millimetre difference in the cardinal points will affect the perfection of the terrain outline.
4. While you are transferring terrain to a contour and vice versa, join the contour points by free hand. Don't use a scale to join them. If you use a scale to join contours, your figure will have edges, and it will ruin the naturalness of the figure. However, if you are drawing the contour of a landscape with sharp edges, you can use a scale. For example if you are drawing a cliff, you can use the scale to draw the steep fall where the cliff ends.
5. While drawing the figures of weather instruments, don't study from the complicated pictures. Weather instruments can be drawn technically with greater complications. Such figures are necessary only in higher level exams. If you are taking a beginners' exam, search on the net, you will get many simpler models which depicts only the outline and the basic function. But if your syllabus points to a particular model, study that model itself.
6. Practice again and again: Draw the figures again and again with precision. Practice it as many times as possible. Try to make your figure perfect.Tips to develop mathematical skills
Mathematical skills are necessary in a geography practical exam. Some exams will allow a calculator, though not a scientific one. In some exams, you will have to do the calculations by hand. Some techniques may come in use in such circumstances.
1. Scale conversion: Scale conversion usually includes large figures, sometimes even ranging more than 10 lakhs. Converting one scale to another as it is will be difficult especially if you are not allowed a calculator. Reduce the numbers to smaller figures by dividing with a common factor. It will make easier.
2. If you are converting a linear or a statement scale to a representative fraction scale, make sure that the numerator always equals to zero. If you get the answer in a higher ratio, for example, 2 : 2400, then reduce it to 1 : 1200.
3. Follow the steps correctly while converting scales. There is a typical format for deriving every answer. Don't try to do the calculations in mind/worksheet. Do all the calculations as a part of the answer. The invigilator must understand how you arrived at a particular answer.
4. While creating linear scale (picture scale), use a sharp pencil or a black ball pen if you are allowed to use pen for drawings. Shade alternative columns accurately. Write the correct units for both first level and second level divisions.
5. In a representative fraction (ratio) scale, make sure the units of both numerator and denominator is the same. If one is in inches and the other in centimetres, convert any one to another.
6. In a statement scale, you don't have to bother whether the land-map constants have the same ratio.
7. By heart the conversion table. You must know how many millimetres equal one centimetre, how many inches equal one foot and so on. Apart from those, you must know the cm to inch conversion table as well.
8. While calculating time, only the longitude of the place may be given. Remember the following tips:
9. Work out as many examples as possibleHow to develop identification skills in a geography exam?
Identification skills are necessary in a geography practical exam. You may have to identify many things from maps, globes, and from real life. The only way to identify a phenomenon correctly is to understand its features thoroughly. Some tips to identify different features during a geography practical exam are given below:
1. Identifying map projections: There is a wide array of map projections, most often grouped into conical, zenithal, cylindrical etc on the basis of shape. They have many subdivisions as well. Sometimes the invigilator may show you the picture of a projection and ask you to identify it. In order to identify one projection from other, you need to by heart the features of each. Note and learn the following things:
By looking at these features, you can understand which projection is which. For example, if a given projection diagram is shaped as a circle, has meridians (longitudes) that converge at the centre, parallels (latitudes) which are concentric and equispaced circles, and right angles, you can conclude that it is a Zenithal Equal Area Projection.
2. Identifying landforms and contours: For identifying landforms and contours, there should be a general idea of each landform in your mind. Some things to remember are here:
This will help you visualise the landform while seeing the contour lines. And if you know the look of the landform, you can identify it easily.
3. Identifying weather instruments: The outline of every weather instrument will have one striking feature that distinguishes it from the other weather instruments. Find out the unique striking feature for each of the weather instruments mentioned in your syllabus. Associate it with the instrument and learn it. This will help you identify them correctly. Some examples of associating striking features with weather instruments are given here:
Try out this method! It will work for sure.
3. Identifying symbols on maps: This is one tricky part that is sure to vex you during the exams. There are no shortcuts to identify one symbol from other – you will have to by-heart every single one. The technique of 'associating unique features' will also won't help because there are too many of them. But yet, there are some examples where you can use this trick:
4. Writing marginal information of a topographical map (toposheet): When the invigilator asks you to write the marginal information, he/she expect you to point out the following information. (I've also included where you can see it):Some general tips:
This article details the basic things to keep in mind while attending a Geography practical examination. Some tips for general practical examinations can be found here:
Tips for a Practical Examination.
Above all these, study well and perform well. All the best!