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Bearings and scale drawings

Bearings and scale drawings for Access to HE Business Studies: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • Access to HE
  • Business Studies
  • Spec S20 · S9
  • 13 min read
  • 10 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
2 min read

What is bearings and scale drawings?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of bearings and scale drawings and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of bearings and scale drawings before you read the notes.
This idea appears again in the higher-mark questions, so it is worth over-learning.
3 rows

The bearings and scale drawings reference table

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Term
Meaning
Example
Common slip
Marks
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
Row 1 column 4
Row 1 column 5
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
Row 2 column 4
Row 2 column 5
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
Row 3 column 4
Row 3 column 5

Learning

6 boxes
4 steps

How to work with bearings and scale drawings

Practise the routine version until it is automatic, then move to the multi-step questions.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for bearings and scale drawings in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
Answer: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
2 rules

Key facts: Bearings and scale drawings

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
Worth knowing: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

  • Rule 1

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2

  • Rule 2

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    ≈160\approx 160

  • Rule 3

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
4 steps

How to work with bearings and scale drawings

This idea appears again in the higher-mark questions, so it is worth over-learning.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for bearings and scale drawings in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: ≈160\approx 160.
Answer: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
3 rules

Key facts: Bearings and scale drawings

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.

  • Rule 1

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    ≈160\approx 160

  • Rule 2

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7

  • Rule 3

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
4 steps

How to work with bearings and scale drawings

Practise the routine version until it is automatic, then move to the multi-step questions.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for bearings and scale drawings in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
2 rules

Key facts: Bearings and scale drawings

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing bearings and scale drawings laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}.

  • Rule 1

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

  • Rule 2

    How bearings and scale drawings behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0

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Examples

2 boxes
2 marks · worked

Worked example: bearings and scale drawings

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
2 marks · worked

Practice question 10: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
Worth knowing: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left.

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Common questions

How many marks is bearings and scale drawings usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the Access to HE Business Studies paper?
Yes — it sits in the Spoken language strand.