Bearings Worksheets

These bearings worksheets help Year 10 and Year 11 students master three-figure bearings, a topic that requires precision and clear procedural understanding. Students practise measuring and calculating bearings using angles from north, applying scale diagrams, and describing positions accurately. Teachers often notice students forgetting to measure from north or writing bearings as two digits instead of three, particularly when the angle is less than 100 degrees. The collection covers understanding what bearings represent, working with angles in bearings problems, interpreting scale word problems, and using bearing clues to determine positions. All worksheets include complete answer sheets and are available as PDF downloads, making them suitable for independent work, homework, or revision sessions where students can check their understanding immediately.

Bearings and Scale Word Problems

Year groups: 10, 11

Calculating Bearings - with Angles in Parallel Lines

Year groups: 10, 11

Calculating Bearings (A)

Year groups: 10, 11

Calculating Bearings (B)

Year groups: 10, 11

Calculating Bearings (B) (With Clues)

Year groups: 10, 11

Drawing Bearings

Year groups: 10, 11

Measuring and Understanding Bearings

Year groups: 10, 11

Measuring Bearings

Year groups: 10, 11

Sketching and Describing Bearings

Year groups: 10, 11

What are bearings in maths?

Bearings are three-figure angles measured clockwise from north, used to describe the direction of one point from another. In the National Curriculum at KS4, students learn to express directions precisely using bearings between 000° and 360°, applying angle facts and compass points. This skill sits within the geometry strand and links directly to GCSE questions worth 3-4 marks.

A common error occurs when students measure anticlockwise or start from the wrong direction. Teachers frequently see answers like 45° instead of 045°, or students forgetting that bearings always require three digits. Exam mark schemes specifically penalise incorrect notation, so students must write 080° rather than 80° even when the angle is less than 100 degrees. Reinforcing the phrase "three figures, measured clockwise from north" helps students remember the essential criteria.

Which year groups learn bearings?

Bearings worksheets at Cazoom Maths cover Year 10 and Year 11, aligning with the KS4 geometry curriculum. Students typically encounter bearings after consolidating angle facts, parallel lines, and compass directions in Key Stage 3. This topic appears regularly in GCSE Foundation and Higher tier papers, often combined with scale drawings, trigonometry, or Pythagoras' theorem in multi-step problems.

The progression across these year groups involves increasing complexity rather than entirely new concepts. Year 10 students focus on measuring and plotting single bearings from diagrams, whilst Year 11 work extends to reverse bearings, bearings involving multiple stages of a journey, and problems requiring students to calculate distances or use trigonometry alongside bearing notation. Questions may also incorporate real-world contexts like navigation, requiring students to interpret worded scenarios accurately.

How do you calculate the back bearing?

The back bearing (or return bearing) describes the direction from point B back to point A when you know the bearing from A to B. To calculate it, add 180° if the original bearing is less than 180°, or subtract 180° if it's greater than 180°. For example, if the bearing from A to B is 065°, the back bearing from B to A is 065° + 180° = 245°. Students must maintain three-figure notation throughout these calculations.

This skill connects directly to navigation in aviation, marine transport, and outdoor education. Pilots and sailors use back bearings to determine their position through triangulation or to return along the same route. In search and rescue operations, knowing the reciprocal bearing ensures teams can navigate back to base. Understanding that bearings work in pairs helps students see why this mathematical concept matters beyond the classroom, particularly in STEM careers requiring spatial reasoning and precise directional communication.

How can teachers use these bearings worksheets effectively?

The worksheets provide structured progression through bearing concepts, starting with recognising and measuring bearings from diagrams before moving to calculations and scale-based problems. Teachers find the answer sheets particularly valuable for self-marking activities where students identify their own errors and correct misconceptions immediately. The variety of subtopics allows teachers to target specific weaknesses, whether that's notation, measuring technique, or applying bearings to word problems.

Many teachers use these resources for intervention sessions with small groups who struggled during initial teaching, as the scaffolded approach rebuilds understanding step by step. They work well as homework to consolidate classroom learning, or as revision material before assessments when students need focused practise on exam-style questions. Paired work encourages students to explain their reasoning when disagreements arise, which often highlights misunderstandings about direction or measurement that wouldn't surface in silent individual work.