Bearings Worksheet

Bearings at a glance

Bearings are angles measured clockwise from North and are written as three figures. 

The points on a compass have the following bearings: North 000o, East 090o, South 180o and West 270o. When working with bearings, we can either measure them or we can calculate them using known angle facts. 

To measure bearings we first need to make sure we have an accurate diagram. If the diagram is accurate, we can draw on a North line and use a protractor to measure the angle in a clockwise direction. We can then write the angle as a three figure bearing. 

When calculating bearings, we can use a variety of different methods depending on the information available. These include: using angle facts about the angles around a point, using angle facts about angles in parallel lines and using trigonometry. 

When dealing with bearings problems it is important to consider which point is the starting point by reading the question carefully. For example, if we are asked to calculate the bearing of the lighthouse from point B then the starting point is point B. We would draw a North line at point B and measure the angle between the North line and the lighthouse.

Looking forward, students can then progress to additional geometry worksheets, for example a 3D shapes worksheet or area of a triangle worksheet.

For more teaching and learning support on Geometry our GCSE maths lessons provide step by step support for all GCSE maths concepts.