Who this is for: Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (0580/0607) students who want Bearing — measuring and calculating three-figure bearings and using them in scale drawings and trigonometry — to become a reliable source of marks instead of a convention they apply inconsistently.
What query it owns: how to understand and revise Bearing in Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics.
Why this is safe: this page owns the Bearing revision-guide angle, while Tutopiya’s Bearing subtopic page owns the learning resource and the free Bearing quiz owns the practice.

Bearing questions appear regularly in the Trigonometry unit of Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (0580/0607). Whenever a question involves direction — ships, planes, towns on a map — examiners expect you to measure clockwise from North, write three-figure bearings correctly, and combine them with scale drawings or right-angled trigonometry. This guide explains the rules that actually appear, how to handle navigation problems, and where to practise each skill.

Key takeaways

• A bearing is always measured clockwise from North, written as a three-figure number (e.g. 045°, 128°, 310°).
• North must be marked on diagrams; redraw a vertical North line at each point if needed.
• Bearing problems often combine with scale drawings or SOHCAHTOA to find distances.
• Always show the bearing angle on the diagram and give answers with the correct notation.

What is Bearing in Cambridge IGCSE Maths?

Bearing is a way of describing direction using a three-figure angle measured clockwise from North. In Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics it is used to state the direction of one point from another, to plot positions on scale drawings, and to solve distance problems by forming right-angled triangles from bearing diagrams.

You can read the full explanation, worked examples and notes on Tutopiya’s Bearing subtopic page before you attempt questions.

The core ideas you must master

These four ideas appear again and again. Learn what each one means and the exam phrasing that signals it.

Idea	What it means	How the exam uses it
Three-figure bearing	Clockwise from North; always 3 digits	”Write down the bearing of B from A”
Back bearing	Often differs by 180° (if A–B is a straight line)	“Find the bearing of A from B”
Scale drawing	Measure distances and angles accurately	”Using a scale of 1 cm to 2 km…”
Trigonometry link	Form a right triangle from North lines	”Calculate the distance from A to C”

How to work with bearings — step by step

The safest method works for reading, drawing and calculating bearings.

1. Mark North at the point you are measuring from (vertical arrow pointing up).
2. Measure clockwise from North to the line joining the two points.
3. Write as three figures — e.g. 52° becomes 052°, not 52°.
4. For scale drawings, use the given scale to convert between map and real distances.
5. For trigonometry, draw North lines to create right-angled triangles, then apply SOHCAHTOA.
6. Check: the bearing must be between 000° and 360°.

Once you have worked through a few, test yourself with the free Bearing quiz — it tells you fast whether the method has actually stuck.

Scale drawing vs trigonometry: which approach does the question want?

Students lose marks by measuring anticlockwise, omitting the leading zero, or forgetting to mark North. Use the question wording to decide.

Situation	What to do	Typical signal words
Write a bearing	Measure clockwise from North; three figures	”Write down the bearing of…”
Draw a point from a bearing	Protractor from North, clockwise	”Mark the position of…”
Scale drawing	Measure lengths; convert using scale	”Scale: 1 cm represents 5 km”
Calculate a distance	Form right triangle; use trig	”Work out the distance between…”

Bearing in past-paper wording: command words that matter

Most lost marks come from misreading the command word or measuring from the wrong reference line. These are the command words you will see and what each one demands.

Command word / phrase	What the question wants	Typical stem
Write down	State the bearing; often 1–2 marks	”Write down the bearing of B from A.”
Calculate / Work out	Find a distance using trig or scale	”Work out the distance from the ship to the port.”
Show that	Prove a given result — method earns marks	”Show that the bearing of C from A is 215°.”
Mark / Draw	Accurate construction on a diagram	”On the diagram, mark the position of D.”
Give your answer correct to …	Round as instructed	”Give your answer correct to the nearest km.”

Worked exam-style stems (how to answer the wording)

Practising the wording — not just the rules — is what method marks reward. Here is how three real-style stems are answered.

1. “The bearing of town B from town A is 065°. Write down the bearing of A from B.” If A and B lie on a straight line, back bearing = 065° + 180° = 245°. Mark-scheme reward: three-figure answer stated.
2. “A ship sails 40 km on a bearing of 040° from port P, then 30 km on a bearing of 130°. Show that the final bearing of the ship from P is 078°.” Draw a scale diagram or use trigonometry on the triangle formed; measure or calculate the bearing from P. Reward: North lines shown, working for each leg.
3. “From a boat at P, a lighthouse L is on a bearing of 052° and is 8 km away. Work out how far north and how far east the lighthouse is from the boat.” Draw North–East right triangle; north = 8 cos 52°, east = 8 sin 52°. Reward: correct trig ratio relative to North line.

When you can recognise the wording instantly, work the full set on the Trigonometry topical past paper questions and the Bearing quiz to lock the method in.

How Bearing connects to the rest of Trigonometry

Bearing builds on Right Angled Trigonometry, because North lines create the right angles needed for SOHCAHTOA, and leads into Sine Rule and Cosine Rule when triangles are not right-angled. When you are ready to mix topics, the Cambridge IGCSE Maths resource hub lets you move straight from a weak subtopic into the next.

Common mistakes students make

• Measuring anticlockwise instead of clockwise from North.
• Writing 52° instead of the three-figure bearing 052°.
• Forgetting to draw a North line at the point you are measuring from.
• Confusing “bearing of B from A” with “bearing of A from B”.
• On scale drawings, using the wrong scale when converting to real distances.

When you need more support

If bearing questions keep tripping you up — especially multi-leg journeys — work through the Trigonometry topical past paper questions and the Bearing quiz to pinpoint the exact gap, then get focused help from a Cambridge IGCSE Maths tutor to fix it quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Are bearing questions hard in Cambridge IGCSE Maths? The rules are simple once you always measure clockwise from North. Marks are lost when students omit leading zeros or measure from the wrong reference line.

Why must bearings be three figures? So 052° is not confused with 520°; always include a leading zero for bearings under 100°.

How do I find the back bearing? For points on a straight line, add or subtract 180° (e.g. bearing of B from A is 065°, so bearing of A from B is 245°).

How do I revise Bearing effectively? Read the subtopic notes, draw North on every diagram, then take the Bearing quiz. Revisit any multi-leg journey problems you got wrong before moving on.

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