A+ Maps, Graphs & Charts

Materials are created for two divisions: grades 5/6 and 7/8.

General Contest Information

The maps, graphs & charts contest is designed to help students learn to get information from a variety of maps, graphs and charts including world maps, pie charts, bar charts and local area maps. The objective test will measure skills such as using a reference book to locate information, making comparisons, estimating and approximating, using scale and interpreting grid systems, legends and keys.

Students will be given an objective test containing approximately 75 multiple choice and true/false questions, which must be answered in 45 minutes.

The official source for Maps, Graphs & Charts is the Nystrom Desk Atlas, 2008 edition. Students may also use any other atlas they choose, but the test questions are written using this source.

Nystrom Education has released a 2018 edition of the atlas (besides other editions released since 2008, which included minor revisions). The UIL will continue to use the 2008 edition for 2022-2023 in conjunction with the newer versions. For contest purposes for 2022-23, any atlas with a 2008 or newer copyright is the current edition.

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, only the 2016 and 2018 copyrights of the Nystrom Desk Atlas will be used in test creation. 

Sources for Official Atlas

Order through Nystrom or TEP (starting in 2018-2019, the UIL no longer sells the atlas):

Nystrom Education
a division of Social Studies School Service
10200 Jefferson Blvd., Box 802
Culver City, CA  90232
phone: 800-421-4246
fax: 800-944-5432

Website: https://go.socialstudies.com/uil-desk-atlas

Texas Educational Paperbacks

3824 Cedar Springs Rd. #202, Dallas, TX 75219-4168
Phone: 800-443-2078; Fax: 800-437-7070
E-mail: customerservice@tepbooks.com

Website: https://tepbooks.com:4443/Default.aspx

Scoring

• +3 for each correct answer
• -2 for each incorrect answer
• No deduction of points for unanswered questions