Bearings designate direction by what format?

• A. An angle and quadrant letters, never greater than 90°, referenced from north or south
• B. A distance in meters
• C. A straight line length
• D. A velocity and heading

Answer: (A)

Bearings encode direction as an angle from a reference line (north or south) toward east or west, with the angle never exceeding 90°. The first letter tells you the reference direction, the number gives how far from that line you rotate, and the final letter pair tells you which side (east or west) you’re in. For example, a bearing like N30°E means 30 degrees east of north, while S15°W means 15 degrees west of south. This format directly communicates orientation, not distance or speed, which is why it’s the correct way to designate direction in bearings.