1. Do not click immediately
Before plotting anything, locate START and FINISH and understand their relationship on the map. A few seconds spent orientating yourself can prevent a long chain of corrections later. Look for the broad direction of travel and identify the major roads or natural corridors that could connect the two points.
2. Check the first movement carefully
The first road choice often determines whether the rest of the route is straightforward. Check one-way arrows, central reservations, restricted access and whether the road actually connects in the direction you want. If the start is on a side road, work out how you legally reach the larger route network before thinking about the middle of the journey.
3. Choose a corridor, not a perfect line
A direct route is normally a sequence of usable roads, not the straightest possible line across the page. Prefer a coherent corridor that keeps you moving toward FINISH with a manageable number of turns. Avoid unnecessary zig-zags created by chasing tiny visual savings.
4. Plot road by road
Place points where the route changes direction or where a junction matters. Do not scatter excessive points along a straight road, but do not cut corners so aggressively that your line appears to leave the carriageway or skip a junction. The line should communicate the road sequence clearly.
5. Re-check the final approach
Candidates often focus so much on the middle of the route that they rush the last two or three turns. Before reaching FINISH, confirm the correct side of the destination road, any one-way direction and the actual connection into the finish point.
6. Review the type of error
After submission, do not simply look at the score. Ask what caused the deduction. Route-choice errors require map-reading work; direction errors require better restriction checks; plotting errors require cleaner mouse control. The aim is to make the next attempt different for a specific reason.
Use a two-pass map scan
On the first pass, look only for the overall direction and obvious major roads. On the second pass, inspect the points where the route could fail: the first turn, one-way streets, divided roads, structures and the final approach. This prevents you from spending too much time analysing every road equally.
If the route contains a closure, treat it as a local problem inside the wider corridor. Work out where the natural route becomes unavailable, then look for the shortest sensible legal bypass rather than rebuilding the whole journey from scratch.
What accurate plotting looks like
Accuracy does not mean placing a point every few pixels. It means the line stays on the intended carriageway and passes through the correct junctions. Use enough points to show turns and road shape, but avoid unnecessary micro-points that make the route difficult to edit.
When a road bends, follow the bend enough that the line still clearly represents that road. When a road is straight, fewer points are usually better. The goal is a readable route, not a drawing competition.
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