In this guide
Direction questions are some of the easiest reasoning questions — if you draw them. Candidates who try to keep track of turns in their heads almost always lose their bearings after the third turn. With a quick sketch on your rough sheet, most questions take under forty seconds.
The eight directions
Draw a compass: North at the top, South at the bottom, East on the right, West on the left. Between them lie NE, SE, SW and NW.
Left and right turns
A right turn is a 90° clockwise turn; a left turn is 90° anticlockwise.
| Facing | After right turn | After left turn |
|---|---|---|
| North | East | West |
| East | South | North |
| South | West | East |
| West | North | South |
Tracing a path
Worked example: A cyclist rides 10 m north, turns right and rides 6 m, turns right and rides 18 m, then turns left and rides 6 m. How far is the cyclist from the start, and in which direction?
Trace: start at (0, 0).
- 10 m north → (0, 10).
- Right turn → facing east; 6 m → (6, 10).
- Right turn → facing south; 18 m → (6, −8).
- Left turn → facing east; 6 m → (12, −8).
Distance = √(12² + 8²) = √208 ≈ 14.4 m, towards the south-east.
Shortest distance
The shortest distance from the start is the straight line from start to end — use Pythagoras on the net east–west and north–south movements.
Worked example: A car goes 12 km west, then 5 km north. Shortest distance from the start = √(144 + 25) = 13 km.
Final facing direction
Keep track of the facing direction separately from the position.
Worked example: A man facing south turns right, then right again, then left. Which way is he facing?
South → right → West → right → North → left → West.
Angle turns
- Clockwise 90° from north = east; clockwise 135° from north = south-east.
- Anticlockwise 45° from north = north-west.
Worked example: A person facing east turns 135° anticlockwise. Which direction do they face?
East → 90° anticlockwise = north → a further 45° = north-west.
Shadow questions
- In the morning, the sun is in the east, so shadows fall towards the west.
- In the evening, the sun is in the west, so shadows fall towards the east.
- At noon, there is almost no shadow (in these questions).
Worked example: One morning, a man stood facing a pole. The pole's shadow fell exactly to his right. Which direction was he facing?
Morning shadow points west. If west is to his right, he is facing south.
Common traps
| Trap | Fix |
|---|---|
| Losing the facing direction after several turns | Write the facing direction after each turn |
| Confusing left and right when facing south | Draw an arrow for the current direction |
| Forgetting the sun's position | Morning east; evening west |
| Giving the path length instead of displacement | Use Pythagoras for "how far from the start" |
Practice
- A person walks 8 m east, 6 m north and 8 m west. How far is the person from the start?
- Facing north, a person turns left, then left again, then right. Which way is the person facing?
- A car travels 15 km south, then 8 km east. Find the shortest distance from the start.
- A person facing west turns 90° clockwise and then 180°. Which way does the person face?
- In the evening, two friends stand facing each other. One's shadow falls exactly to that person's left. Which direction is that person facing?
- Starting at a point, a cyclist rides 3 km north, 4 km east, 3 km north and 4 km east. How far is the cyclist from the start?
Answers: 1. 6 m (north). 2. West. 3. 17 km. 4. South. 5. South (the evening shadow points east, and east is on the left when facing south). 6. 10 km.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Staff Selection Commission website .
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