Direction Sense Questions for Bank and SSC Exams
Draw north at the top, track the facing after every turn, and keep two running totals.
Direction sense questions describe someone walking and turning, then ask where they end up: how far from the start, and in which direction. Some versions use points on a map or the shadow of the sun instead of a walk.
These questions are easiest to solve with a rough drawing. Put north at the top, follow each move, and add up how far the person went east-west and north-south.
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What You Need to Know
- Eight directions
- North, south, east and west, plus north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west halfway between them.
- Right turn
- A 90° clockwise turn from the way the person is facing. Facing north, right is east. Facing east, right is south.
- Left turn
- A 90° anticlockwise turn. Facing north, left is west. Facing west, left is south.
- Shortest distance
- The straight-line distance from start to end. If the person ends x km east-west and y km north-south of the start, the distance is the square root of (x² + y²).
- Shadows
- In the morning the sun is in the east, so shadows fall to the west. In the evening the sun is in the west, so shadows fall to the east.
The Method
- 1
Draw the start point
Mark it with a dot, north at the top, east on the right.
- 2
Track which way the person faces
After every turn, write the new facing direction before drawing the next line. Left and right depend on facing, not on the page.
- 3
Keep two running totals
Add distances moved east and subtract those moved west. Do the same for north and south.
- 4
Read off the answer
The two totals give the final position. Use the right-angle triangle rule for the straight-line distance.
Practice question 1
Ravi walks 6 km north, turns right and walks 8 km. How far is he from his starting point, and in which direction?
- 1
First move
6 km north. North total: 6.
- 2
The turn
Facing north, a right turn faces east. 8 km east. East total: 8.
- 3
Distance
Square root of (8² + 6²) = square root of (64 + 36) = square root of 100 = 10 km.
- 4
Answer
He is 10 km from the start, towards the north-east.
Practice question 2
Meena walks 5 km east, turns left and walks 3 km, turns left and walks 9 km, then turns left and walks 3 km. Where is she now with respect to her starting point?
- 1
Move 1
5 km east. East total: 5.
- 2
Move 2
Facing east, left is north. 3 km north. North total: 3.
- 3
Move 3
Facing north, left is west. 9 km west. East total: 5 minus 9 = minus 4, which means 4 km west.
- 4
Move 4
Facing west, left is south. 3 km south. North total: 3 minus 3 = 0.
- 5
Answer
She is 4 km west of her starting point.
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Practice question 3: Shadow
One morning after sunrise, Arjun stands facing a pole. The pole's shadow falls exactly to his right. Which direction is he facing?
- 1
Where the shadow falls
In the morning the sun is in the east, so the shadow falls to the west.
- 2
Match it to his right
The shadow is on his right, so his right side points west.
- 3
Find his facing
A person whose right hand points west is facing south.
- 4
Answer
Arjun is facing south.
Practice question 4: Points
Point B is 4 m south of point A. Point C is 3 m east of B. Point D is 4 m north of C. In which direction and how far is D from A?
- 1
Place A at the start
East total 0, north total 0.
- 2
A to B
4 m south. North total: minus 4.
- 3
B to C
3 m east. East total: 3.
- 4
C to D
4 m north. North total: minus 4 plus 4 = 0.
- 5
Answer
D is 3 m east of A.
Practice question 5: Turning by Angles
A man faces north. He turns 90° clockwise, then 135° anticlockwise. Which direction does he face now?
- 1
First turn
90° clockwise from north is east.
- 2
Second turn
From east, 90° anticlockwise reaches north. The remaining 45° anticlockwise reaches north-west.
- 3
Answer
He faces north-west.
Common Traps
- check_circleTurning left or right relative to the page instead of the person's facing. Write the facing after every turn.
- check_circleAnswering the direction the person is facing instead of the direction from the start. Read which one the question asks.
- check_circleReversing "A from B". "Where is D from A" means stand at A and look at D.
- check_circleForgetting that morning shadows fall west and evening shadows fall east.
- check_circleAdding all distances. The straight-line distance comes from the two totals, not from the total walked.
How Bank and SSC Papers Test Direction Sense
The IBPS PO syllabus lists direction and distance under reasoning, tested in Reasoning Ability in prelims (35 questions, 40 marks) and in Reasoning in mains (40 questions, 60 marks). Bank papers can combine directions with a puzzle or with points placed by several clues, so you may need to fix positions before you can answer.
SSC CGL lists direction and distance in its reasoning syllabus, tested in the Tier 1 General Intelligence & Reasoning section (25 questions, 50 marks). SSC questions can be single walks or shadow questions like Practice questions 1 to 3.
FAQs
How do I solve direction sense questions quickly?expand_more
Draw a rough sketch with north at the top, write the facing direction after every turn, and keep two running totals: east-west and north-south. The totals give the final position.
How do I find the shortest distance in direction questions?expand_more
Take the final east-west total x and north-south total y, then find the square root of (x² + y²). For 6 km and 8 km, that is 10 km.
Which way does a shadow fall in the morning?expand_more
To the west, because the sun is in the east. In the evening the sun is in the west, so shadows fall to the east.
Is a right turn always towards east?expand_more
No. A right turn is 90° clockwise from the way the person is facing. It points east only when the person faces north.
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