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Direction Sense aptitude questions

Turns, distances and where someone ends up.

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Formula sheetDirection Sense: the essentialsFormula sheetDirection Sense: the essentialsShow

  • Compass: north up, east right, south down, west left, with NE, SE, SW and NW between them. As bearings: N 0°, NE 45°, E 90°, SE 135°, S 180°, SW 225°, W 270°, NW 315°.
  • Turns: a right turn is 90° clockwise, N → E → S → W → N; a left turn runs the list backwards; 180° gives the opposite direction. Name the new direction after every turn.
  • Displacement: label each leg with its direction, then total the north–south and east–west movement separately, counting opposite directions as negative. Distance from the start = √(x² + y²).
  • Look for 3-4-5, 6-8-10 and 5-12-13 triangles; equal legs of a give a√2. Often one axis cancels and no root is needed.
  • The final direction reads off the signs: net east and net north is north-east of the start.
  • Distance travelled and distance from the start are different questions.
  • Shadows: the sun rises in the east, so morning shadows fall to the west and evening shadows to the east. A morning shadow on your right means you face south.
  • Rotated compass: find the angle the mapping turns through, check it on the second pair given, then apply it.
  • The direction of A from C is the opposite of C from A.

Example: 8 m south, left 12 m, left 8 m. The south and north legs cancel, leaving the walker 12 m east of the start.

Questions29

1

How far from the start

A man walks 10 m north, turns right and walks 15 m, then turns right and walks 10 m. How far is he from his starting point, and in which direction?

displacement

45s

Easy2

Which way is he facing?

At sunrise, a man's shadow falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?

shadows

60s

Medium3

A right-angled walk

Ravi walks 6 km east, then 8 km north. How far is he from his starting point?

pythagoras

45s

Easy4

Left, left, right

A person facing south turns left, then left again, and finally right. Which direction is he facing now?

turns

45s

Easy5

North then east

A man walks 4 km north, then 3 km east. How far is he from his starting point?

pythagoras

45s

Easy6

North then west

A woman cycles 3 km north and then 4 km west. How far is she from her starting point?

pythagoras

45s

Easy7

South, then two left turns

A man walks 5 km south, turns left and walks 3 km, then turns left and walks 5 km. How far is he from the start and in which direction?

displacement

60s

Medium8

North, then two left turns

A man goes 5 km north, turns left and goes 3 km, then turns left and goes 5 km. Where is he relative to the start?

displacement

60s

Medium9

Round a rectangle

A person walks 20 m north, 30 m east, 20 m south and 30 m west. How far is he from the starting point?

displacement

45s

Easy10

Two of three legs cancel

A boy walks 15 m north, 20 m east and 15 m south. How far is he from the start?

displacement

45s

Easy11

Six north, eight east, six south

A man walks 6 m north, 8 m east and 6 m south. How far is he from his starting point?

displacement

45s

Easy12

A zig-zag walk

Ravi walks 10 m west, turns right and walks 5 m, turns right and walks 10 m, then turns left and walks 5 m. Where is he relative to the start?

displacement

105s

Hard13

Two easts and two norths

A man walks 1 km east, 1 km north, 1 km east and 1 km north. How far is he from his starting point?

pythagoras

75s

Medium14

Distance between two villages

Village A is 10 km north of B, and village C is 10 km east of B. What is the distance from A to C?

pythagoras

75s

Medium15

Two men walking apart

Two men start from the same point. One walks 4 km north and the other 3 km east. How far apart are they?

pythagoras

45s

Easy16

Two buses in opposite quadrants

Two buses leave the same depot. One goes 30 km north then 40 km east; the other goes 40 km south then 30 km west. How far apart are they?

pythagoras

120s

Hard17

Three turns from north

A man facing north turns right, then right again, then left. Which direction is he facing now?

turns

45s

Easy18

Ninety then one hundred and eighty

A person facing south turns 90° clockwise and then 180°. Which direction is he facing?

turns

60s

Medium19

About turn, then right

A man facing west turns 180° and then turns right. Which direction does he face?

turns

45s

Easy20

Two forty-five degree turns

A man facing east turns 45° clockwise twice, then 90° anticlockwise. Which direction is he facing?

turns

75s

Hard21

Shadow on the left at sunrise

At sunrise, a man's shadow falls to his left. Which direction is he facing?

shadows

75s

Medium22

Shadow on the right at sunset

At sunset, a boy's shadow falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?

shadows

75s

Medium23

Relative bearing of two places

A is south of B and C is east of B. In which direction is A from C?

bearings

75s

Medium24

A rotated compass

If north becomes east and east becomes south, what does south-west become?

bearings

105s

Hard25

A larger rotation

If south-east becomes north and north-east becomes west, what does west become?

bearings

120s

Hard26

Clock hands as directions

At 3 o'clock, the minute hand points north. Which direction does the hour hand point?

clocks

60s

Medium27

Which direction from home

Anil walks 10 m south from home, turns left and walks 10 m, turns right and walks 5 m, then turns right and walks 10 m. In which direction is he from home?

displacement

105s

Hard28

Turning from north-west

A man facing north-west turns 90° clockwise. Which direction does he face?

turns

75s

Medium29

Three sides of a square

A man walks 8 m east, turns left and walks 8 m, then turns left and walks 8 m. How far is he from the start?

displacement

60s

Medium

Showing 29 of 29

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Direction Sense Aptitude Questions with Solutions

29 Direction Sense questions with hints, worked solutions and time targets — 11 easy · 12 medium · 6 hard. Turns, distances and where someone ends up.

  • Section: Logical Reasoning
  • Questions: 29
  • By difficulty: 11 easy · 12 medium · 6 hard
  • Cost: Free, unlimited on every plan

Turns, distances and where someone ends up.

Direction Sense: the essentials

  • Compass: north up, east right, south down, west left, with NE, SE, SW and NW between them. As bearings: N 0°, NE 45°, E 90°, SE 135°, S 180°, SW 225°, W 270°, NW 315°.
  • Turns: a right turn is 90° clockwise, N → E → S → W → N; a left turn runs the list backwards; 180° gives the opposite direction. Name the new direction after every turn.
  • Displacement: label each leg with its direction, then total the north–south and east–west movement separately, counting opposite directions as negative. Distance from the start = √(x² + y²).
  • Look for 3-4-5, 6-8-10 and 5-12-13 triangles; equal legs of a give a√2. Often one axis cancels and no root is needed.
  • The final direction reads off the signs: net east and net north is north-east of the start.
  • Distance travelled and distance from the start are different questions.
  • Shadows: the sun rises in the east, so morning shadows fall to the west and evening shadows to the east. A morning shadow on your right means you face south.
  • Rotated compass: find the angle the mapping turns through, check it on the second pair given, then apply it.
  • The direction of A from C is the opposite of C from A.

Example: 8 m south, left 12 m, left 8 m. The south and north legs cancel, leaving the walker 12 m east of the start.

Questions

  1. How far from the start Easy
    A man walks 10 m north, turns right and walks 15 m, then turns right and walks 10 m. How far is he from his starting point, and in which direction?
  2. Which way is he facing? Medium
    At sunrise, a man's shadow falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?
  3. A right-angled walk Easy
    Ravi walks 6 km east, then 8 km north. How far is he from his starting point?
  4. Left, left, right Easy
    A person facing south turns left, then left again, and finally right. Which direction is he facing now?
  5. North then east Easy
    A man walks 4 km north, then 3 km east. How far is he from his starting point?
  6. North then west Easy
    A woman cycles 3 km north and then 4 km west. How far is she from her starting point?
  7. South, then two left turns Medium
    A man walks 5 km south, turns left and walks 3 km, then turns left and walks 5 km. How far is he from the start and in which direction?
  8. North, then two left turns Medium
    A man goes 5 km north, turns left and goes 3 km, then turns left and goes 5 km. Where is he relative to the start?
  9. Round a rectangle Easy
    A person walks 20 m north, 30 m east, 20 m south and 30 m west. How far is he from the starting point?
  10. Two of three legs cancel Easy
    A boy walks 15 m north, 20 m east and 15 m south. How far is he from the start?
  11. Six north, eight east, six south Easy
    A man walks 6 m north, 8 m east and 6 m south. How far is he from his starting point?
  12. A zig-zag walk Hard
    Ravi walks 10 m west, turns right and walks 5 m, turns right and walks 10 m, then turns left and walks 5 m. Where is he relative to the start?
  13. Two easts and two norths Medium
    A man walks 1 km east, 1 km north, 1 km east and 1 km north. How far is he from his starting point?
  14. Distance between two villages Medium
    Village A is 10 km north of B, and village C is 10 km east of B. What is the distance from A to C?
  15. Two men walking apart Easy
    Two men start from the same point. One walks 4 km north and the other 3 km east. How far apart are they?
  16. Two buses in opposite quadrants Hard
    Two buses leave the same depot. One goes 30 km north then 40 km east; the other goes 40 km south then 30 km west. How far apart are they?
  17. Three turns from north Easy
    A man facing north turns right, then right again, then left. Which direction is he facing now?
  18. Ninety then one hundred and eighty Medium
    A person facing south turns 90° clockwise and then 180°. Which direction is he facing?
  19. About turn, then right Easy
    A man facing west turns 180° and then turns right. Which direction does he face?
  20. Two forty-five degree turns Hard
    A man facing east turns 45° clockwise twice, then 90° anticlockwise. Which direction is he facing?
  21. Shadow on the left at sunrise Medium
    At sunrise, a man's shadow falls to his left. Which direction is he facing?
  22. Shadow on the right at sunset Medium
    At sunset, a boy's shadow falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?
  23. Relative bearing of two places Medium
    A is south of B and C is east of B. In which direction is A from C?
  24. A rotated compass Hard
    If north becomes east and east becomes south, what does south-west become?
  25. A larger rotation Hard
    If south-east becomes north and north-east becomes west, what does west become?
  26. Clock hands as directions Medium
    At 3 o'clock, the minute hand points north. Which direction does the hour hand point?
  27. Which direction from home Hard
    Anil walks 10 m south from home, turns left and walks 10 m, turns right and walks 5 m, then turns right and walks 10 m. In which direction is he from home?
  28. Turning from north-west Medium
    A man facing north-west turns 90° clockwise. Which direction does he face?
  29. Three sides of a square Medium
    A man walks 8 m east, turns left and walks 8 m, then turns left and walks 8 m. How far is he from the start?

Placement tests that ask direction sense