Direction Test Notes for SSC Exams

Direction test, also called direction sense, checks whether you can follow a person's movements and find the final direction or the distance from the starting point. A person walks some distance, turns left or right, walks again and so on, and you have to find where he is. Direction questions are asked every year in SSC Reasoning, and they are among the easiest questions if you draw a small diagram. These direction test notes for SSC explain the directions, turns, the shadow rule and the shortest distance method with solved examples and practice questions.

Basic Directions

• There are four main directions: North (N), East (E), South (S) and West (W).
• There are four cardinal (in-between) directions: North-East (NE), North-West (NW), South-East (SE) and South-West (SW).
• North and South are opposite to each other, and so are East and West.
• On a map, North is at the top, South at the bottom, East on the right and West on the left.

Left and Right Turns

A right turn is a turn clockwise, and a left turn is a turn anticlockwise. Use the table to remember the new direction after a 90-degree turn.

• Two right turns, or two left turns, make a 180-degree turn, so the person faces the opposite direction.
• A turn of 45 degrees moves a main direction to a cardinal direction. For example, a 45-degree clockwise turn from North gives North-East.

Turns in Degrees

To work with degrees, think of North as 0°, East as 90°, South as 180° and West as 270°. A clockwise turn adds degrees and an anticlockwise turn subtracts degrees.

Distance and Shortest Distance

When a person walks in two perpendicular directions, the shortest distance from the start to the end is the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle. Use the Pythagoras theorem: distance = √(a² + b²).

Learning these triplets saves time in the exam.

Shadow Questions

• In the morning, the sun is in the East, so a shadow falls towards the West.
• In the evening, the sun is in the West, so a shadow falls towards the East.
• The shadow always falls on the side opposite to the sun.

Example 1. In the morning, the shadow of a man falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?
In the morning the shadow falls towards the West, so his right is West. Facing South, the right side is West. Answer: South.

Example 2. In the evening, the shadow of a man falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?
In the evening the shadow falls towards the East, so his right is East. Facing North, the right side is East. Answer: North.

Solved Examples

Example 3. A man walks 3 km North and then 4 km East. How far is he from the starting point, and in which direction?
Distance = √(3² + 4²) = √25 = 5 km. He is to the North-East of the start. Answer: 5 km, North-East.

Example 4. A man walks 10 m West, turns right and walks 24 m. How far is he from the starting point?
Facing West, a right turn takes him North. Distance = √(10² + 24²) = √676 = 26 m. Answer: 26 m.

Example 5. Rahul walks 6 m North, turns right and walks 8 m, then turns right and walks 6 m. How far and in which direction is he from the starting point?
He goes North 6 m, East 8 m, then right again towards South 6 m. The North and South movements cancel out. He is 8 m East of the start. Answer: 8 m, East.

Example 6. Ritu faces North-East, turns 90° clockwise, and then turns 135° anticlockwise. Which direction does she face now?
North-East turned 90° clockwise is South-East. South-East turned 135° anticlockwise is North. Answer: North.

Quick Tips

• Always draw the path on rough paper with an arrow showing the starting direction.
• Draw North at the top. Do not change this after you begin.
• Add and subtract distances only for movement along the same line (North-South or East-West).
• Use the Pythagoras triplets (3, 4, 5), (5, 12, 13), (8, 15, 17) to find the distance faster.
• For shadow questions, first decide the direction of the shadow and then use the left or right information.

Quick Revision Points

• A right turn is clockwise and a left turn is anticlockwise.
• North is opposite to South, and East is opposite to West.
• Morning shadow falls West, evening shadow falls East.
• Shortest distance = √(a² + b²) for perpendicular movements.
• Use degrees: N = 0, E = 90, S = 180, W = 270.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Ravi is facing East. He turns 90° left and then 90° left again. Which direction is he facing now?
   Answer: West.
2. A man walks 8 km North and then 6 km East. How far is he from the start?
   Answer: 10 km.
3. A person walks 15 m West, turns right and walks 20 m. How far is he from the start?
   Answer: 25 m (15 m West and 20 m North).
4. In the evening, the shadow of a man falls to his right. Which direction is he facing?
   Answer: North.
5. A person is facing South-West and turns 90° anticlockwise. Which direction does he face now?
   Answer: South-East.
6. Rani walks 5 m South, turns left and walks 5 m, then turns left and walks 5 m. In which direction is she from the starting point?
   Answer: East (5 m South, then 5 m East, then 5 m North).
7. From a point A, Raj walks 12 km South, turns right and walks 5 km. How far and in which direction is he from A?
   Answer: 13 km, South-West.
8. If North-East becomes South, then what will South-East become?
   Answer: West (a rotation of 135° clockwise).
9. Which direction is opposite to North-West?
   Answer: South-East.
10. A person starts walking North, turns right, then turns left, and then turns left again. Which direction is he facing at the end?
    Answer: West (North, East, North, West).

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise five direction questions every day and draw the path for each of them. After that, try timed sets from our practice papers and check how the topic is asked in real exams on the previous year papers page. Read Blood Relations before this chapter and Linear, Circular and Complex Arrangement after it.

Explore More SSC Subjects

SSC exams test many subjects, so connect this topic with the related subjects below:

• Quantitative Aptitude Notes
• English Notes
• General Awareness Notes
• Computer Knowledge Notes
• Stenography Notes
• All SSC subjects and notes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is direction test in reasoning?

Direction test is a reasoning topic in which a person's movements in different directions are described, and you have to find the final direction or the distance from the starting point.

How many direction questions come in SSC exams?

Usually one to three direction sense questions come in the Reasoning section of SSC Tier 1 exams, but the number varies from year to year.

What are the main directions?

The four main directions are North, East, South and West. The four in-between directions are North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West.

Is a right turn clockwise or anticlockwise?

A right turn is clockwise, and a left turn is anticlockwise. Facing North, a right turn gives East, and a left turn gives West.

How do I find the shortest distance in direction questions?

If the person moves in two perpendicular directions, use the Pythagoras theorem. For example, 6 km North and 8 km East give a shortest distance of 10 km.

How does the shadow rule work?

In the morning the sun is in the East, so a shadow falls towards the West. In the evening the sun is in the West, so a shadow falls towards the East. Use this to decide the direction a person is facing.

Which Pythagoras triplets should I remember?

Remember (3, 4, 5), (5, 12, 13), (6, 8, 10), (8, 15, 17), (9, 12, 15) and (15, 20, 25), because these appear often in distance questions.

What is the best way to solve a direction question?

Draw the path on rough paper, mark the starting direction, and write each movement with a short arrow. Then find the net movement in the North-South and East-West directions.

What if a person walks in the same line in opposite directions?

Subtract the shorter distance from the longer one to find the net distance. For example, 10 m East and then 4 m West leaves the person 6 m East of the start.

How are degrees used in direction questions?

Treat North as 0 degrees, East as 90, South as 180 and West as 270. A clockwise turn adds to the angle, and an anticlockwise turn subtracts from it.

What mistakes should I avoid in direction questions?

Do not mix up left and right turns, do not change the position of North in your diagram, and do not forget that the person keeps facing his latest direction after each turn.

How much time should I spend on one direction question?

Spend about 30 to 40 seconds. Draw the diagram quickly and avoid solving the question only in your head.

Are direction questions different in Hindi medium papers?

No. The same types of questions are asked in Hindi medium papers, with directions written in Hindi such as uttar, dakshin, purv and paschim.