Practice Mode•Instant Explanations & 50:50 Enabled
Direction Distance MCQs
High-yield multiple choice questions asked in previous years (UPSC, SSC CGL, JKSSB, RRB & State PSCs).
High-Yield Concept Capsule & Key Facts
📌 Standard 3-5 marks module in SSC, Banking, Railways, Defense, and State PSC aptitude papers.
The 8 Cardinal Compass Directions
- • 4 Primary Cardinal Directions: North (0/360 deg), East (90 deg), South (180 deg), West (270 deg).
- • 4 Ordinal / Intercardinal Directions: North-East (45 deg), South-East (135 deg), South-West (225 deg), North-West (315 deg).
- • Turn Rules: Right turn = 90 deg clockwise; Left turn = 90 deg counter-clockwise.
Pythagoras Theorem & Shadow Phenomena
- • Shortest Distance Formula: Hypotenuse^2 = Base^2 + Perpendicular^2 (Distance = sqrt(dx^2 + dy^2)).
- • Morning Shadows (Sunrise in East): All shadows fall towards the WEST.
- • Evening Shadows (Sunset in West): All shadows fall towards the EAST.
- • Noon (12:00 PM): Sun is overhead, no shadows fall on horizontal plane.
| Time of Day | Sun Position | Object Orientation | Shadow Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (Sunrise) | East | Facing North | To the Left (West) |
| Morning (Sunrise) | East | Facing South | To the Right (West) |
| Evening (Sunset) | West | Facing North | To the Right (East) |
| Evening (Sunset) | West | Facing South | To the Left (East) |
| Anytime | N/A | Right Turn (Clockwise) | 90 degree clockwise rotation |
Showing 15 Practice Questions
Q1SSC CGL 2022Easy
A man walks 5 km toward South and then turns to the right. After walking 3 km he turns to the left and walks 4 km. What direction is he facing now?
Q2IBPS PO Prelims 2021Medium
One morning after sunrise, Suresh was standing facing a pole. The shadow of the pole fell exactly to his right. To which direction was he facing?
Q3RRB NTPC 2021Easy
A person walks 8 km towards North, then turns right and walks 6 km. What is the shortest distance between his starting point and his current position?
Sponsored Advertisement
Ad Space • Google AdSense Partner Network
Q4SSC CGL Tier-1 2023Medium
Ravi is facing North-West. He turns 90 degrees in the clockwise direction, then 180 degrees in the anti-clockwise direction and then another 90 degrees in the same direction. Which direction is he facing now?
Q5JKSSB Police Sub Inspector 2022Easy
Starting from point A, Rahul walks 12 km East, then 5 km South to point B. What is the direction of point A with respect to point B?
Q6UPSC CSAT 2021Hard
A clock shows 4:30. If the minute hand points towards East, in which direction does the hour hand point?
Q7SSC CHSL 2022Easy
Kunal walks 10 km towards North. From there he walks 6 km towards South. Then, he walks 3 km towards East. How far and in which direction is he with reference to his starting point?
Q8IBPS PO 2022Medium
One evening before sunset, Rekha and Hema were talking to each other face to face. If Hema's shadow was exactly to the right of Hema, which direction was Rekha facing?
Q9SBI PO 2021Medium
A car travels 20 km East, turns right and drives 15 km, then turns left and drives 20 km. What is the displacement from the starting point?
Q10SSC CGL 2020Medium
If South-East becomes North, North-East becomes West and so on, what will West become?
Q11JKSSB Panchayat Secretary 2023Easy
A village Q is 15 km to the North of village P. Village R is 12 km to the East of village Q. Village S is 15 km to the South of village R. In which direction and at what distance is village S from village P?
Q12RRB Group D 2022Easy
A cyclist rides 4 km West, turns left and rides 3 km, then turns left again and rides 4 km. How far is he from his starting point?
Q13AFCAT 2022Medium
An airplane flies 100 km North, turns right and flies 240 km. What is the direct flight distance back to the original airfield?
Q14SSC CPO 2021Easy
Standing on a hill at sunrise, Priya casts her shadow towards a temple. In which direction is the temple situated relative to Priya?
Q15IBPS Clerk 2023Medium
A person walks 20 meters towards North, turns right and walks 30 meters, then turns right and walks 35 meters, then turns left and walks 15 meters, and finally turns left and walks 15 meters. How many meters is he from the starting point?
Frequently Asked Questions (Direction Distance)
Q: How do you calculate the shortest displacement between starting and ending points?
Net displacements along the X-axis (East + / West -) and Y-axis (North + / South -) are calculated. The straight-line displacement is sqrt((Net X)^2 + (Net Y)^2).
Q: What is the common pitfall in shadow-based direction questions?
Candidates often confuse their own perspective with the character's perspective. If a person faces South in the morning, their left hand points East and their right hand points West, so the shadow falls to their RIGHT.
Explore More Reasoning Ability Topics
Ready to test your speed under real exam conditions?
Attempt timed full-length CBT tests with negative marking and percentile analysis.