What Direction Sense Questions Test
- Net displacement and shortest distance (Pythagoras)
- Final facing direction after multiple turns
- Left/right turns relative to current facing
- Shadow-based direction problems (sunrise/sunset)
Question bank coverage by sub-pattern
How Direction Sense Appears in IBPS PO
Direction Sense is part of the Reasoning Ability section (20% of the IBPS PO syllabus). See the full IBPS PO Prelims breakdown.
Direction Sense Solved Examples for IBPS PO
12 exam-pattern direction sense questions from the practice bank, each with a full solution.
P is 10 km South of Q. R is 6 km East of Q. S is 6 km East of P. What is the distance between R and S?
- A.10 kmCorrect
- B.6 km
- C.8 km
- D.12 km
Solution
Q at (0,0). P is 10 km South: P at (0,-10). R is 6 km East of Q: R at (6,0). S is 6 km East of P: S at (6,-10). Distance RS = √((6-6)² + (0-(-10))²) = √(0+100) = 10 km.
A person walks 10 km North, then turns right and walks 5 km, then turns right and walks 10 km. Then he turns left and walks 10 km. How far is he from the starting point?
- A.0 km
- B.5 km
- C.10 km
- D.15 kmCorrect
Solution
The person walks 10 km North, then 5 km East, then 10 km South, then 10 km East. The North and South movements cancel each other out, leaving him 5 km + 10 km = 15 km East of his starting point. The question asks for the distance.
Facing the sunrise, Ankit turns 90° clockwise, then 180° anticlockwise, then 45° clockwise. Which direction is he now facing?
- A.North-EastCorrect
- B.North-West
- C.South-East
- D.South-West
Solution
Facing sunrise = East. 90° clockwise → South. 180° anticlockwise (= 180° clockwise) → North. 45° clockwise → North-East. He faces North-East.
Directions (4-6): Study the following information carefully and answer the given questions. Two buses i.e., bus P and bus Q start their journey from a common depot. Both buses complete their individual journey. Bus P moved 7 km towards the south and reached stoppage 1. Then turned right and moved 8 km and reached stoppage 2. From there Bus P turned right and covered 9 km to reach stoppage 3. Then it turned to its left and covered 5 km to reach stoppage 4 and finally, it took a left turn and went 4 km to reach stoppage 5. Bus Q went 6 km to the east and reached stoppage 6. Then it turned to its right and moved 3 km to reach stoppage 7. It travelled 13 km towards the left and went to stoppage 8. From there bus Q turned left and covered 8 km to reach stoppage 9. Finally, it moved towards its left and went 21 km to reach stoppage 10. Now these stoppages are assigned names according to the below given conditions: 'W' is assigned to the stoppage if the distance between the consecutive stoppages is a prime number. 'X' is assigned to the stoppage which is in the north-west or south-west direction of the depot. 'Y' is assigned to the stoppage which is in the north-east or south-east direction of the depot. 'Z' is assigned to the stoppage if the distance between the stoppage and the depot is an even number. Note: Multiple names can be assigned to a single stoppage. Bus X starts the journey from the depot and goes 5 meters south and takes a left turn and travel 10 meters. Then it takes a left turn and reaches somewhere between stoppage 9 and 10. What will be the distance from that point to stoppage 9?
- A.16 meters
- B.9 meters
- C.10 metersCorrect
- D.13 meters
- E.15 meters
Solution
Bus X travels 5m South, 10m East, and then North. Stoppage 9 is 8km North of Stoppage 8. Stoppage 8 is 13km East of Stoppage 7. Stoppage 7 is 3km South of Stoppage 6. Stoppage 6 is 6km East of the depot. The bus reaches somewhere between 9 and 10, so the distance from that point to stoppage 9 is 10 meters.
What is the shortest distance between the initial and final position of ship B?
- A.130 m
- B.100 m
- C.120 m
- D.130 m
- E.None of theseCorrect
Solution
Ship B moves 12m East, then 7m South, then 3m West. The net Eastward movement is 9m, and Southward is 7m. Shortest distance = sqrt(9^2 + 7^2) = sqrt(130).
What is the total distance covered by Q and R in their journey?
- A.32mCorrect
- B.22m
- C.62m
- D.42m
- E.Can't be determined
Solution
Q covers 12m + 7m + 3m = 22m. R covers 6m + 5m + 9m = 20m. Total distance = 22m + 20m = 42m.
What is the direction of Z with respect to Y after the final movement?
- A.North-eastCorrect
- B.North-west
- C.South-east
- D.South-west
- E.Can't be determined
Solution
After tracing the movements, Z is in the North-east direction with respect to Y.
In which direction is S with respect to R in the final position?
- A.North
- B.North-west
- C.North-east
- D.South-westCorrect
- E.South
Solution
After plotting the movements, S is located to the South-West of R.
There are four junctions - E, F, G and H. E is to the north of F and G is to the east of H such that the lines joining EF intersect GH at point K. E%P means Car P starts from E, reaches point K then turns to its left. E@Q means Car Q starts from E, reaches point K then turns to its right. H#R means Car R starts from H, reaches point K then goes straight. F*S means Car S starts from F, reaches point K then takes U turn. H%O; G@T; F@Z; E#Y; G#X; F*M Which of the following cars reaches, Junction E finally?
- A.T
- B.O
- C.X
- D.Both (a) and (b)Correct
- E.Both (b) and (c)
Solution
By tracing the paths of each car, both car T and car O eventually reach Junction E.
Based on the logical principles of Blood Relations with Direction Sense, determine the valid outcome or relationship.
- A.Conclusion II follows logically from the given premise
- B.Both Conclusion I and Conclusion II follow logically
- C.Conclusion I follows logically from the given premiseCorrect
- D.Neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II follows
- E.Either Conclusion I or Conclusion II follows
Solution
In Blood Relations with Direction Sense, analyzing the relationship between the terms verifies that Conclusion I is a direct and necessary deduction.
Point P is 10m North of Point Q. Person A (who is Q's brother) walks from P to R (which is 15m East of P). Person B (who is Q's son) stands at Q (Direction-BR Combo 2). In which direction is A's final position with respect to his nephew B?
- A.North-EastCorrect
- B.North-West
- C.South-East
- D.East
- E.North
Solution
B is at Q (0, 0). P is at (0, 10). R is at (15, 10). A is at R (15, 10). Relative to B at (0, 0), position (15, 10) is North-East. A is also the uncle of B (brother of B's parent Q).
Point P is 10m North of Point Q. Person A (who is Q's brother) walks from P to R (which is 15m East of P). Person B (who is Q's son) stands at Q (Direction-BR Combo 7). In which direction is A's final position with respect to his nephew B?
- A.North-EastCorrect
- B.North-West
- C.South-East
- D.East
- E.North
Solution
B is at Q (0, 0). P is at (0, 10). R is at (15, 10). A is at R (15, 10). Relative to B at (0, 0), position (15, 10) is North-East. A is also the uncle of B (brother of B's parent Q).
Direction Sense — Frequently Asked Questions
How do I avoid errors in direction questions?
Plot every move on a small compass sketch with North fixed upward. Errors come from processing turns mentally — "left" depends on current facing, which is exactly what mental tracking loses.
When is Pythagoras needed?
Whenever the question asks the distance "from the starting point" after perpendicular moves — sum the net horizontal and vertical displacements and take the hypotenuse.
How many Direction Sense practice questions does Parikshala have for IBPS PO?
37 exam-pattern Direction Sense questions for IBPS PO Reasoning Ability, each with a step-by-step solution. Practice is free — no sign-up needed to start.