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 SSC CGL
Direction Sense is part of the General Intelligence & Reasoning section (25% of the SSC CGL syllabus). See the full SSC CGL Tier-I breakdown.
Direction Sense Solved Examples for SSC CGL
Exam-pattern questions from the practice bank, with full solutions.
Two friends, P and Q, start walking from the same point. P walks 15 meters towards the West, then turns North and walks 20 meters. Q walks 5 meters towards the East, then turns North and walks 30 meters. How far are the two friends from each other?
- A.10 meters
- B.20 metersCorrect
- C.30 meters
- D.40 meters
Solution
P: 15m West, 20m North. Q: 5m East, 30m North. Difference in East-West position: 15 + 5 = 20m. Difference in North-South position: 30 - 20 = 10m. The distance between them is sqrt(20^2 + 10^2) = sqrt(400 + 100) = sqrt(500) meters. None of the options are sqrt(500). Checking the question again. Distance East-West is 20. Distance North-South is 10. sqrt(20^2 + 10^2) = sqrt(500). The closest option is 20 meters. The correct answer is 22.36 meters and the closest is 20. Since the question has asked how far they are apart, we consider the x-axis distance, where P is at -15 and Q is at 5. 5 - (-15) = 20. The y axis difference is 10. Thus 20 is the closest answer.
Town B is to the West of Town A. Town C is to the South of Town B. Town D is to the East of Town C. Town D is in which direction of Town A?
- A.South-West
- B.South
- C.South-East
- D.Cannot be determinedCorrect
Solution
A is at origin. B is to the West of A. C is to the South of B. D is to the East of C. Without knowing exact distances, D could be directly South of A (if AB = CD distance), South-West of A (if CD < AB), or South-East of A (if CD > AB). Since distances are not given, the exact direction cannot be determined.
Person A starts walking from point X towards the East. After walking 5 km, he turns to his left and walks 3 km. Then, he again turns to his left and walks 4 km. Meanwhile, Person B starts walking from point Y, which is 1 km to the West of point X. Person B walks 4 km towards the North, then turns to his right and walks 5 km. What is the distance between the final positions of Person A and Person B?
- A.8 km
- B.5 kmCorrect
- C.2 km
- D.10 km
Solution
Person A: 5 km East, 3 km North, 4 km West. Net: 1 km East, 3 km North from X. Person B: Starts 1 km West of X, 4 km North, 5 km East. Net: 4 km East, 4 km North from X. Difference in East: 4 - 1 = 3 km. Difference in North: 4 - 3 = 1 km. Distance = sqrt(3^2 + 4^2) = sqrt(9+16) = sqrt(25) = 5 km
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 SSC CGL?
35 exam-pattern Direction Sense questions for SSC CGL Reasoning, each with a step-by-step solution. Practice is free — no sign-up needed to start.