Directions Sense Questions with Answers

Direction & sense questions, also known as distance and direction-based questions, hold significant importance in reasoning sections of banking and insurance, such as IBPS PO, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk, RRB Assistant, RRB Scale 1, LIC Assistant, LIC AAO, etc and various competitive examinations Investing time in honing your direction sense is crucial for excelling in this category of reasoning problems. To enhance your proficiency in direction and sense questions, Smartkeeda has thoughtfully curated a collection of direction and sense questions, which are accessible on our website. Additionally, we have provided free PDFs for direction and sense questions, to help you to practice and strengthen your understanding of this topic.
 

Introduction to Direction & Sense Questions

Direction and sense questions are a category of problems that task you with determining the relative position of an individual as they navigate in various directions. To excel in solving these types of questions, you must adhere to a simple yet invaluable golden rule: carefully follow the provided instructions and construct a diagram based on them. Once you've drawn an accurate diagram, you'll find that you can swiftly tackle the subsequent five questions within seconds. However, to achieve this proficiency, it's imperative to possess a solid grasp of directions. A sound knowledge of directions, including north, south, east, west, and intermediate directions like northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest, will be immensely helpful in navigating and solving these questions effectively.
 

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Basic Concepts of Direction & Sense Questions

Mastering the fundamentals of direction sense questions is crucial for accurate navigation and orientation. These fundamental concepts revolve around understanding the direction chart, left-right movement, and the distinction between anticlockwise and clockwise directions.

Cardinal Directions

You must have a good knowledge about the cardinal directions. The direction chart serves as a compass for locating and naming directions accurately. This chart comprises eight fundamental directions: North, Northeast, Northwest, East, West, South, Southeast, and Southwest. These directions are pivotal reference points in solving directional problems.

Degree wise rotation

You must know how the direction of a person changes when he/she rotates his/her position by some degrees. For instance, someone facing North turning 90 degrees to the right starts facing East.

Left or right turn

• When facing North, a left turn leads to West, while a right turn leads to East.
• When in the West, a left turn results in South, and a right turn brings you to the North.
• In the East, a left turn leads to North, while a right turn takes you to the South.
• When in the South, a left turn leads to East, and a right turn guides you to the West.

Solving Direction & Sense Questions

Solving direction-based questions can be made easier by establishing a clear reference point and following instructions systematically. Imagine you are at the origin, and you can navigate based on this point. Here's how to solve such questions step by step:

Step 1: Establish a Reference Point
Assume you are at a specific location, usually referred to as the origin. This point helps you orient yourself throughout the question.

Step 2: Read and Understand Instructions
Carefully read the instructions provided in the question. Take note of any directional changes, distances, and turns mentioned.

Step 3: Begin with the First Instruction
Start at the origin (your reference point) and follow the first instruction.
For example, if the question says, "A moves 5 km towards the north," move 5 km in the north direction from your starting point. You can draw an arrow or a line to represent this movement on paper if it helps.

Step 4: Handle Directional Changes
If the instructions include a change in direction, make that change as specified.
For instance, if the next instruction is to "turn right and move 10 km east," turn to the right from your current position and move 10 km in the east direction.

Step 5: Repeat as Necessary
Continue following the instructions one by one, adjusting your position accordingly.
Remember to always refer back to your established reference point (origin) and make movements relative to it.

Step 6: Calculate the Final Position
Once you've completed all the movements according to the given instructions, calculate your final position.
You can use a diagram or sketch to visualize your path and determine your final location.

Step 7: Answer the Question
Based on your final position, answer any questions related to the distance, direction, or location specified in the original question.
By breaking down the directions into clear steps and continuously referencing your starting point, you can systematically solve direction-based questions with confidence. This approach ensures that you accurately follow the given instructions and arrive at the correct answer.

Sample Direction & Sense Question Solutions

Ankush walked 50 m towards north then turned left and walked 68 m. He then turned to south and walked 22 m then he took a left turn and walked 44 m. After that he turned right and walked 18 m and finally, he turned left to and walked 48 m.
What is shortest distance between starting and end point and in which direction is Ankush from the starting point?

Using the above information, we can draw a following figure:


Here, the shortest distance of Ankush’s starting point and final point is 26 m, and Ankush is in northeast direction with respect to his starting point.