Question 1

Relative home direction after a 3-leg path: Radhika: 50 m South, then 20 m East, then 30 m North. From this point, in which direction is her home?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Compute net displacement and then the direction from the current point back to the origin (home). Given Data / Assumptions: Total South = 50 m; total North = 30 m ⇒ net 20 m South. Total East = 20 m; no West ⇒ net 20 m East. Concept / Approach: Current position relative to home is (East 20, South 20). Therefore, home from current point is the opposite bearing: 20 West and 20 North ⇒ North-West. Step-by-Step Solution: Start (0,0) → (0,−50) → (20,−50) → (20,−20).Home vector from (20,−20) → (0,0) is (−20,+20) ⇒ NW. Verification / Alternative check: Equal magnitudes imply a 45° NW heading. Why Other Options Are Wrong: North suggests only y-change; East suggests only x-change; South-West is opposite. Common Pitfalls: Giving the direction of the current point from home instead of home from current point. Final Answer: North-West

Question 2

Dusk (Sun in West) with repeated left/right turns: Rohit starts facing the Sun at dusk (West), then turns left, later turns right, and finally takes another left at a corner. In which direction is he moving now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Dusk implies initial facing West. Apply left/right sequentially to determine the final direction. Given Data / Assumptions: Dusk ⇒ Sun in West. Left from West ⇒ South. Right from South ⇒ West. Left from West ⇒ South. Concept / Approach: Track facing only: West → South → West → South. Step-by-Step Solution: Initial West.After first left: South.After right: West.After final left: South. Verification / Alternative check: Net rotation equals a single left from West → South. Why Other Options Are Wrong: West/East/North contradict the turn sequence. Common Pitfalls: Misidentifying dusk (West) vs morning (East). Final Answer: South

Question 3

School location relative to house: Ram: 10 m South, left (East) 25 m, left (North) 40 m, right (East) 5 m to school. In which direction is the school from his house?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Aggregate components to determine the quadrant of the final point relative to the start. Given Data / Assumptions: Vertical: −10 + 40 = +30 m North. Horizontal: +25 + 5 = +30 m East. Concept / Approach: Final vector (East 30, North 30) ⇒ school lies to the North-East. Step-by-Step Solution: (0,0) → (0,−10) → (25,−10) → (25,30) → (30,30). Verification / Alternative check: Equal positive components produce a 45° NE direction. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East ignores the North component; North ignores the East component; South-West is opposite. Common Pitfalls: Mistaking the last right as turning to South. Final Answer: North-East

Question 4

Back to home from a misdirected path: A boy goes 3 km South from school, then 2 km East, then 3 km North, then 1 km West to reach home. Home is in which direction from the school?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Compute net displacement from the school to the home after the loop-like path. Given Data / Assumptions: South 3 then North 3 ⇒ vertical cancels to 0. East 2 then West 1 ⇒ net East 1. Concept / Approach: Combine orthogonal components to get resultant direction. Step-by-Step Solution: Start (0,0) → (0,−3) → (2,−3) → (2,0) → (1,0).Home relative to school = (1,0) ⇒ East. Verification / Alternative check: Only an uncompensated 1 km East remains. Why Other Options Are Wrong: They require residual North/South/West components which do not exist. Common Pitfalls: Assuming last West step overcompensates the earlier East move. Final Answer: East

Question 5

Two travellers turning left twice from perpendicular starts: From X, Rani goes West; Sarita goes North; same speed. After some time, both turn left and walk; again both turn left. Their faces are in which directions with respect to X?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: We need final facings for two independent walkers after identical turn patterns. Given Data / Assumptions: Rani: West → left → South → left → East. Sarita: North → left → West → left → South. Concept / Approach: Apply turns relative to each traveller's current heading. Step-by-Step Solution: Rani facing sequence: West → South → East (final East).Sarita facing sequence: North → West → South (final South). Verification / Alternative check: Two lefts rotate 180° from the original heading. Why Other Options Are Wrong: They mismatch at least one traveller's final orientation. Common Pitfalls: Assuming both end with the same facing; they start perpendicularly, so final facings differ. Final Answer: East and South

Question 6

Square-field multi-turn walk from the center: Raj starts at the center, walks diagonally to North-East, turns right to the far edge, turns right and walks, midway turns right and walks, halfway turns left and reaches a new far edge. In what directio…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This stylized puzzle uses a square with Raj beginning at the center. Turning “right” means a 90° clockwise change relative to his current heading; “left” is 90° counter-clockwise. “Far end” indicates reaching a boundary. Given Data / Assumptions: Start heading North-East from center along the main diagonal. First right from NE ⇒ South-East to the East boundary. Second right from SE ⇒ South-West direction along the interior. Midway right from SW ⇒ North-West. Halfway left from NW ⇒ South-West to a new far edge. Concept / Approach: Model headings as vectors: NE (1,1), SE (1,−1), SW (−1,−1), NW (−1,1). Apply right/left rotations in sequence and interpret “far end”/“midway”/“halfway” as traveling along those headings until boundary or stated fraction—directional heading is unaffected by distance. Step-by-Step Solution: NE → (right) SE → (right) SW → (right at midway) NW → (left at halfway) SW. Verification / Alternative check: Track only headings; each right/left rotates by 90°, ending on SW. Why Other Options Are Wrong: North/North-West/South imply different net rotations. Common Pitfalls: Confusing “far end” with corners affecting heading; only turns change direction. Final Answer: South-West

Question 7

Shankar walks 10 m forward, then turns left and covers 6 m, then turns right and covers 20 m. It is given that on this last leg he is moving toward the South. From which initial facing direction did Shankar start his journey?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Direction-sense puzzles often give a sequence of turns and ask you to infer either the final facing or, as in this case, the original facing. The key is that relative turns (left/right) are applied to the current facing, so some sequences can cancel out and reveal the starting orientation. Given Data / Assumptions: Leg 1: walk 10 m in the initial facing direction (unknown). Leg 2: turn left and walk 6 m. Leg 3: turn right and walk 20 m. On leg 3 he is moving toward the South. Concept / Approach: Track only the facing directions. A left turn followed by a right turn returns you to the original facing. Therefore, if the last leg is to the South, the original facing must also have been South. Step-by-Step Solution: Let the initial facing be F0.After a left turn: facing becomes Left(F0).After a right turn from there: facing becomes Right(Left(F0)) = F0.Given that the last leg heads South ⇒ F0 = South. Verification / Alternative check: Test with concrete compass starts (e.g., start South → left = East → right = South). The last leg indeed points South, matching the statement. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East/West/North would make the last leg East/West/North respectively after the canceling turns, contradicting the given Southward final leg. Common Pitfalls: Tracking positions instead of facings; overcomplicating with coordinates when only orientation matters. Final Answer: South

Question 8

Tina drives 45 km East, turns right and drives 65 km (toward South), then turns left and drives 33 km. After these moves, which direction is she facing?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: The problem asks only for the final facing direction, not the final location. That lets us ignore distances for orientation and focus purely on left/right turns from the current heading. Given Data / Assumptions: Start heading: East (first leg). Turn right once → heading becomes South. Turn left once → heading becomes East again. Distances (45, 65, 33 km) do not affect facing, only the turns do. Concept / Approach: For orientation-only questions, apply each turn relative to the present heading. Right from East is South; left from South is East. Step-by-Step Solution: Initial: East.Right turn → South.Left turn → East.Final facing = East. Verification / Alternative check: Sketch a simple compass and rotate 90° at each instruction to confirm. Why Other Options Are Wrong: North/West/South do not match the left/right sequence applied from East. Common Pitfalls: Letting distances bias orientation; distances do not change facing. Final Answer: East

Question 9

A man walks 6 km South, turns left and walks 4 km (toward East), then turns left and walks 5 km. Which direction is he facing now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This item is about the final facing after two left turns starting from South. Remember that left or right is always relative to the current heading. Given Data / Assumptions: Start facing South. First left from South → East. Second left from East → North. Distances do not affect the orientation. Concept / Approach: Apply successive 90° left rotations from the current heading: South → East → North. Step-by-Step Solution: Facing South initially.Left → East.Left → North.Therefore, final facing is North. Verification / Alternative check: Visualize a compass rose and rotate counterclockwise twice. Why Other Options Are Wrong: South/East/West do not match the second left from East. Common Pitfalls: Confusing absolute vs relative directions for left/right. Final Answer: North

Question 10

Morning scenario: Rita begins walking toward the Sun (East), then turns left, then left again, and after walking a while, turns right. Which direction is she facing now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: In the morning the Sun is in the East, so “toward the Sun” implies an initial Eastward facing. The rest is a sequence of relative turns. Given Data / Assumptions: Initial facing: East (morning toward the Sun). Then: left → North. Then: left → West. Then: right → North. Concept / Approach: Apply left/right relative rotations: East → North → West → North. Step-by-Step Solution: Start East.Left to North.Left to West.Right to North. Verification / Alternative check: Two lefts equal a 180° turn from East to West; one right from West returns to North. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East/West/South do not match the final orientation after the described turns. Common Pitfalls: Assuming “toward the Sun” is West; that is true in the evening, not morning. Final Answer: North

Question 11

One morning after sunrise, Gangadhar faces a pole. The pole’s shadow falls exactly to his right. In which direction is he facing?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Shadows fall opposite the Sun’s direction. In the morning, the Sun is in the East, so shadows fall toward the West. The condition “shadow to the right” constrains the observer’s facing. Given Data / Assumptions: Time: morning after sunrise ⇒ Sun ≈ East. Shadow direction: opposite the Sun ⇒ ≈ West. Observer reports the shadow is exactly to his right. Concept / Approach: If West is on the observer’s right-hand side, then the observer must be facing South (since with South ahead, right is West, left is East, back is North). Step-by-Step Solution: Morning ⇒ Sun East ⇒ shadows West.Shadow is at the observer’s right.When facing South, the right side points West.Therefore, Gangadhar is facing South. Verification / Alternative check: Check other facings: facing East → right is South (not West); facing North → right is East; facing West → right is North. Only facing South makes right = West. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East/West/North cannot have West exactly to the right based on the standard compass. Common Pitfalls: Mixing “shadow to right” with “Sun to right.” Shadow is opposite the Sun. Final Answer: South

Question 12

Sharada starts South and moves 15 m, then turns left twice and moves 15 m each time. How far is she from the start, and in which direction?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: We translate each leg into axis moves and then compute the net displacement and bearing relative to the starting point. Given Data / Assumptions: Start facing South; first leg 15 m South. Left from South → East, 15 m. Left from East → North, 15 m. Concept / Approach: Use coordinates: East +x, West −x, North +y, South −y. Add vector components and interpret the result. Step-by-Step Solution: After 15 m South: (0, −15).After 15 m East: (15, −15).After 15 m North: (15, 0).Distance from origin = 15 m; direction = East. Verification / Alternative check: South and North cancel, leaving only 15 m East. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Any South/West options contradict the computed positive x displacement; 30 m East overstates the distance. Common Pitfalls: Applying left/right incorrectly (left from South is East, not West). Final Answer: 15 m. East

Question 13

A man walks 2 km North, then turns right and walks 2 km, then turns right again and continues walking. What direction is he facing now (after the second right)?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: The question is about the current facing after a sequence of turns, not the final position. Two successive right turns from North lead to South. Given Data / Assumptions: Start facing North. Right turn → East. Right turn → South. Concept / Approach: Track only orientation: North → East → South. Step-by-Step Solution: Initial heading: North.After first right: East.After second right: South. Verification / Alternative check: Two right turns equal a 180° clockwise rotation from the initial heading. Why Other Options Are Wrong: South-East/West/North do not reflect two consecutive 90° right turns starting from North. Common Pitfalls: Overthinking distances; they do not affect facing. Final Answer: South

Question 14

Facing East, you go right 20 m (South), then left 20 m (East), then right 20 m (South), then right 40 m (West) and finally turn right again and go 40 m. From your original position, which direction are you now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This itinerary mixes several right/left turns. We compute the final coordinates and then determine the direction from the origin to the final point. Given Data / Assumptions: Start facing East. Right 20 → South 20. Left 20 → East 20. Right 20 → South 20. Right 40 → West 40. Right 40 (turn then go) → from West, right to North → North 40. Concept / Approach: Use coordinates with origin at the start. Sum each axis displacement and interpret the final vector. Step-by-Step Solution: After first three legs: (20, −40).After West 40: (−20, −40).After North 40: (−20, 0).Relative to the origin, the point is 20 m West. Verification / Alternative check: Vertical displacement cancels to zero; only a 20 m West offset remains. Why Other Options Are Wrong: North/South/East do not match the computed negative x (West) position. Common Pitfalls: Misapplying the last “right,” which is from West to North before moving 40 m. Final Answer: West

Question 15

Anand: 10 km East to school, then 5 km South to father’s shop, then 10 km West to uncle. How far and in which direction is he from home now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Add the axis moves to find the final displacement relative to home. East/West affect x; North/South affect y. Given Data / Assumptions: East 10, then West 10 → x cancels to 0. South 5 → y = −5. Concept / Approach: Net x = 0; net y = −5 means 5 km South of home. Direction asked relative to home, not facing. Step-by-Step Solution: Compute x: +10 − 10 = 0.Compute y: −5 = 5 km South.Distance = 5 km; direction = South. Verification / Alternative check: Sketching the path shows returning to the home meridian but below it. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Any North/East/West answer contradicts the component totals. Common Pitfalls: Reporting facing instead of position relative to home. Final Answer: 5 kms South

Question 16

Players on a field: Q is East of P, R is South of P, S is North of P. In which direction from Q is S located?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Place P at the origin. The relative positions of Q, R, and S are then simple compass offsets. The question asks for the direction of S as viewed from Q. Given Data / Assumptions: P at (0,0). Q East of P → (1,0). S North of P → (0,1). Concept / Approach: Vector from Q to S = S − Q = (0 − 1, 1 − 0) = (−1, +1), which is the North-West direction. Step-by-Step Solution: Q → (1,0); S → (0,1).Q→S = (−1, +1).Negative x and positive y ⇒ North-West. Verification / Alternative check: A quick diagram confirms S lies up and to the left of Q. Why Other Options Are Wrong: North/South/South-East do not match the (−x, +y) vector. Common Pitfalls: Answering “North of P” instead of “direction from Q.” Final Answer: North-West

Question 17

Facing East: turn left and go 10 m (North), then right 5 m (East), then 5 m South, then 5 m West. From the original place, in which direction are you now located?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: We compute the net displacement relative to the start after a sequence of axis-aligned moves. Given Data / Assumptions: Left from East → North 10. Right from North → East 5. South 5. West 5. Concept / Approach: Sum x and y components independently to get the final coordinates and infer direction from the start. Step-by-Step Solution: x: +5 − 5 = 0.y: +10 − 5 = +5.Final point (0, 5) ⇒ due North of origin. Verification / Alternative check: The East and West legs cancel; some North remains after the South leg. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East/West require x ≠ 0; South would need y < 0. Common Pitfalls: Mixing “direction you are facing” with “direction from origin to you.” The question asks the latter. Final Answer: North

Question 18

Raju: start facing North and move 20 km; turn right and move 20 km; move 10 km in the North-East direction; turn right and move 20 km; turn right and move 20 km; finally turn left and move 20 km. Now, which direction is Raju facing?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Unlike purely axial walks, this sequence includes diagonal motion (North-East) and several turns thereafter. We must track the facing after each turn, including from diagonal headings. Given Data / Assumptions: Start facing North (20 km). Right → face East (20 km). Move 10 km North-East (heading NE). Right from NE → face SE (20 km). Right from SE → face SW (20 km). Left from SW → face NW (20 km). Concept / Approach: For diagonal headings, a right turn rotates the facing 90° clockwise along the 8-wind compass (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). Apply each stated turn relative to the current diagonal or axial heading. Step-by-Step Solution: North → (right) East.East → then move NE (heading becomes NE).NE → (right) SE.SE → (right) SW.SW → (left) NW.Final facing = North-West. Verification / Alternative check: Plot the headings on an 8-point compass ring and advance one step per 90° turn in the specified direction; you land on NW. Why Other Options Are Wrong: SE/NE/SW correspond to intermediate headings in the sequence, not the final orientation after the last left turn. Common Pitfalls: Treating diagonal turns as if they were axial; ensure turns are relative to the current heading. Final Answer: North-West

Question 19

Locations around capital P: K is 2 km North-West of P; R is 2 km South-West of K; M is 2 km North-West of R; T is 2 km South-West of M. In which direction is T located relative to P?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: All moves are equal-length diagonals on the 8-wind compass. Summing vectors shows a clean cancellation that leaves a pure West displacement from P to T. Given Data / Assumptions: P at origin. NW and SW steps are of equal magnitude (2 km each). Sequence: NW, SW, NW, SW. Concept / Approach: Represent NW = (−a, +a) and SW = (−a, −a) in equal components (a = 2/√2 km). Then add vectors. Step-by-Step Solution: NW + SW = (−a, +a) + (−a, −a) = (−2a, 0) ⇒ pure West.There are two such pairs in the sequence, so total = (−4a, 0) ⇒ still due West.Therefore, T lies directly West of P. Verification / Alternative check: Draw a square lattice: each NW followed by SW shifts two units left with no net vertical change; repeating twice doubles the West shift. Why Other Options Are Wrong: South-West/North-West/North imply vertical offset, which cancels here. Common Pitfalls: Mistaking diagonal sequences as arcs; they are straight line segments at 45°. Final Answer: West

Question 20

Evening scenario: Raja begins walking toward the Sun (West), then turns right, then right again, then right once more. In which direction is he facing now?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: In the evening the Sun is in the West. Three successive right turns rotate the facing by 270° clockwise from the initial heading. Given Data / Assumptions: Initial facing: West (toward the Sun in the evening). Sequence: right → right → right. Concept / Approach: Apply right turns stepwise: West → North → East → South. Step-by-Step Solution: Start West.Right to North.Right to East.Right to South. Verification / Alternative check: Three rights equal one left (90°) from the initial heading; left from West is South. Why Other Options Are Wrong: East/North/West correspond to intermediate steps or the start, not the final orientation. Common Pitfalls: Assuming morning instead of evening for the initial direction. Final Answer: South

Direction Sense Test Questions