Direction & Distance

medium importance~1-2 Q in Tier 16 formulas⚡ 5 shortcuts4 subtopics

Overview Learn (4)Formulas (6)Examples (4)Practice (53)

Compass-walking puzzles: multi-leg journeys with left/right turns, questions on the shortest distance back, the direction faced, the endpoint's bearing from the start, and shadow-based facing. Everything reduces to two signed running totals plus one Pythagoras step, and most answers are 3-4-5 multiples. Shadow questions add one conversion line (morning shadow West, evening shadow East). A written trace of headings and components turns the whole topic into bookkeeping.

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Learn — 4 subtopics

One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.

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Formula sheet

Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.

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Solved examples

4 exam-level questions worked step by step.

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Practice & test

53 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.

Track record in the exam

avg 1.0 Q / shift2024: 1 Q2025: 1 Q

Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.

Test difficulty mix (53 questions)

23 easy25 medium5 hard

Question patterns exams keep repeating

Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.

Net-displacement shortest distance

very common

Spot it:

Legs on N/S and E/W axes; 'how far is he from the start?'

How to solve: Cancel opposite legs, net the rest, apply $\sqrt{E^2+N^2}$ ; match 3-4-5 / 5-12-13 triples.

Example: A man walks 9 km East, then 12 km North. How far is he from the start?

$\sqrt{81+144}=15$ km (9-12-15 = 3×(3-4-5)).

Learn this in “Direction conventions and displacement” →

Total distance vs displacement

common

Spot it:

'How much distance did he cover?' for a bent path.

How to solve: Cover = add every leg; away-from-start = displacement. Never mix the two numbers.

Example: Walks 3 km E, 4 km N, then 3 km W. Distance covered?

3 + 4 + 3 = 10 km (displacement would be 4 km).

Learn this in “Direction conventions and displacement” →

Final facing after turns

very common

Spot it:

A start facing and a list of left/right/180° turns.

How to solve: Net quarter turns (right +, left −) mod 4, read on the clockwise cycle N → E → S → W.

Example: Facing South, a man turns left, left, left. Which direction is he facing?

−3 ≡ +1 quarter turn → S + 1 = West.

Learn this in “Direction faced and net direction” →

Direction of the endpoint from the start

very common

Spot it:

A walk; the compass word of the final point from the start is asked.

How to solve: Net (E, N); both nonzero → combined word; one zero → pure word. Facing is irrelevant.

Example: Walks 3 km S, 3 km E, 3 km N. Direction of the endpoint from the start?

Net (3 E, 0 N) → East.

Learn this in “Direction faced and net direction” →

Morning/evening shadow facing

common

Spot it:

Time of day plus where the shadow falls relative to a person.

How to solve: Anchor first: morning shadow West, evening shadow East; then front/behind = opposite facing, left/right via the body map.

Example: In the evening, a man's shadow falls in front of him. Which direction is he facing?

Evening shadow = East; in front → facing West.

Learn this in “Shadow questions” →

Two walkers: gap and direction

very common

Spot it:

Two people walk from a common start; distance apart or 'direction of B from A'.

How to solve: Walk each to (E, N); gap by $\sqrt{(\Delta E)^2+(\Delta N)^2}$ ; direction = compass word of (ΔE, ΔN) from the named person.

Example: A walks 4 km N and 3 km E; B stays at the start. Direction of A from B?

A (3, 4) from origin → North-East.

Learn this in “Position of one point from another” →

Your next step

New here? Start with subtopic 1 in Learn. Revision mode? Jump straight to the test and let it tell you what to fix.