Direction and Distance

Compass-based movement and shortest-distance calculations.

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Direction and Distance

Overview

Direction and Distance is a fundamental reasoning topic in IBPS PO Prelims that tests your ability to visualize movement on a two-dimensional plane using compass directions. Questions typically describe a person walking in various directions and ask you to find the final position, shortest distance from the starting point, or the direction they're facing.

This topic carries 2-4 questions in the Prelims exam and is considered a scoring area because the concepts are straightforward once you master the compass framework. The key challenge is accurate visualization—one wrong turn in your mental map can derail the entire solution. Speed matters here, so building a systematic approach to draw quick diagrams is essential.

Students who perform well on this topic share one habit: they always draw. Mental calculations in direction problems lead to errors, especially when shadow-based or rotational questions appear.

Key Concepts

**The 8-Point Compass**: North (N), South (S), East (E), West (W) are the four cardinal directions. Between them lie Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). North is always drawn pointing upward on your rough sheet.

**Opposite Directions**: N↔S and E↔W are opposite pairs. Moving North then South cancels out; same for East-West movements.

**Left and Right Turns**: These depend on which direction you're currently facing. Facing North and turning right means you now face East. Facing South and turning left also means East.

**Shortest Distance**: The straight-line distance between start and end points—calculated using the Pythagorean theorem when movements form a right-angled path.

**Shadow-Based Direction**: At sunrise, shadows fall towards West (sun in East). At sunset, shadows fall towards East (sun in West). If your shadow falls to your right at sunrise, you're facing South.

**Clockwise Rotation**: N → E → S → W → N. A 90° clockwise turn from North leads to East; 180° leads to South.

**Displacement vs Distance Traveled**: Total distance walked is the sum of all segments. Displacement is the shortest straight-line distance from start to finish.

Formulas / Key Facts

**Shortest Distance Formula (Pythagorean Theorem)**: When net movements form perpendicular components— Shortest Distance = √(horizontal² + vertical²)

**Turn Calculations**:

90° right from North = East
90° left from North = West
180° turn reverses direction
45° right from North = Northeast

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Q1 · Direction and Distance · EASY
A person walks 15 m North, then turns right and walks 8 m, then turns right again and walks 6 m. What is the shortest distance between the starting point and the final position?
Q2 · Direction and Distance · MEDIUM
Ravi starts from point A and walks 20 m towards East to reach point B. From B, he turns left and walks 15 m to reach point C. Then he turns left again and walks 10 m to reach point D. What is the shortest distance between point A and point D?
Q3 · Direction and Distance · HARD
A man walks 6 m towards North from point P, then turns 45° clockwise and walks 4√2 m, then turns 90° anticlockwise and walks 6 m. In which direction is he now with respect to point P?
Q4 · Direction and Distance · EASY
Priya walks 12 m West from her house, then 9 m South, then 5 m East, and finally 3 m North. How far is she from her starting point?
Q5 · Direction and Distance · MEDIUM
A person starts walking from point X towards South for 8 m. He then turns left and walks 6 m, again turns left and walks 12 m, then turns right and walks 4 m, and finally turns right and walks 4 m. What is the direction of his final position with respect to point X?

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Notes generated on 22 Jun 2026

Direction and Distance

Direction and Distance

Overview

Key Concepts

Formulas / Key Facts

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