Direction and Distance Tips and Tricks for Government Exams

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Introduction

Directions questions asked in the exam are based on two principles:

1. Distance 
2. Direction

You might be asked to calculate the distance or the direction. The foremost thing that you are supposed to do is draw basic direction map.

Examples

Example 1: A man is facing towards the NORTH. At sunrise where will his shadow be? And if he is facing SOUTH. Then where will his shadow be?
Ans:
If he is facing NORTH, his shadow will be in the WEST or in the left of the person.

Example 2: I start from my house and go straight and come at a crossroad. The road which is coming from opposite direction ends at a hospital. When I walk from my house and turn right, there is a park on that road and opposite to park there is a school.
(a) What would be the direction of my house from the school?
(b) What would be the direction of school from my house?
Ans: (a) If it is straight, we can assume any direction.
Here the assumed direction is EAST.
My house is in the SW from the school.
(b)

Clearly, school is NE direction from the school.

Example 3: A person P is standing at a point, another person Q is standing in the north of P. Q’s friend R is in right of Q and P’s friend S is standing left of P.
(a) In which direction R is standing with respect to S.
(b) In which direction is S with respect to R ?
Ans: (a)
It is clear from the picture with respect to R, S is SW direction.
(b)
It is clear that with respect to R, S is in the NE direction.

Example 4: A person starts from position A. He goes towards the east and then takes a right turn. Again the person takes a left turn and moves and then again he moves 45 degrees right. In which direction he is from the starting position?
Ans: Consider yourself as the person and draw the map.
It is clear that he is in the SE direction the starting point.

Example 5: If I move 4 km towards east and then I travel 3 km towards the north. What is my distance from the starting point?
Ans: First of all, draw the map according to the directions

It is a right-angled triangle so by Pythagorean theorem
H²  =  P² + B²
=  3² + 4²
=  9 + 16
=  25
H = 5
So I am at a distance of 5 KM from the starting point.