Direction & Distance — Navigate Like a Pro
Master the compass, left/right turns and the shortest-distance rule for SSC-CGL direction sense, with turn tables, the Pythagoras trick and worked examples.
By the PadhoDost Team · 📖 7 min read · Updated 4 August 2026
Part of SSC CGL & Banking prep🧠 The treasure-hunt map
Direction sense is just a treasure hunt. You start at a spot, follow arrows — 3 steps North, turn right, 4 steps East — and you must say where you land and how far it is 'as the crow flies' from where you began. Master one compass and one right-angle-triangle rule, and every clue falls into place.
The compass: 8 directions
There are 4 main directions — North (top), South (bottom), East (right), West (left) — and 4 in-between ones: North-East (NE), South-East (SE), South-West (SW) and North-West (NW). Always draw a small '+' with N pointing up before you start; a quick picture prevents most mistakes.
Turning rules
| You are facing | Turn LEFT → face | Turn RIGHT → face |
|---|---|---|
| North | West | East |
| East | North | South |
| South | East | West |
| West | South | North |
Shortest (straight-line) distance
📝 Walk 3 km North, then 4 km East — how far from start?
The two legs are at right angles: 3 km up, then 4 km right.
Shortest distance = √(3^2 + 4^2) = √(9 + 16) = √25.
Distance = 5 km, and the finishing point lies to the North-East of the start.
Remember
- ✓Always draw the compass (N up) and mark each move.
- ✓Right = clockwise, Left = anti-clockwise.
- ✓Opposite legs (e.g. North then South) partly or fully cancel.
- ✓L-shaped path → √(a^2 + b^2) for the straight-line gap.
- ✓'Distance from start' means net displacement, not total distance walked.
⚡ Quick check
A man walks 10 m South, turns left and walks 5 m, then turns left again and walks 10 m. How far is he from the starting point?
Ready to test yourself? 🎯
Lock it in with the practice test for this chapter.
Take the practice test →