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4th Std Scholarship · Intelligence Test

Direction

5 concepts · 40 practice questions with answers · Free to read

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The eight directions and their pairs

From daily life

In the morning stand in the yard facing the rising Sun. East is in front, west behind, north on your left hand and south on your right hand. Remember just this and the other directions are easy to find.

Simple definition

North, East, South and West are the four main directions. A direction exactly between two main directions is an in-between direction. North-east, South-east, South-west and North-west are the four in-between directions. In all there are 8 directions.

Live figure

The eight directions and their pairs

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An in-between direction is two parts

In-between directionBetween which two directionsOpposite direction
North-eastNorth + EastSouth-west
South-eastSouth + EastNorth-west
South-westSouth + WestNorth-east
North-westNorth + WestSouth-east
1
Rule 1

Opposite directions : North ↔ South, East ↔ West, North-east ↔ South-west, South-east ↔ North-west. Reverse both parts of an in-between direction.

  • e.g. North-east = North + East. Reversed, South + West = South-west.
2
Rule 2

Neighbouring directions are 45° apart, directions at a right angle are 90° apart and opposite directions are 180° apart.

  • e.g. East and South-east 45°; East and South 90°; East and West 180°.
3
Rule 3

The order of the directions clockwise : North, North-east, East, South-east, South, South-west, West, North-west. Each step is 45°.

  • e.g. one step clockwise after South-west is West.
Example 1 · easy

What is the opposite of East?

  1. East ↔ West. Answer : West.
Example 2 · medium

What is the opposite of North-west?

  1. North-west = North + West.
  2. Reverse both parts : South + East = South-east.
Example 3 · exam type

Which two directions are at a right angle to South-east?

  1. South-east = South + East.
  2. Reverse one part only : North + East = North-east, or South + West = South-west.
  3. Answer : North-east and South-west.
Remember

Neighbouring directions are 45° apart, directions at a right angle 90° apart and opposite directions 180° apart.

Common mistake

Mixing up South-east and South-west. South-east is on the east side (South + East), South-west on the west side (South + West).

Shortcut

Memory clue : "NE, SE, SW, NW : right side first, then left side." This is the order of the in-between directions, clockwise from North-east.

Shortcut

An in-between direction = two parts. For the opposite, reverse both parts; for a right-angle direction, reverse one part; for a neighbouring direction, keep one part the same.

Spot the difference

RelationGapExample for North
Neighbouring45°North-east, North-west
At a right angle90°East, West
Opposite180°South

Practice questions

Easy
  1. 1What is the opposite of North?
  2. 2Between which two main directions is North-east?
  3. 3How many in-between directions are there in all?
Medium
  1. 4What is the opposite of South-west?
  2. 5Which are the two neighbouring directions of West?
  3. 6Which two directions are at a right angle to North-west?
Challenging
  1. 7Which of the following is a pair of neighbouring directions? (1) North – South-west (2) East – South-east (3) South – North-east (4) West – South-east
  2. 8Counting clockwise from North (North is the first), which is the fifth direction?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
  1. 1South.
  2. 2North and East.
  3. 3Four.
  4. 4North-east.
  5. 5South-west and North-west.
  6. 6North-west = North + West; reverse one part only : North-east (North + East) and South-west (South + West).
  7. 7Option (2) : East and South-east are only 45° apart. The other pairs are 135° apart.
  8. 8North, North-east, East, South-east, South : the fifth is South.

Turns : face, back and hands

From daily life

In a drill the sir says "Turn right!" If you stand facing north, after turning right you face east. You turned in the same direction in which the hands of a clock move.

Simple definition

Turning right = turning in the direction of the hands of a clock (clockwise). Turning left = turning against the hands of a clock (anticlockwise). A turn at a right angle = 90°, a turn of half a right angle = 45°, turning about = 180°.

Once the face is fixed, the back and both hands are fixed

FaceBackLeft handRight hand
NorthSouthWestEast
EastWestNorthSouth
SouthNorthEastWest
WestEastSouthNorth
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Turns : face, back and hands

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Headstand (head down, feet up) : The face and the back stay in the same direction, but the left and right hands change places. e.g. if you do a headstand facing north, the left hand points east and the right hand points west.

1
Rule 1

Turning right = clockwise, turning left = anticlockwise. A right angle = 2 steps in the order of directions (90°).

  • e.g. facing north : turning right by a right angle gives east; turning left gives west.
2
Rule 2

4 right-angle turns make a full circle. If the number of turns is large, divide it by 4 and count only the remainder.

  • e.g. facing north, 13 right-angle turns to the right : 13 ÷ 4 = 3 remainder 1. Only one turn is left, so east.
3
Rule 3

Back = opposite of the face. Right hand = 90° clockwise from the face. Left hand = 90° anticlockwise.

  • e.g. face south : back north, right hand west, left hand east.
Example 1 · easy

Omkar stands facing south. He turns left by a right angle. Which direction does he face now?

  1. 90° anticlockwise from south : east.
Example 2 · medium

Riya stands facing west. She turns right by a right angle and then turns right by half a right angle (45°). Which direction is her left hand pointing to now?

  1. West → (right 90°) north → (right 45°) north-east. She faces north-east.
  2. Left hand = 90° anticlockwise from the face : north-west.
Example 3 · exam type

Sameer stands facing north-east. He turns left by a right angle 30 times. Which direction is his back towards now?

  1. 4 right-angle turns = one full circle. 30 ÷ 4 = 7, remainder 2. So count only 2 left turns.
  2. Two left turns = turning about. The face goes from north-east to south-west.
  3. Back = opposite of the face : north-east.
Remember

The back is always opposite the face. The right hand is 90° clockwise from the face, the left hand 90° anticlockwise.

Common mistake

Thinking that the left hand of a person standing face to face with you is on your left side. It appears on your right side. Think by standing in the place of the person the question is about.

Common mistake

Thinking the direction of the face changes in a headstand. The face and the back stay the same; only the two hands change places.

Shortcut

Memory clue : "Right = clock, left = against the clock."

Shortcut

If a big number is given, divide it by 4 and count only the remainder turns. One right turn and one left turn cancel each other.

Spot the difference

TurnDegreesCompared with the hands of a clock
right by a right angle90°the same direction
left by a right angle90°the opposite direction
by half a right angle45°half, towards the side named
turning about180°half a circle

Practice questions

Easy
  1. 1Facing north, in which direction is the right hand?
  2. 2A boy stands facing east. Which direction is his back towards?
  3. 3Facing south, you turn right by a right angle. Which direction do you face now?
Medium
  1. 4Facing west, you turn left by a right angle twice. Which direction do you face now?
  2. 5Facing south-east, in which direction is the left hand?
  3. 6Facing north, you turn right by 45° and then left by a right angle. Which direction do you face now?
Challenging
  1. 7Manasi stands facing south. She turns right by a right angle 41 times. Which direction is her right hand pointing to now?
  2. 8Om stands facing east. He turns left by half a right angle (45°) and then, keeping his face the same, does a headstand. Which direction is his left hand pointing to now?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
  1. 1East.
  2. 2West.
  3. 3West.
  4. 4East (two left turns = turning about).
  5. 5North-east.
  6. 6North → (right 45°) north-east → (left 90°) north-west.
  7. 741 ÷ 4 = 10, remainder 1. South → (right 90°) west. Facing west, the right hand points north.
  8. 8East → (left 45°) north-east. Facing north-east, the left hand points north-west and the right hand south-east. In the headstand they change places : the left hand points south-east.

The Sun and shadows

From daily life

On the way to school in the morning your shadow falls long. The Sun is in the east, so the shadow falls towards the west. On the way home in the evening the Sun is in the west, so the shadow falls towards the east.

Simple definition

The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. A shadow always falls in the direction opposite to the Sun.

TimeSunShadow
Morning (sunrise)in the eastin the west
Evening (sunset)in the westin the east
Live figure

The Sun and shadows

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1
Rule 1

A shadow always falls exactly opposite to the Sun.

  • e.g. if the Sun is in the south-east, the shadow falls to the north-west.
2
Rule 2

In the morning the Sun is in the east, so the shadow is in the west. In the evening the Sun is in the west, so the shadow is in the east.

  • e.g. if you stand facing east in the morning, your shadow falls behind you.
3
Rule 3

See on which hand the shadow falls. The Sun is on the opposite hand. Then match the direction of the Sun with the table of turns to find the face.

  • e.g. in the morning the shadow falls on the left hand : the Sun (east) is on the right hand. Right hand east means the face is north.
Example 1 · easy

In the morning Anil stands facing south. On which side will his shadow fall?

  1. In the morning the shadow is in the west.
  2. Facing south, west comes on the right hand. Answer : on the right side.
Example 2 · medium

In the evening Prachi's shadow falls in front of her. Which direction is she facing?

  1. In the evening the shadow is in the east. The shadow is in front, so she faces east.
Example 3 · exam type

At sunrise the Sun was on Rahul's right side. Then he turned about. Which direction is his left hand pointing to now?

  1. At sunrise the Sun is in the east. East is on the right hand, so the face is north.
  2. After turning about the face is south.
  3. Facing south, the left hand points east.
Remember

Whichever side the shadow is on, the Sun is exactly on the opposite side. At noon the Sun is almost overhead, so the shadow is short.

Common mistake

Mixing up the direction of the Sun and the direction of the shadow. First underline whether the question gives the "Sun" or the "shadow".

Shortcut

Memory clue : "Morning shadow to the west, evening shadow to the east."

Shortcut

Write the direction on the side where the Sun or the shadow is given. Then find the face with the table of turns.

Spot the difference

Given in the questionFix this first
Sun on the right sideright hand = direction of the Sun
shadow on the right sideright hand = direction of the shadow
Sun behindback = direction of the Sun, face the opposite way

Practice questions

Easy
  1. 1In which direction does the shadow fall in the morning?
  2. 2In which direction does the Sun set?
  3. 3If you stand facing east in the evening, on which side will the shadow fall?
Medium
  1. 4In the morning a boy's shadow falls on his left side. Which direction is he facing?
  2. 5At sunset the Sun is behind a girl. Which direction is she facing?
  3. 6If you stand facing north in the evening, on which side will the shadow fall?
Challenging
  1. 7In the morning the Sun was in front of Tejas. He turned left by a right angle. On which side is his shadow now?
  2. 8In the evening Geeta's shadow fell on her right side. She turned right by a right angle. Which direction is her left hand pointing to now?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
  1. 1In the west.
  2. 2In the west.
  3. 3In front (in the evening the shadow is in the east).
  4. 4North (the shadow is in the west; west on the left hand means the face is north).
  5. 5East.
  6. 6On the right side (the shadow is in the east; facing north, east is on the right hand).
  7. 7The Sun is in the east, in front, so he faces east. After turning left he faces north. The shadow is in the west, that is, on the left side.
  8. 8The shadow is in the east, on the right hand, so the face is north. After turning right the face is east. The left hand points north.

Walking and the distance from the start

From daily life

You walk 3 km north from home and then 3 km back south. You walked 6 km in all, but your distance from home is 0, because you are at home!

Simple definition

Total distance walked = the sum of the distances of all the stretches. Distance from the start = how far the last place is from the starting place in a straight line.

The four-step method

  • Step 1 : Write the direction of every stretch. If it says "turning right", first fix the new direction of the face.
  • Step 2 : Write the north-south stretches in one group and the east-west stretches in another group.
  • Step 3 : In each group subtract the smaller distance from the bigger one.
  • Step 4 : If one group comes to 0, the other group's answer is the distance and the direction. If something is left in both groups, the direction is an in-between direction (e.g. if both north and east are left, north-east).
Live figure

Walking and the distance from the start

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1
Rule 1

Subtract the distances in opposite directions : the smaller from the bigger. The direction left is that of the bigger distance.

  • e.g. 9 km north and 4 km south : 9 − 4 = 5 km to the north.
2
Rule 2

Write north-south in one group and east-west in the other. The distances of the two groups are not subtracted from each other.

  • e.g. 7 km north and 2 km east : there is nothing to subtract. Both are left.
3
Rule 3

If one group comes to 0, the other main direction is left. If something is left in both groups, it is an in-between direction.

  • e.g. 5 km north and 2 km west left : to the north-west. Only 3 km west left : to the west.
4
Rule 4

Total distance walked = the sum of all the stretches. The distance from the start is always less than that or equal to it.

  • e.g. 4 km east and 3 km west : you walked 4 + 3 = 7 km in all, but only 1 km from the start.
Example 1 · easy

Sayali walked 4 km east from home and then 1 km back west. How far from home is she now?

  1. East-west : 4 east − 1 west = 3 east. Answer : 3 km to the east. (She walked 5 km in all.)
Example 2 · medium

Ajay walked 5 km north from school. Then he turned right and walked 3 km. Then he turned right again and walked 5 km. How far from the school and in which direction is he now?

  1. Directions : north → (right) east → (right) south.
  2. North-south : 5 north − 5 south = 0. East-west : 3 east.
  3. Answer : 3 km to the east. (He walked 13 km in all.)
Example 3 · exam type

Mohan walked 6 km north, 4 km east, 2 km south and 1 km west from home. In which direction from home is he now?

  1. North-south : 6 − 2 = 4 north. East-west : 4 − 1 = 3 east.
  2. Both north and east are left, so he is to the north-east of home.
Remember

Distances in opposite directions are subtracted from each other. Distances at a right angle (e.g. north and east) are not subtracted from each other.

Common mistake

Adding up all the stretches and writing that as the distance from the start.

Common mistake

Thinking "turning right" always means east. Which direction comes after turning right depends on where the face was before.

Shortcut

Memory clue : "Up-down together, left-right together; opposites subtract." Up-down = north-south, left-right = east-west.

Shortcut

Draw a small map on paper. North at the top, east on the right. Draw every stretch with an arrow.

Spot the difference

PointTotal distance walkedDistance from the start
How it is foundsum of all the stretchesby subtracting opposite directions
In Example 213 km3 km
If we come back to the startas much as we walked0

Practice questions

Easy
  1. 1After going 5 km north and then 2 km south, how far and in which direction from the start?
  2. 2After going 3 km east and then 3 km west, what is the distance from the start?
  3. 3After going 2 km north and then 3 km east, how much was walked in all?
Medium
  1. 4After going 6 km west, then 4 km north, then 6 km east, how far and in which direction from the start?
  2. 5After going 3 km north, he turned left and went 2 km. In which direction from the start is he now?
  3. 6After going 5 km south, then turning left and going 4 km, then turning left again and going 5 km, how far and in which direction from the start?
Challenging
  1. 7After going 7 km east, then turning right and going 3 km, then turning right and going 2 km, then turning right and going 3 km, how far from the start, in which direction, and how much was walked in all?
  2. 8The garden is 4 km north of the house. The school is 4 km east of the garden. The temple is 4 km south of the school. How far from the house and in which direction is the temple?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
  1. 13 km to the north.
  2. 20 (back at the start).
  3. 35 km.
  4. 4East-west : 6 − 6 = 0. Answer : 4 km to the north.
  5. 5North → (left) west. 3 north and 2 west, so to the north-west.
  6. 6South → (left) east → (left) north. North-south : 5 − 5 = 0. Answer : 4 km to the east.
  7. 7East → (right) south → (right) west → (right) north. North-south : 3 − 3 = 0; east-west : 7 − 2 = 5 east. Answer : 5 km to the east; 15 km in all.
  8. 84 north − 4 south = 0; 4 east. The temple is 4 km east of the house.

The clock and directions

From daily life

Put a wall clock on a table so that the 12 points north. Then 3 comes to the east, 6 to the south and 9 to the west. The clock itself becomes your compass!

Simple definition

A full circle in a clock is 360°. The gap between two neighbouring numbers is 30°. A gap of one and a half hours is 45°, exactly one direction.

With 12 at the north

Place on the clockDirection
12North
exactly between 1 and 2North-east
3East
exactly between 4 and 5South-east
6South
exactly between 7 and 8South-west
9West
exactly between 10 and 11North-west
Live figure

The clock and directions

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1
Rule 1

In a clock the gap of 1 hour is 30°. So 3 hours is 90° and one and a half hours is 45°, exactly one direction.

  • e.g. if 12 is north, then 3 is east, 6 south, 9 west.
2
Rule 2

When half an hour has passed, the hour hand comes exactly between two numbers.

  • e.g. at 4:30 the hour hand is exactly between 4 and 5, that is, south-east (if 12 is taken as north).
3
Rule 3

However the clock is turned, the angle between the two hands does not change. Match the direction of one hand and measure the other hand by that angle.

  • e.g. at 3 o'clock the minute hand is 90° anticlockwise from the hour hand. If the hour hand points west, the minute hand points south.
Example 1 · easy

With 12 at the north, in which direction is the hour hand at 9 o'clock?

  1. 9 is in the west. Answer : west.
Example 2 · medium

With 12 at the north, in which directions are the two hands at 7:30?

  1. The hour hand is exactly between 7 and 8 : south-west.
  2. The minute hand is at 6 : south.
Example 3 · exam type

A clock is placed so that at 3 o'clock the hour hand points south. In which direction is the minute hand at that time?

  1. At 3 o'clock the minute hand is at 12 and the hour hand at 3. The minute hand is 90° anticlockwise from the hour hand.
  2. 90° anticlockwise from south : east. Answer : east.
Remember

However the clock is turned, the angle between the two hands does not change.

Common mistake

Thinking the hour hand is exactly on 4 at 4:30. After 30 minutes it is exactly between 4 and 5.

Shortcut

Memory clue : "One and a half hours = one direction." 12 north, 1:30 north-east, 3 east, 4:30 south-east, 6 south, 7:30 south-west, 9 west, 10:30 north-west.

Shortcut

In a turned clock, match the direction of the hand already given, then measure the other hand forward or back by the same angle.

Spot the difference

HandHow far it moves in an hourHow far it moves in a minute
hour hand30°half a degree
minute hand360°6°

Practice questions

Easy
  1. 1With 12 at the north, in which direction is the number 3?
  2. 2With 12 at the north, in which direction is the hour hand at 6 o'clock?
  3. 3With 12 at the north, in which direction is the minute hand after 45 minutes?
Medium
  1. 4With 12 at the north, in which direction is the hour hand at 10:30?
  2. 512 is at the north. The hour hand points south-east and the minute hand points south. What is the time?
  3. 6With 12 at the north, in which directions are the two hands at 1:30?
Challenging
  1. 7A clock is placed so that at 6 o'clock the hour hand points east. In which direction is the number 12?
  2. 8A clock is placed so that at 9 o'clock the minute hand points west. In which direction is the hour hand at that time?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
  1. 1East.
  2. 2South.
  3. 3West.
  4. 4Exactly between 10 and 11 : north-west.
  5. 54:30.
  6. 6The hour hand points north-east, the minute hand points south.
  7. 7The number 6 is opposite 12. 6 is in the east, so 12 is in the west.
  8. 8At 9 o'clock the minute hand is at 12 and the hour hand at 9, so the hour hand is 90° anticlockwise from the minute hand. 90° anticlockwise from west : south.

Quick revision of the whole lesson

ConceptMemory clue
8 directionsNE, SE, SW, NW : right side first, then left side
Opposite / right anglereverse both parts / reverse one part
Turnsright = clock, left = against the clock; 4 turns = one circle
Headstandface-back the same, hands change places
Shadowmorning shadow to the west, evening shadow to the east
Walkingup-down together, left-right together; opposites subtract
Clockone and a half hours = one direction; the angle between the hands does not change

🎯 The most important points for the exam

  • The four pairs of opposite directions : North-South, East-West, North-east–South-west, South-east–North-west.
  • A right turn is clockwise; the back is always opposite the face.
  • Divide a big number of turns by 4 and count only the remainder.
  • A shadow always falls opposite to the Sun.
  • Total distance walked and distance from the start are different.
  • On a clock 30° = one hour; 45° = one and a half hours = one direction.
🧠 Study mantra

"First fix the face, then the hands; first make groups, then subtract."