Quantitative Aptitude · Direction Tests

Directions and Cardinal Points Basics for CA Foundation

Updated 1 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Direction sense questions test whether you can track your facing direction as you move and turn. The four main directions are North, East, South and West. Four intermediate ones lie between them. Draw a compass, mark each turn using the left and right rules, and read off the final direction.

Understand Directions and Cardinal Points Basics

Every direction question starts with a compass. There are four cardinal directions: North (N), East (E), South (S) and West (W). They are 90° apart. If you face North, East is on your right and West is on your left.

Between them sit four intermediate directions (also called ordinal directions): North-East (NE), South-East (SE), South-West (SW) and North-West (NW). Each lies exactly halfway between two cardinal directions, so it is 45° from both.

In a standard diagram, North points up the page, South down, East to the right and West to the left. Going clockwise from North you meet NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and back to N. Each step is 45°.

A turn changes the direction you face. A right turn moves you clockwise. A left turn moves you anticlockwise. A 90° right turn from North makes you face East. A 90° left turn from North makes you face West. A turn of 180° (a U-turn) reverses your direction.

The key idea: left and right depend on the way you are facing, but the compass directions never change. Always convert a turn into a compass direction, and your answer stays reliable.

Key formulas to remember

Clockwise order of directions: N → NE → E → SE → S → SW → W → NW → N; Each step is 45° clockwise. A right turn moves along this order. A left turn moves against it.
Right turn rule: Right turn = clockwise rotation; Facing N, a 90° right turn gives E. Facing E gives S. Facing S gives W. Facing W gives N.
Left turn rule: Left turn = anticlockwise rotation; Facing N, a 90° left turn gives W. Facing W gives S. Facing S gives E. Facing E gives N.
Angle between adjacent directions: Cardinal to cardinal = 90°; cardinal to adjacent intermediate = 45°; Use this to count how many 45° steps a turn covers.
Opposite directions: N ↔ S, E ↔ W, NE ↔ SW, NW ↔ SE; Opposites are 180° apart. A U-turn gives the opposite direction.
Turn of a given angle: Number of 45° steps = angle ÷ 45; A 135° turn is 3 steps. Move that many places clockwise for right, anticlockwise for left.

How to solve Directions and Cardinal Points Basics questions

This method works for any basic direction question, whether it asks for the final facing direction or the side someone is on.

1Draw a small compass with N at the top, E right, S bottom, W left. Mark the intermediate directions if they appear.
2Write down the starting direction the person faces or moves in.
3Take each turn in order. Convert it to degrees: 90° for a normal left or right, 45° for half turns, 180° for a U-turn.
4For a right turn, move clockwise on the compass. For a left turn, move anticlockwise. Count steps of 45°.
5Write the new facing direction after every turn. Do not skip writing it.
6If the question asks about a side, such as what is to the left, apply the turn rule once more from the final facing direction.
7Check your answer by sketching the path once. The final direction should match the picture.

Quickest way: Clock-face and step-counting shortcut

When to use it: Use it in MCQs when several turns are given and time is short. It avoids drawing a full path.

Picture the compass as a clock where N is 12, E is 3, S is 6 and W is 9.
A right turn of 90° adds 3 hours. A left turn of 90° subtracts 3 hours. A 45° turn is 1.5 hours.
Add all right turns and subtract all left turns to get the net rotation.
Apply the net rotation to the start. For example, start N (12). Right 90°, right 90°, left 90° gives net +90°, so you reach 3, which is E.
If the net rotation is 360° or zero, you face the start direction again.
Match your result with the options. Eliminate any option that is opposite to your result, as that is a typical trap.

Common mistakes in Directions and Cardinal Points Basics

Treating left and right as fixed compass sides.
Students think left always means West, as on a map.
Fix: Left and right depend on the way you face. Facing South, your left is East. Always rotate from the facing direction.
Turning the wrong way for a left turn.
Clockwise and anticlockwise get confused under time pressure.
Fix: Remember: right is clockwise (N→E→S→W). Left is anticlockwise (N→W→S→E). Check with a quick sketch.
Placing intermediate directions at the wrong spot.
Students mix up NE with SE or NW with SW.
Fix: NE is between N and E, SE between S and E, SW between S and W, NW between N and W. Name the two letters in the order N or S first.
Mixing up the direction a person faces with the direction of their shadow or movement.
The question wording is read too fast.
Fix: Underline whether the question asks for facing direction, movement direction or position. Answer only that.
Counting 45° steps wrongly in angled turns.
Students count the starting direction as step one.
Fix: Do not count the start. A 45° right turn from N lands on NE after one step, not two.
Forgetting a U-turn or about-turn flips the direction.
It is treated as no change since the person is still on the same line.
Fix: A U-turn is 180°. Replace the direction with its opposite.

Worked examples

Example 1

Ravi faces North. He turns 90° to his right, then 90° to his left, and then 90° to his left again. Which direction is he facing now? (A) North (B) East (C) South (D) West

Show the solution

Start: North.
Right 90° from North, clockwise, gives East.
Left 90° from East, anticlockwise, gives North.
Left 90° from North gives West.
Check with net rotation: +90° − 90° − 90° = −90°, which is one left turn from North, so West.

Answer: (D) West

Example 2

Meena faces South-East. She turns 135° clockwise. Which direction does she face now? (A) South (B) West (C) North-West (D) South-West

Show the solution

Clockwise order: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW.
135° ÷ 45° = 3 steps clockwise.
From SE: step 1 gives S, step 2 gives SW, step 3 gives W.
So she faces West.
Check using the clock idea: SE is 4.5 on the clock face, adding 4.5 hours gives 9, which is West.

Answer: (B) West

Example 3

A man faces West. He turns 45° to his right, then 180°, and then 90° to his left. In which direction is he facing now? (A) North-East (B) South-East (C) South-West (D) North

Show the solution

Start: West.
Right 45° (clockwise) from West gives North-West.
A 180° turn gives the opposite of North-West, which is South-East.
Left 90° (anticlockwise) from South-East: two steps back, SE to E to NE.
He faces North-East.
Check net rotation: +45° + 180° − 90° = +135°. From West, 3 steps clockwise gives NW, N, NE. This confirms North-East.

Answer: (A) North-East

Exam tips

Draw the compass first, every time. It takes five seconds and saves marks in a paper with 0.25 negative marking.
Write the facing direction after each turn in the margin of your rough sheet. Do not carry it in your head.
If an option is exactly opposite to your answer, recheck the left and right turn. That is the commonest trap.
Watch for words like about-turn, U-turn, quarter turn and half turn. Convert them to degrees at once.
If a question seems confusing and you are unsure after one recheck, skip it and return later. Wrong answers cost 0.25 marks.

Practice questions from Direction Tests

Directions and Cardinal Points Basics: frequently asked questions

How many directions are there in a direction test?

There are eight commonly used directions. Four are cardinal: North, East, South and West. Four are intermediate: North-East, South-East, South-West and North-West.

What is the rule for left and right turns?

A right turn moves you clockwise on the compass. A left turn moves you anticlockwise. Always apply the turn from the direction you are currently facing.

What is the angle between North and North-East?

It is 45°. Intermediate directions lie halfway between two cardinal directions, so each is 45° from both neighbours.

If I face East, which side is North?

North is on your left. Facing East, your right is South, your left is North, and West is behind you.

Do I need to draw a diagram for every direction question?

A quick compass sketch is best for beginners. With practice you can use the clock-face shortcut for simple turn questions, but draw a figure when distances or several moves are involved.