Direction Sense – Reasoning Ability
(For Tripura Patwari / Lekhpal Examination)
Direction sense is the skill of visualising the relative positions of objects or persons when they move or are positioned with respect to each other.
It is tested through puzzles that involve North/South/East/West (N/S/E/W), diagonals (NE, SE, SW, NW), and relative terms such as left of, right of, behind, in front of, next to, opposite to, etc.
1. Simple Explanation
| Term | Meaning (in a 2‑D plane) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| North (N) | Upwards | “A is north of B” → A is above B. |
| South (S) | Downwards | “B is south of C” → B is below C. |
| East (E) | Rightwards | “C is east of D” → C is right of D. |
| West (W) | Leftwards | “D is west of E” → D is left of E. |
| Northeast (NE) | Up‑right | “F is NE of G” → F is above‑right of G. |
| Southeast (SE) | Down‑right | “H is SE of I” → H is below‑right of I. |
| Southwest (SW) | Down‑left | “I is SW of J” → I is below‑left of J. |
| Northwest (NW) | Up‑left | “J is NW of K” → J is above‑left of K. |
Relative terms
Left of = West of, Right of = East of, Behind = South of (if you’re looking northwards), In front of = North of, Next to = adjacent in any direction, Opposite to = directly opposite (e.g., North ↔ South).
2. Key Points to Remember
| # | Key Point | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Use a coordinate grid | Makes mental mapping easier. Assume (0,0) as a reference. |
| 2 | Treat directions as vectors | N = (0,1), S = (0,-1), E = (1,0), W = (-1,0). Diagonals add x & y. |
| 3 | Keep track of “left/right” relative to the observer’s facing direction | If the observer faces North, left = West, right = East. |
| 4 | Remember “behind” & “in front of” depend on the observer’s heading | If you face East, “behind” = West. |
| 5 | Use “next to” as “adjacent” | It can mean any of the 8 surrounding cells. |
| 6 | When multiple clues given, start with a known reference point | Fix one point, then place others step‑by‑step. |
| 7 | Check for contradictions | If a puzzle says A is NE of B and B is SW of A, it’s consistent. |
| 8 | Simplify long chains | After placing 3–4 points, the pattern often repeats (e.g., “next to” → “opposite”). |
3. Worked Example
Question (Typical of the exam)
In a row of five houses numbered 1 to 5 from left to right, the following statements are true.
- House 2 is to the left of the house where the shopkeeper lives.
- The post office is in the house immediately to the right of the shopkeeper’s house.
- The bakery is in the house opposite the post office.
- House 5 has a cinema.
Who lives in house 3?
Step‑by‑Step Solution
| Step | Interpretation | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House 2 is left of shopkeeper’s house → shopkeeper is in house 3, 4, or 5. | – |
| 2 | Post office is right of shopkeeper → if shopkeeper in 3 → post office in 4. If shopkeeper in 4 → post office in 5. | – |
| 3 | Bakery opposite post office. “Opposite” in a straight line of houses means the house that is symmetrical about the centre. In 5 houses, opposite pairs are (1,5) and (2,4). | – |
| 4 | House 5 has cinema. So house 5 cannot be bakery. | – |
| 5 | Try shopkeeper in house 3 → post office in 4 → bakery opposite 4 → opposite of 4 is 2 (since 2 & 4 are opposite). House 2 would be bakery. That’s fine. | All houses assigned without conflict. |
| 6 | Check other possibilities: shopkeeper in house 4 → post office in 5 (but house 5 is cinema), conflict. | Reject. |
| 7 | Thus shopkeeper is in house 3. | Answer: The shopkeeper lives in house 3. |
Quick Check
- House 2 = Bakery (left of shopkeeper).
- House 3 = Shopkeeper.
- House 4 = Post Office (right of shopkeeper).
- House 5 = Cinema.
All statements satisfied.
4. Quick Revision Summary
| Topic | What to Recall |
|---|---|
| Basic directions | N, S, E, |