Compass Directions

Compass direction questions test whether you can place the 8 compass points correctly and apply turning rules. The 4 main directions are North (N), South (S), East (E), West (W). The 4 intermediate directions are North-East (NE), North-West (NW), South-East (SE), South-West (SW). A standard compass has N at the top, S at the bottom, E to the right, W to the left. Turning rules: turning right = clockwise; turning left = anti-clockwise.

1. Draw a compass cross (+ shape) on paper with N at the top every time.
2. For each turn in the question, rotate from the current direction: right turn = 90 degrees clockwise; left turn = 90 degrees anti-clockwise; about turn = 180 degrees.
3. Keep track of the current facing direction after each turn.
4. For diagonal directions: NE is between N and E; NW is between N and W; etc.
5. Answer the question: "Which direction is the person now facing?"

Example 1: A person faces North. She turns right twice. Which direction is she facing now?

• Start: North.
• First right turn (90 clockwise): East.
• Second right turn (90 clockwise): South.
• Answer: South.

Example 2: A person faces South-West. He turns 180 degrees (about turn). Which direction does he face?

• Opposite of SW is NE (directly across the compass).
• Answer: North-East.

• Forgetting that "right" depends on which direction you are currently facing — right when facing South is West, not East.
• Confusing SE and SW: remember E is always to the right of a standard map and W is to the left.
• A 180-degree turn always gives you the exact opposite direction: N↔S, E↔W, NE↔SW, NW↔SE.

1. A boy faces East. He turns left. Which direction does he face?
2. A girl faces North-West and makes an about turn. Which direction does she now face?