Cardinal Directions — Mains Strategy

Mains Strategy

This section provides written reasoning practice; CSAT itself is an objective Preliminary paper. The purpose is to explain a spatial deduction clearly enough that another reader can reproduce it. Begin with a usable line such as: 'The starting point is assigned the origin, with east and north taken as positive directions.' This establishes the reference frame without repeating the whole problem.

In the body, show a short table of each movement, its signed coordinate change and the resulting position. Keep a separate facing column when turns are involved. If two travellers appear, place their starting positions in the same frame and calculate the difference between their final coordinates. State whether the required result is a direction, a length or an orientation.

Conclude with the result in words and units, then add one check. Path length should not be less than straight-line separation for the same journey. A claimed northeast position should have both components positive. Where information is insufficient, show two valid completions producing different outcomes; that is a reasoned conclusion rather than an unfinished calculation.