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Compass Bearing

Compass Bearing problems use bearings measured in degrees clockwise from North (0° to 360°). These problems require converting between bearings and cardinal/intercardinal directions, calculating new bearings after turns, and solving navigation problems. This is the standard system used in navigation and surveying.

10Worksheets
200+Practice Questions
HardDifficulty
3-4 hoursHours to Master

What You'll Learn

Introduction & Overview Why This Matters How to Solve Pro Tips & Tricks
Shortcut Methods Common Mistakes Practice Worksheets Exam Importance

Introduction to Compass Bearing

Compass Bearing problems use bearings measured in degrees clockwise from North (0° to 360°). These problems require converting between bearings and cardinal/intercardinal directions, calculating new bearings after turns, and solving navigation problems. This is the standard system used in navigation and surveying.

Prerequisites

Degrees in a circle (0° to 360°) Clockwise measurement from North Cardinal directions in degrees: N=0°, E=90°, S=180°, W=270° Intercardinal directions: NE=45°, SE=135°, SW=225°, NW=315° Basic trigonometry for advanced bearings
Why This Matters: Compass Bearing problems appear in 1-2 questions in advanced exams like CAT and Banking mains. They test precise angular measurement and navigation concepts.

How to Solve Compass Bearing Problems

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Step 1: Identify the given bearing in degrees (0° to 360°)

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Step 2: For direction to bearing: map direction to degrees (N=0°, E=90°, S=180°, W=270°, NE=45°, etc.)

3

Step 3: For bearing to direction: find which 45° sector the bearing falls into

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Step 4: For turns: new bearing = (old bearing ± turn angle) mod 360

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Step 5: For opposite bearing: new bearing = (old bearing + 180°) mod 360

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Step 6: Round to nearest degree as required

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Step 7: Express bearing as a three-figure number (e.g., 005°, 090°, 180°)

Pro Strategy: Memorize the bearing-to-direction mapping: 0°/360°=N, 45°=NE, 90°=E, 135°=SE, 180°=S, 225°=SW, 270°=W, 315°=NW. For bearings between these, use 'X by Y' notation or nearest cardinal direction.

Example Problem

Example: Convert the bearing 135° to a cardinal/intercardinal direction. Solution: Step 1: Bearing = 135° Step 2: 0°=N, 45°=NE, 90°=E, 135°=SE, 180°=S Step 3: 135° falls exactly on SE (Southeast) Answer: Southeast

Pro Tips & Tricks

  • N = 0° or 360°, E = 90°, S = 180°, W = 270°
  • NE = 45°, SE = 135°, SW = 225°, NW = 315°
  • To find opposite bearing: add 180° (if result >360, subtract 360)
  • To find bearing after right turn: add 90°
  • To find bearing after left turn: subtract 90°
  • Bearings are always written with three digits (e.g., 005°, 090°, 180°)

Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster

Direction to bearing: N=0°, E=90°, S=180°, W=270°
Intercardinal: NE=45°, SE=135°, SW=225°, NW=315°
Bearing to direction: divide by 45, round to nearest integer, map to 8 points
Opposite bearing = (bearing + 180) % 360
Right turn = bearing + 90 (mod 360), Left turn = bearing - 90 (mod 360)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Measuring bearings counterclockwise instead of clockwise
Using 0° for East (should be North)
Forgetting to use three-digit format (e.g., writing 5° instead of 005°)
Miscalculating opposite bearing when result exceeds 360
Confusing bearing with direction angle in trigonometry (which is from East)

Exam Importance

Compass Bearing is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:

SSC CGL
0-1 questions
BANKING PO
1-2 questions
RAILWAYS RRB
0-1 questions
CAT
1-2 questions
INSURANCE
1-2 questions

Ready to Master Compass Bearing?

Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes:

20 practice questions
Detailed solutions
Step-by-step explanations
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