UPSC Prelims 2026 · CSAT
Question 56: Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability
A person facing the East travels 4 km straight and then turns right and travels 3 km, then further turns left and travels 2 km and finally turns left and travels 3 km. The minimum distance between the final point and the initial point, and the direction in which the person is facing at the final point are, respectively
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
Take East as +x and North as +y. Facing East, walk 4 km: (4, 0). Turning right means facing South: 3 km gives (4, −3). Turning left from South means facing East: 2 km gives (6, −3). Turning left from East means facing North: 3 km gives (6, 0). The final point is 6 km from the start, on the starting line, and the person faces North.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: 12 km is the total walked, not the straight distance, and the direction is North.
- (b) Wrong: the distance 6 km is right, but the person faces North, not East.
- (c) Wrong: the straight distance is 6 km, not 8.
- (d) Right: final point (6, 0), facing North.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.