Solve this Direction Test question: A person starts from point O, walks 7 m North, then 7 m East, then 12 m South, and finally 7 m West. In which direction and at what shortest distance is the person from O?

The verified answer to “Solve this Direction Test question: A person starts from point O, walks 7 m North, then 7 m East, then 12 m South, and finally 7 m West. The question-specific working supplied with the item states: Use coordinates with O = (0, 0), East as positive x and North as positive y. Horizontal calculation: the person moves 7 m East and 7 m West, so net x = 7 - 7 = 0 m. Vertical calculation: the person moves 7 m North and 12 m South, so net y = 7 - 12 = -5 m. The signs of (0, -5) place the final point in the South direction. The shortest distance is straight-line displacement: √((0)² + (-5)²) = √(0 + 25) = √25 = 5 m. Therefore option D, South, 5 m, is correct. The opposite-direction option is wrong because it reverses the verified coordinate signs. The option giving 7 m is wrong because it does not use the Pythagorean shortest distance. The South-West option is wrong because both non-zero coordinate components, or the exact zero component, determine South, not a neighbouring compass direction. This working identifies the relevant direction-distance map and connects the given information to the required result. After applying the verified rule, the required value or position is South, 5 m. The alternatives North, 5 m, South, 7 m and South-West, 5 m fail because each breaks at least one stated condition, transition, direction or arithmetic step.