NYC Civil Service Spatial Orientation and Visualization Questions and Answers

Question 1

A city inspector starts at the corner of Avenue B and 3rd Street. She drives 2 blocks east to Avenue D, then 3 blocks south to 6th Street, and finally 1 block west to Avenue C. Where is her final location in relation to her starting point?

Accepted Answer

3 blocks South and 1 block East

Answer

The inspector's east-west movement is +2 blocks (east) and then -1 block (west), for a net change of 1 block east. Her north-south movement is 3 blocks south. Therefore, her final position is 1 block East and 3 blocks South of her starting point.

Question 2

Imagine a stack of identical crates on a loading dock built on a 3x3 grid. The front row (closest to you) has stacks that are 1 crate high. The middle row has stacks that are 2 crates high. The back row has stacks that are 3 crates high. How many total crates are in the entire stack, including those hidden from view?

Accepted Answer

18

Answer

To find the total, calculate the number of crates in each row and add them together. The front row has 3 stacks of 1 crate (3x1=3). The middle row has 3 stacks of 2 crates (3x2=6). The back row has 3 stacks of 3 crates (3x3=9). The total is 3 + 6 + 9 = 18 crates.

Question 3

On a floor plan for a municipal office, the Records Room is directly north of the main entrance. The Supervisor's Office is directly west of the Records Room. The Mail Room is directly south of the Supervisor's Office. What is the location of the Mail Room in relation to the main entrance?

Accepted Answer

Northwest

Answer

Starting from the main entrance, go north to the Records Room, then west to the Supervisor's Office, then south to the Mail Room. This places the Mail Room on the same east-west line as the Records Room but one level south. Relative to the starting point (main entrance), this position is both to the north and to the west, making it Northwest.

Question 4

A standard, triangular 'Yield' sign, which normally points downwards, is mistakenly installed pointing upwards. To correct the sign so it points down, what is the minimum clockwise rotation required?

Accepted Answer

180 degrees

Answer

A 180-degree rotation will flip an object to face the opposite direction. Since the sign is pointing directly up, rotating it 180 degrees (a half-turn) will make it point directly down. A 360-degree rotation would bring it back to its starting (incorrect) position.

Question 5

A flat piece of cardboard is cut into a shape of a cross, made of five equal squares. If the center square is the base of an open-top box and the four outer squares are folded up to form the sides, which side will be opposite the 'East' side?

Accepted Answer

West side

Answer

When you visualize folding the cross-shaped net, the center square is the bottom. The four squares attached to it fold up to become the sides. The square on the far left (West) and the square on the far right (East) will be on opposite sides of the finished box.

NYC - Civil Service Exam Practice Test

NYC - Civil Service Exam Practice Test

NYC Civil Service Spatial Orientation and Visualization Questions and Answers