Seating Arrangements & Floor Puzzles

Syllabus Unit: Reasoning Ability

Why it matters

Chapter overview

Seating Arrangements and Puzzles are the single highest-weightage segment of SBI PO Reasoning — typically 15-20 marks across 2-3 puzzle sets — because they test sustained logical deduction rather than any one formula. This topic covers linear rows, circular/polygonal arrangements, floor-and-box puzzles, and double-row arrangements, all solved with the same core technique: fix the most definite clue first, then deduce outward.

Preliminary Examination Syllabus Reasoning Ability 35% weightage

Live Animation1 / 4

Fix the most absolute clue first

Place relative-position clues around it

Resolve any facing-direction flips

Verify every clue against the final row

1Linear Arrangement

A single row of fixed seats — the entire puzzle collapses once you pin down one definite position and count outward from it.

Learning Objectives

Distinguish absolute position clues ('sits 3rd from the left') from relative clues ('sits immediately to the right of X').
Handle 'facing north/south' flips correctly when the row's direction affects the meaning of left/right.
Resolve 'as many people between A and B as between B and C' style relative-count clues.
Use a rough grid to test multiple valid arrangements when the clues admit more than one case, eliminating with later clues.

Key Terms

Absolute PositionA clue that fixes an exact seat directly, e.g. '4th from the left end' — the strongest type of clue and the best starting point.

Relative PositionA clue that fixes a position only with respect to another person, e.g. 'immediately to the right of D', usable only after the reference person is placed.

Facing Direction FlipWhen people face south instead of the default north, their personal left/right reverses relative to a standard north-facing reading of the row.

Case EliminationTesting each possible arrangement admitted by the clues against every remaining clue until only one arrangement survives.

Every linear arrangement puzzle is solved the same way: find the one clue that fixes an exact seat, place it, and let every other clue radiate outward from that anchor. Puzzles that seem to have no anchor usually have one hiding in a combined clue.

Two types of clues

Absolute — fixes an exact seat number directly ('3rd from the left', 'at the right end'). Always place these first.
Relative — fixes a seat only in relation to another person ('immediately left of D', 'exactly 2 seats from Q'). Usable only once the reference person has a seat.

Facing direction changes left and right

By default, a row facing north has its left end at the observer's left (west) and right end at the observer's right (east). If a person is stated to face south instead, THEIR personal left and right are reversed compared to the row's standard reading — a frequent source of error when a puzzle mixes facing directions.

Common MistakeTrap: 'immediately to X's right' means to X's own right hand, not the reader's right on the page — when X faces south, X's right points toward what looks like the left side of a north-facing diagram.

Building the row

Draw n blank numbered slots (1 to n) on your rough sheet before reading any clue in detail.
Place every absolute-position clue first.
Use relative clues to fill in neighbours of already-placed people.
If more than one arrangement remains valid, hold both and eliminate using the next unused clue.

Exam TipNumber the blank slots left to right (1 to n) before starting — solving directly from the sentences without a drawn grid is the biggest source of off-by-one errors.