Mental Reasoning 8 -Seating Arrangement : Questions and Step-by-Step Solutions for Competitive Exams SSC, BSSC, Bank, Railways

Mental Reasoning 8 –Seating Arrangement : Questions and Step-by-Step Solutions for Competitive Exams SSC, BSSC, Bank, Railways

Let’s go in-depth into Seating Arrangement reasoning, one of the high-scoring and frequently appearing sections in exams like SSC, Banking, Railways, BPSC, NDA, CDS, etc.

Mental Reasoning – Seating Arrangement

1. Concept (Basic Idea)

Seating Arrangement problems are based on:

• People or objects seated in a line or circle or 2D arrangement.
• You are given conditions / constraints, e.g., who sits next to whom, left/right relationships, etc.
• Goal: Find exact position, order, or adjacency.

Hindi:
Seating arrangement में लोगों या वस्तुओं को किसी क्रम में बैठाया जाता है।
आपको नियमों के आधार पर उनके स्थान या क्रम का पता लगाना होता है।

2. How to Approach Seating Arrangement

1. Read all conditions carefully
2. Identify type of arrangement:
   1. Linear (single/double row)
   1. Circular
   1. Square / Rectangular / 2D
3. Use symbols / abbreviations for people to simplify
4. Draw a diagram / table for clarity
5. Apply constraints step by step
6. Check consistency after placing each person

Hindi:

• Diagram बनाएं
• Left/Right, Front/Back, Opposite जैसी terms ध्यान से देखें
• हर condition को एक-एक करके लागू करें

3. Common / Probable Types

Here’s the complete list of likely seating arrangement types in exams:

A. Linear Arrangement

1. Single Row
   • People sit in a straight line.
   • Directions matter (left/right).
   • Example: 5 people A, B, C, D, E sit in a line.
     • A is left of B
     • C is right of D
2. Double Row
   • Two parallel rows (facing each other or same direction).
   • Use front/back, facing, same side/opposite side constraints.

Hindi:

• Single row → केवल left/right देखना
• Double row → सामने और पीछे का ध्यान रखना

B. Circular Arrangement

• People sit around a circle.
• Terms: clockwise, anticlockwise, immediate neighbor, opposite.
• Example:
  • 8 people sit in a circle.
  • A sits opposite B
  • C is left of D

Trick: Consider clockwise direction fixed to avoid confusion.

C. Rectangular / Square Arrangement

• People sit along sides of rectangle/square.
• Positions: corners, sides, facing inside/outside.
• Often combined with linear or circular logic.

D. Complex 2D Arrangements

• Rows × Columns
• People may face north/south/east/west
• Conditions include left of, right of, in front of, behind

E. Special Variations

1. Facing each other / same direction
2. Corner and side positions
3. Equal gaps / specific distances
4. Grouping by gender, color, or other attributes

4. Key Tricks

a. Use abbreviations (A, B, C …)
b. Make a rough diagram first
c. Place definite positions first (e.g., “A sits at corner”)
d. Use process of elimination
e. For circular arrangements, fix one person at 12 o’clock
f. Always check all conditions after placing each person

Hindi:

• सबसे पहले निश्चित स्थान वाले लोग रखें
• Circular → किसी एक को fix करें
• Conditions का लगातार परीक्षण करें

5. Step-by-Step Example (Linear)

Question:
Five friends A, B, C, D, E sit in a row.

1. A is left of B
2. D is at one end
3. C is right of B

Step 1: Draw 5 positions: [_ _ _ _ _]
Step 2: Place D at left end: [D _ _ _ _]
Step 3: A is left of B → A must be before B
Step 4: C is right of B → B before C
Step 5: Only arrangement that fits: [D A B C E]

Answer: D A B C E
Hindi: स्थिति क्रम: D A B C E

6. Step-by-Step Example (Circular)

Question:
Six friends P, Q, R, S, T, U sit around a circle facing center.

1. P is opposite Q
2. R is right of S
3. T is left of U

Step 1: Draw circle, fix P at top → Q opposite
Step 2: R right of S → place S somewhere → R to its right
Step 3: T left of U → place accordingly

Answer: P-Q-S-R-U-T (clockwise)
Hindi: clockwise क्रम: P-Q-S-R-U-T

7. Common Patterns in Exams

8. Tips for Speed & Accuracy

1. Start with definite positions
2. Use symbols / diagram instead of writing names
3. Count from fixed reference point in circular arrangements
4. For multiple rows, first handle front/back row
5. Check all conditions before finalizing

Hindi:

• निश्चित स्थानों से शुरू करें
• Diagram बनाएं → जल्दी और सटीक
• Circular → fixed reference point से गिनें