In this guide
Seating arrangements are puzzles with one extra difficulty: every clue about "left" and "right" depends on which way the people face. Candidates who solve box puzzles comfortably still lose seating sets because they place one person on the wrong side and never notice. The fix is a fixed convention that you apply the same way every time, on paper, not in your head.
Direction rules
| Arrangement | Your right is | Your left is |
|---|---|---|
| Row facing north (away from you on paper) | Towards the right end of the page | Towards the left end |
| Row facing south (towards you) | Towards the left end of the page | Towards the right end |
| Circle facing the centre | Anticlockwise | Clockwise |
| Circle facing outward | Clockwise | Anticlockwise |
Why the circle rule works: picture someone at the bottom of a circle, facing the centre. They face up the page, so their left is the left of the page. Moving clockwise from the bottom of a circle also goes to the left. So for people facing the centre, left means clockwise.
How to set up on paper:
- For a row, number seats 1 to n from the left end of the page and write the facing direction above the row.
- For a circle, draw it, mark seats, and write "L = clockwise" beside it before placing anyone.
- In a circle, place the first definite person anywhere. Only relative positions matter.
Phrases that decide the answer
| Phrase | Meaning in seats |
|---|---|
| "A sits second to the right of B" | Two seats from B, on B's right |
| "Only three people sit between A and B" | Their seats are four apart |
| "A sits at an extreme end" | Seat 1 or seat n |
| "A sits opposite B" (circle of n) | n/2 seats apart |
| "A is an immediate neighbour of B" | Adjacent seats |
| "A sits third to the left of B" (circle of 6) | Same as third to the right: directly opposite |
Worked example 1: a row facing north
Seven people, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V, sit in a row facing north.
- T sits second from the left end.
- Only three people sit between T and V.
- R sits immediately to the right of V.
- Q sits at one of the extreme ends.
- U sits exactly in the middle of the row.
- P is not an immediate neighbour of V.
Solving (seats 1 to 7 from the left; facing north, right is towards seat 7):
- Clue 1: T at 2.
- Clue 2: V is four seats from T, so 6 (seat −2 does not exist). V at 6.
- Clue 3: R at 7.
- Clue 4: seat 7 is taken, so Q at 1.
- Clue 5: U at 4.
- P and S take 3 and 5. Seat 5 is next to V, so clue 6 gives P at 3, S at 5.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q | T | P | U | S | V | R |
Q1. Who sits between U and V? S.
Q2. Who sits third to the right of T? Count seats 3, 4, 5: S.
Q3. How many people sit to the left of U? Three: Q, T and P.
Worked example 2: a circle facing the centre
Six people, A, B, C, D, E and F, sit around a circular table facing the centre.
- B sits opposite A.
- C sits second to the right of B.
- D is an immediate neighbour of A.
- E does not sit next to D.
Solving. Number the seats 0 to 5 clockwise and put A at 0. Facing the centre, left is clockwise (+) and right is anticlockwise (−).
- Clue 1: opposite in a circle of six is three seats away. B at 3.
- Clue 2: two seats to B's right is 3 − 2. C at 1.
- Clue 3: D is at 1 or 5. Seat 1 is C, so D at 5.
- Seats 2 and 4 remain for E and F. Seat 4 is next to D, so clue 4 gives E at 2, F at 4.
Going clockwise from A: A, C, E, B, F, D.
Q4. Who sits immediately to the left of B? Left is clockwise, seat 4: F.
Q5. Who sits opposite E? Seat 2 + 3 = 5: D.
Practice set
Eight people, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W, sit around a circular table facing the centre.
- V sits opposite P.
- Q sits immediately to the left of V.
- S sits second to the left of Q.
- U is an immediate neighbour of both Q and S.
- R sits third to the left of P.
- T is an immediate neighbour of P.
Questions
- Who sits opposite T?
- Who sits immediately to the right of R?
- How many people sit between P and V, counting clockwise from P?
- Who sits second to the right of U?
- Who sits opposite W?
- What is the position of S with respect to T?
- Who are the immediate neighbours of R?
Solution
Put P at seat 0 and number clockwise to 7. Left is clockwise (+).
- Clue 1: V at 4.
- Clue 2: immediately left of V is 4 + 1. Q at 5.
- Clue 3: second to the left of Q is 5 + 2. S at 7.
- Clue 4: the only seat next to both Q (5) and S (7) is 6. U at 6.
- Clue 5: 0 + 3. R at 3.
- Clue 6: T is at 1 or 7. Seat 7 is S, so T at 1, and W takes 2.
Clockwise from P: P, T, W, R, V, Q, U, S.
Answers
- Q. T is at 1; 1 + 4 = 5.
- W. Right is anticlockwise, so R's right is seat 2.
- Three: T, W and R.
- V. 6 − 2 = 4.
- U. W is at 2; 2 + 4 = 6.
- Second to the right of T. T is at 1; 1 − 2 wraps round to 7, which is S.
- W and V, at seats 2 and 4.
What to do next
- For one week, write the facing direction and "L = clockwise" (or its opposite) before every seating set.
- Practise rows where some people face north and some face south; apply the rule person by person.
- Build speed on box and floor puzzles, then take on order and ranking, which uses the same counting.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Life Insurance Corporation of India website .
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