Linear Seating Arrangement Questions and Answers

Answer: C

The person second to the right of S is P.

Placing the seven gives the line, from left to right, W T S Q P V R. Put T in place p; then W is p − 1, Q is p + 2 and V is p + 4. V cannot be at an end, so p + 4 is at most 6, and W needs p of at least 2, so p = 2: W 1, T 2, Q 4, V 6. R is not next to Q, so R is not in 3 or 5 and takes 7. S is not next to V, so S is not in 5 or 7 and takes 3. P takes 5.

S is in place 3, so second to its right is place 5, which is P. V is in place 6, Q is in place 4 and W is in place 1, so they are not second to the right of S.

Answer: C

The person exactly between T and Q is S.

Placing the seven gives the line, from left to right, W T S Q P V R. Put T in place p; then W is p − 1, Q is p + 2 and V is p + 4. V cannot be at an end, so p + 4 is at most 6, and W needs p of at least 2, so p = 2: W 1, T 2, Q 4, V 6. R is not next to Q, so R is not in 3 or 5 and takes 7. S is not next to V, so S is not in 5 or 7 and takes 3. P takes 5.

T is in place 2 and Q is in place 4, so the one between them is in place 3, which is S. W, R and P are not in place 3.

Answer: C

The person with as many people on the right as on the left is Q.

Placing the seven gives the line, from left to right, W T S Q P V R. Put T in place p; then W is p − 1, Q is p + 2 and V is p + 4. V cannot be at an end, so p + 4 is at most 6, and W needs p of at least 2, so p = 2: W 1, T 2, Q 4, V 6. R is not next to Q, so R is not in 3 or 5 and takes 7. S is not next to V, so S is not in 5 or 7 and takes 3. P takes 5.

In a line of seven, the middle person (place 4) has three on each side. Place 4 is Q. S has two on the left and four on the right, P has four and two, and R is at the end.

Answer: C

The person third to the left of V is S.

Placing the seven gives the line, from left to right, W T S Q P V R. Put T in place p; then W is p − 1, Q is p + 2 and V is p + 4. V cannot be at an end, so p + 4 is at most 6, and W needs p of at least 2, so p = 2: W 1, T 2, Q 4, V 6. R is not next to Q, so R is not in 3 or 5 and takes 7. S is not next to V, so S is not in 5 or 7 and takes 3. P takes 5.

V is in place 6, so third to its left is place 3, which is S. R, Q and P are in places 7, 4 and 5.

Answer: C

Correct answer: G and B

All seven face north, so right means east. E sits four places to G’s right with F immediately beyond, and the person three places to D’s left is at an end - which puts D fourth. C must lie between B and D, and only one filling satisfies all of it. From left to right the row reads G, B, C, D, E, F, A.

C stands third, so the only people to his left are G and B.

Answer: A

Correct answer: E is to the immediate left of D

All seven face north, so right means east. E sits four places to G’s right with F immediately beyond, and the person three places to D’s left is at an end - which puts D fourth. C must lie between B and D, and only one filling satisfies all of it. From left to right the row reads G, B, C, D, E, F, A.

E stands to D’s right, not his left, so that statement is not true. The others hold: A is at the right-hand end, G is immediately left of B, and F is second to D’s right.

Answer: B

Correct answer: C and G

All seven face north, so right means east. E sits four places to G’s right with F immediately beyond, and the person three places to D’s left is at an end - which puts D fourth. C must lie between B and D, and only one filling satisfies all of it. From left to right the row reads G, B, C, D, E, F, A.

B stands second, with G on one side and C on the other.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Extreme right

All seven face north, so right means east. E sits four places to G’s right with F immediately beyond, and the person three places to D’s left is at an end - which puts D fourth. C must lie between B and D, and only one filling satisfies all of it. From left to right the row reads G, B, C, D, E, F, A.

A occupies the seventh and last place in the row - the extreme right.

Answer: B

Correct answer: N

The men face south and the ladies north, so they face each other; a man’s left is east and a lady’s left is west. M is at an end with O next to her right, so M and O take the two westernmost places in the ladies’ row. E faces O, P lies west of Q, and B lies east of D and faces Q - which fixes B and D. C and N are at opposite corners, as are A and M. Reading both rows from west to east: men C, E, D, B, A and ladies M, O, P, Q, N, each man directly facing the lady above him in that list.

O faces north, so her right is east. Three places that way - P, Q, then N - brings us to the far end of the ladies’ row.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Q

The men face south and the ladies north, so they face each other; a man’s left is east and a lady’s left is west. M is at an end with O next to her right, so M and O take the two westernmost places in the ladies’ row. E faces O, P lies west of Q, and B lies east of D and faces Q - which fixes B and D. C and N are at opposite corners, as are A and M. Reading both rows from west to east: men C, E, D, B, A and ladies M, O, P, Q, N, each man directly facing the lady above him in that list.

After the three moves, B stands where E did, E where Q did and Q where B did. The person facing O is then B; and B, being a man, has his left to the east, where two places along sits Q in her new seat.