Linear Seating Arrangement Questions and Answers

Answer: A

Two friends stand between S and Q. Only P is taller than R, so P is tallest and R is second tallest. Only S is shorter than T, so S is shortest and T is second shortest. Q is taller than U, and the two places left are the middle ones, so U is third and Q is fourth.

The row from shortest to tallest is S, T, U, Q, R, P. Between S (first) and Q (fourth) stand T and U, which is two people. One, zero and three do not match this order.

A quick check: from the row S, T, U, Q, R, P read from shortest to tallest, S is shortest and has T only above it among the two lowest places, and P is the only one taller than R, so every given condition holds with this single order.

Answer: C

P is at one of the extreme ends. Facing west, a person's right is north, so P stands immediately north of T. Only N is between K and T, so the order from north to south must be P, T, N, K. Only J is between L and K, so J and L follow K: P, T, N, K, J, L.

P is at the north end, so (C) is true. P is not between L and T, L is at the south extreme end, and the person at T's immediate right is P, not N.

A check on the order P, T, N, K, J, L: N is the only person between T and K, J is the only person between K and L, and P is immediately to the right of T, so every clue is met.

Answer: B

Number the seven places 1 to 7 from the left, which is the west side for people facing north. C is immediately left of E, so C and E are in neighbouring places; G is a neighbour of E and A, so G sits on E's other side with A beyond it, and F is third to the right of E. That gives C, E, G, A, F in a row. D must have four people between itself and E, so D is at the far right end and the remaining boy B sits between F and D. The row is C, E, G, A, F, B, D. The boys between C and D are E, G, A, F and B, which makes 5. The answer is 5, option (B); 2, 4 and 3 count too few of them.

Answer: C

There are 6 arrangements.

Four people can sit in 4! = 24 ways. Treat P and R as a block to count the arrangements where they are adjacent: 3! × 2 = 12. So 24 - 12 = 12 arrangements keep P and R apart.

In any arrangement, S is either to the right of Q or to the left, and swapping S and Q turns one case into the other without affecting whether P and R are adjacent. So exactly half of the 12 have S to the right of Q, giving 6.

12 forgets the condition on S and Q, and 8 is not a possible count. 2 is the count if S must sit immediately to the right of Q, which the question does not require.

Answer: B

The line, from left to right, is W T S Q P V R.

T is fourth to the left of V, W is just left of T, and Q is third to the right of W. Put T in place p: then W is p − 1, Q is p + 2 and V is p + 4. W needs p of at least 2, and V must not be at the end, so p + 4 is at most 6. Only p = 2 works: W 1, T 2, Q 4, V 6.

Places 3, 5 and 7 remain for P, R and S. R is not next to Q, so R is not in 3 or 5 and must be 7. S is not next to V, so S is not 5 or 7 and must be 3. That leaves P in 5.

The extreme ends are therefore W and R (WR). P and S sit in the middle of the line, at places 5 and 3, so WP, PS and SR all name at least one person who is not at an end.

Answer: D

The Board keyed Data insufficient, which follows if 'between' is read as anywhere between Father and Wife.

Four members are to the left of the Son, so the Son is 5th. Three are to the right of the Mother, so the Mother is 3rd. The Son sits between Father and Wife, so one of them is 6th (the only seat right of the Son) and the other is in 1, 2 or 4. The Grand daughter is not in between any of the members, so she is at an end; 6th is taken, so she is 1st.

Seats 1 to 6: Grand daughter, ?, Mother, ?, Son, ?

Father or Wife is 6th, and the other of the two shares seats 2 and 4 with the Grand son. Both orders fit the statements, so the Grand son can be 2nd or 4th. Only if 'between' meant immediately beside the Son would seat 4 go to Father or Wife and the Grand son be 2nd, an extra condition the question does not state.

Answer: D

B is second from left.

Number the seats 1 to 5 from the left. E is at the left end, seat 1 (IV), and C is second from the right, seat 4 (V). D sits next to C but not next to E, so D is in seat 3 or 5, and A sits next to C (VII), so A is in the other of seats 3 and 5.

A must also sit next to B and to the right of B (I, VI). If A were in seat 5, B would have to be in seat 4, which C holds, so A is in seat 3, D in seat 5, and B in seat 2.

The arrangement is E, B, A, C, D, so B is second from the left. The extreme left is E, the extreme right is D, and second from the right is C.

Answer: B

The seat next to D is occupied by A.

C is next to neither A nor D, so C's only possible neighbour is B, and C must sit at one end with B beside it: C, B, _, _. A must be next to B, giving C, B, A, D.

D is at the other end, with A as the only neighbour. B sits next to C and A, not D, so 'B' and 'B and A' are wrong, and the arrangement is fully determined.

The arrangement could also be written D, A, B, C from the other end; it is the same seating, so D's only neighbour is still A.

Answer: C

R and T sit between P and E.

Number the five seats 1 to 5 from left to right. P is on the extreme left (seat 1), and E is second from the extreme right (seat 4).

T sits next to E, so T is in seat 3 or 5. T also sits next to R; if T were in seat 5, R would have to be in seat 4, which is E's. So T is in seat 3, R is in seat 2, and S takes seat 5:

P, R, T, E, S

The people between P and E are R and T. S is at the right end, so the options with S are wrong.

Answer: A

Monika is in the middle (position 3) and Rosy is adjacent to her, so Rosy is at position 2 or 4. Rosy is not adjacent to Sivanandhini or Abi, so Rosy's other neighbour, at the end of the row, must be Anuradha.

So Anuradha sits next to Rosy, option A. Sivanandhini cannot be Anuradha's neighbour, and Monika is in the middle, not next to the end seat.

The arrangement is therefore Anuradha, Rosy, Monika in one corner of the row, with Sivanandhini and Abi in the other seats on the far side of Monika.