Circular Seating Arrangement Questions and Answers

Answer: C

Correct answer: F

Four face outward and four face the centre, so “left” and “right” must be read from each person’s own seat: facing the centre, the left is clockwise; facing outward, the left is anticlockwise.

E faces outward, so H two seats to E’s right and B three to E’s left are placed at once - and B can only be three seats to H’s right if H too faces outward. D faces the centre with both neighbours facing outward, which rules out every seat but one, and F must then sit beside D. Of the seats left, C and G must be neighbours, which forces A into the seat beside E, with G two to A’s left and C beyond.

Clockwise the circle reads E → A → H → G → C → B → F → D, with E, H and F facing outward and A and D facing the centre.

A faces the centre, so her right is anticlockwise. Three seats that way gives E, D and then F.

Answer: C

Correct answer: GC

Four face outward and four face the centre, so “left” and “right” must be read from each person’s own seat: facing the centre, the left is clockwise; facing outward, the left is anticlockwise.

E faces outward, so H two seats to E’s right and B three to E’s left are placed at once - and B can only be three seats to H’s right if H too faces outward. D faces the centre with both neighbours facing outward, which rules out every seat but one, and F must then sit beside D. Of the seats left, C and G must be neighbours, which forces A into the seat beside E, with G two to A’s left and C beyond.

Clockwise the circle reads E → A → H → G → C → B → F → D, with E, H and F facing outward and A and D facing the centre.

In HA, FH, DA and AE at least one of the two named sits immediately beside E or beside D - the two friends whose own facing the clues fix, and around whom the whole arrangement is built. Neither G nor C does: they sit together in the opposite arc, next to H and B. So GC is the pair that does not belong.

Answer: B

Correct answer: F

Four face outward and four face the centre, so “left” and “right” must be read from each person’s own seat: facing the centre, the left is clockwise; facing outward, the left is anticlockwise.

E faces outward, so H two seats to E’s right and B three to E’s left are placed at once - and B can only be three seats to H’s right if H too faces outward. D faces the centre with both neighbours facing outward, which rules out every seat but one, and F must then sit beside D. Of the seats left, C and G must be neighbours, which forces A into the seat beside E, with G two to A’s left and C beyond.

Clockwise the circle reads E → A → H → G → C → B → F → D, with E, H and F facing outward and A and D facing the centre.

Keeping A in her seat and running the alphabet clockwise puts B, C, D, E, F, G, H in the seats after her. Comparing with the original circle, only F lands where he already sits - five seats clockwise of A in both arrangements.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Two

Four face outward and four face the centre, so “left” and “right” must be read from each person’s own seat: facing the centre, the left is clockwise; facing outward, the left is anticlockwise.

E faces outward, so H two seats to E’s right and B three to E’s left are placed at once - and B can only be three seats to H’s right if H too faces outward. D faces the centre with both neighbours facing outward, which rules out every seat but one, and F must then sit beside D. Of the seats left, C and G must be neighbours, which forces A into the seat beside E, with G two to A’s left and C beyond.

Clockwise the circle reads E → A → H → G → C → B → F → D, with E, H and F facing outward and A and D facing the centre.

Going clockwise from A we pass H and G before reaching C, so two people sit between them that way round.

Answer: B

Correct answer: B

Four face outward and four face the centre, so “left” and “right” must be read from each person’s own seat: facing the centre, the left is clockwise; facing outward, the left is anticlockwise.

E faces outward, so H two seats to E’s right and B three to E’s left are placed at once - and B can only be three seats to H’s right if H too faces outward. D faces the centre with both neighbours facing outward, which rules out every seat but one, and F must then sit beside D. Of the seats left, C and G must be neighbours, which forces A into the seat beside E, with G two to A’s left and C beyond.

Clockwise the circle reads E → A → H → G → C → B → F → D, with E, H and F facing outward and A and D facing the centre.

F and C have exactly one seat between them, and B occupies it - so B sits between the two and is a neighbour of each.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Second to the right

All eight face the centre, so each person’s left is the next seat clockwise and their right the next seat anticlockwise.

The family sorts itself out first. A is the father of G and F, and H is his wife - so H’s husband is A. D is H’s brother, B is H’s mother, E is D’s daughter, and C is G’s child. Then B sits two to A’s left, D immediately to B’s left, and since B may have no female beside her, the remaining male, C, takes the seat on her other side. F is two seats from A, E two to F’s right, and of the last two seats G must take the one away from E.

Clockwise the circle reads A → C → B → D → E → H → F → G, with A, C and D the three men.

A’s mother-in-law is B, the mother of his wife H. Counting two seats to B’s right - anticlockwise - gives C and then A, so A sits second to her right.

Answer: C

Correct answer: E

All eight face the centre, so each person’s left is the next seat clockwise and their right the next seat anticlockwise.

The family sorts itself out first. A is the father of G and F, and H is his wife - so H’s husband is A. D is H’s brother, B is H’s mother, E is D’s daughter, and C is G’s child. Then B sits two to A’s left, D immediately to B’s left, and since B may have no female beside her, the remaining male, C, takes the seat on her other side. F is two seats from A, E two to F’s right, and of the last two seats G must take the one away from E.

Clockwise the circle reads A → C → B → D → E → H → F → G, with A, C and D the three men.

D is H’s brother, and the person described as D’s daughter sits two seats to F’s right - the seat occupied by E. G and F are A’s daughters and C is G’s child, so none of them can be D’s.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Immediate right

All eight face the centre, so each person’s left is the next seat clockwise and their right the next seat anticlockwise.

The family sorts itself out first. A is the father of G and F, and H is his wife - so H’s husband is A. D is H’s brother, B is H’s mother, E is D’s daughter, and C is G’s child. Then B sits two to A’s left, D immediately to B’s left, and since B may have no female beside her, the remaining male, C, takes the seat on her other side. F is two seats from A, E two to F’s right, and of the last two seats G must take the one away from E.

Clockwise the circle reads A → C → B → D → E → H → F → G, with A, C and D the three men.

A’s grandchild is C, the child of his daughter G. A sits in the next seat anticlockwise from C - that is, on C’s immediate right.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Three

All eight face the centre, so each person’s left is the next seat clockwise and their right the next seat anticlockwise.

The family sorts itself out first. A is the father of G and F, and H is his wife - so H’s husband is A. D is H’s brother, B is H’s mother, E is D’s daughter, and C is G’s child. Then B sits two to A’s left, D immediately to B’s left, and since B may have no female beside her, the remaining male, C, takes the seat on her other side. F is two seats from A, E two to F’s right, and of the last two seats G must take the one away from E.

Clockwise the circle reads A → C → B → D → E → H → F → G, with A, C and D the three men.

G’s uncle is D, the brother of her mother H. G and D sit directly opposite each other, so three people lie between them whichever way round you count - A, C and B one way; F, H and E the other.

Answer: B

Correct answer: C

All eight face the centre, so each person’s left is the next seat clockwise and their right the next seat anticlockwise.

The family sorts itself out first. A is the father of G and F, and H is his wife - so H’s husband is A. D is H’s brother, B is H’s mother, E is D’s daughter, and C is G’s child. Then B sits two to A’s left, D immediately to B’s left, and since B may have no female beside her, the remaining male, C, takes the seat on her other side. F is two seats from A, E two to F’s right, and of the last two seats G must take the one away from E.

Clockwise the circle reads A → C → B → D → E → H → F → G, with A, C and D the three men.

F, E, H and G are all female. C, G’s child, is male - which is how he comes to sit beside B, whose neighbours may include no woman - so he is the odd one out.