Puzzle Test Questions and Answers

Answer: D

Those earning less than M are Only D and T.

The full order of earnings is T < D < M < B < W < H: T earns the least, M earns more than D and less than B, B less than W and H, and H the most.

So D and T both earn less than M; 'Only D' or 'Only T' leaves one out, and B earns more than M.

Only the order between W and H needs the extra clue that W does not earn the maximum; the rest follows directly from the stated comparisons.

Answer: D

All six cousins have different ages, the youngest is 17 and the oldest, E, is 22, so A, B, C, D and F take the ages 17 to 21. F lies between B and D in age.

If F were 20, then one of B and D would be 21 and the other younger. B cannot be 21 because A is older than B and nobody except E (22) is older, and D cannot be 21 because C is older than D. So F is 20 is not possible, option D. The other cases (D = 20, F = 18, F = 19) can be fitted.

Answer: B

If 2 is adjacent to 3, 5 and 6, its fourth neighbour is one of 1 and 4 and the other one is opposite to 2. The face opposite 2 touches all four faces around it, so it touches 3, 5, 6 and the remaining one of 1 and 4.

Therefore 1 and 4 are always adjacent, option B. 3 and 6 are adjacent in some arrangements but not necessarily, and 2 is adjacent to only one of 1 and 4, so the other options are not forced.

A die has three pairs of opposite faces, and each face is adjacent to the four faces other than itself and its opposite, which is the rule used above.

Answer: C

The face opposite 3 is 4. From the views, 3 touches 6 and 5 (view II). Face 4 appears together with 5, 6, 1 and 2 in the views (I, III and IV), so 4 is adjacent to 5, 6, 1 and 2.

A face is opposite to the only face it never shares a corner with. 3 never appears with 4 in any view, and 4 is adjacent to all four of 1, 2, 5 and 6, so 3 must be opposite 4, option C.

Adjacent pairs seen in the views are 5-4, 5-6, 4-6 (view I), 3-6, 3-5 (view II), 2-1, 2-4, 1-4 (view III) and 4-1, 4-5, 1-5 (view IV), so 3 never meets 4 and 4 touches 1, 2, 5 and 6.

Answer: D

With G at the bottom, P is at the top.

First, K is shown next to G and S (second view) and next to P and W (third view), so the only face it can be opposite is T.

Now hold the cube as in the first view: W on top, P in front, T on the right, and therefore K on the left. G and S must be the back and bottom faces. Suppose G is at the back and S at the bottom, and roll the cube to the right so that K comes to the top: W moves to the right side and S to the left. Turn the cube half round so that G comes to the front: S, which was on the left, is now on the right. That is exactly the second view (K top, G front, S right), so the supposition is correct.

G is therefore opposite P, and when G is at the bottom, P is at the top. T is opposite K, and W is opposite S, so neither can be on top with G below.

Answer: B

The shortest is Rita.

Put the statements in order of height:

• Lilly is taller than Polly.
• Polly is taller than Geeta.
• Arun is not as tall as Geeta, but taller than Rita.

That gives Lilly > Polly > Geeta > Arun > Rita, so Rita is at the bottom. Geeta and Arun are in the middle and Polly is second tallest, so none of them can be the shortest.

Answer: B

The youngest is M.

Take M's age as m. Then S is m + 2, V is a year older than S, m + 3, and R is a year older than M, m + 1. So the order from oldest is V, S, R, M.

Every other person is older than M, so R, V and S cannot be the youngest.

V is the oldest, at three years older than M.

Answer: A

The number opposite 6 is 1.

A face can never appear next to its opposite face. In positions (i), (ii) and (iii), 6 is seen together with 3, 2, 4 and 5, so these four are all adjacent to 6.

Of the six numbers, only 1 never appears beside 6, so 1 is on the opposite face. That rules out 3, 2 and 4, which are all shown touching 6.

Answer: D

Neither (I) nor (II) is true.

The weights in order are 40, 48, 54, 58, 65 and 71 kg. F is heavier than exactly two friends, so F is the third lightest, 54 kg. A is heavier than F, C heavier than A, and D heavier than C, so A, C and D take 58, 65 and 71 kg in that order.

B is not the lightest, so B is 48 kg and E is 40 kg. Then A weighs 58 kg, not 54, so (I) is false, and F is the fourth heaviest (after D, C and A), not the third, so (II) is false.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Reena

Take the clues in turn. Shikha is left of Reena, and Manju is right of Reena, giving Shikha – Reena – Manju. Rita lies between Reena and Manju, so she goes into that gap. The full order from the left is therefore Shikha, Reena, Rita, Manju, and the second from the left is Reena. Rita is third.