Linear Arrangements

LINEAR ARRANGEMENTS

Basic Ideas

If they are facing North,

1. B,C,D, E are right of A but only B is immediate right of A.

2. D,C,B,A are left of E but only D is the immediate left of E.

3. A is the immediate left of B while E is the immediate right of D.

If they are facing South,

1. B,C,D, E are left of A but only B is immediate left of A.

2. D,C,B,A are right of E but only D is the immediate right of E.

3. A is the immediate right of B while E is the immediate left of D.

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Questions
Directions for Questions 1 to 5: Read the given information carefully and answer the questions
that follow.
Eleven friends M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W are sitting in the first row of the stadium
watching a cricket match.
i. T is to the immediate left of P and third to the right of U.
ii. V is the immediate neighbour of M and N and third to the left of S.
iii. M is the second to the right of Q, who is at one of the ends.
iv. R is sitting next to the right of P and P is second to the right of O.

1. Who is sitting in the center of the row?

A. N B. O C. S D. U

2. Which of the following people are sitting to the right of S?

A. OTPQ B. OTPR C. UNVM D. UOTPR

3. Which of the following statements is true with respect to the above arrangement?
A. There are three persons sitting between P and S
B. W is between M and V.
C. N is sitting between V and U
D. S and O are neighbours sitting to the immediate right of T

4. Who are the immediate neighbours of T?

A. O, P B. O, R C. N, U D. V, U

5. If Q and P, O and N, M and T, and W and R interchange their positions then which of the
following pairs of friends is sitting at the ends?
A. P and Q B. Q and R C. P and W D. W and R

Directions for Questions 6 to 10: Read the given information carefully and answer the questions
that follow.
Nine persons A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I are watching a movie in a theatre sitting in a row facing
North. B is at one end of the row. H is seated adjacent to both F and G. C is to the immediate
right of D and at third place to the right of E. A is immediate left of F. F is at the third place to
the left of B.

6. Who is sitting at the centre of the row?

A. R B. A C. F D. H

7. Who is at the other end of the row?

A. A B. E C. G D. C

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8. Which of the following statements is true?

A. E is two seats away from A. B. D is at one extreme end.
C. I and G are neighbours. D. There is one person between F and C

9. What is the position of F with respect to D?

A. Second to the right B. Second to the left
C. Third to the right D. Fourth to the left

10. If all the friends are allowed to sit alphabetically from left to right then the position of how
many friends will remain unchanged?
A. One B. Two C. Three D. Position of all will change

For questions 11 to 15, read the following

Five girls are sitting on a bench to be photographed. Seema is to the left of Rani and to the right
of Bindu. Mary is to the right of Rani. Reeta is between Rani and Mary.
11. Who is sitting immediate right to Reeta?
A. Bindu B. Rani C. Mary D. Seema

12. Who is in the middle of the photograph ?

A. Bindu B. Rani C. Mary D. Seema

13. Who is second from the right ?

A. Bindu B. Rani C. Reeta D. Seema

14. Who is second from the left in photograph?

A. Bindu B. Rani C. Reeta D. Seema

15. Who is sitting at the right end?

A. Mary B. Rani C. Reeta D. Seema

In an Exhibition seven cars of different companies - Cadillac, Ambassador, Fiat, Maruti,

Mercedes, Bedford and Fargo are standing facing to east in the following order :
1. Cadillac is next to right of Fargo.
2. Fargo is fourth to the right of Fiat.
3. Maruti car is between Ambassador and Bedford.
4. Fiat which is third to the left of Ambassador, is at one end.

16. Which of the cars are on both the sides of cadillac car ?
A. Ambassador and Maruti B. Maruti and Fiat
C. Fargo and Mercedes D. Ambassador and Fargo

17. Which of the following statement is correct ?

A. Maruti is next left of Ambassador. B. Bedford is next left of Fiat.
C. Bedford is at one end. D. Fiat is next second to the right of Maruti.

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18. Which one of the following statements is correct ?

A. Fargo car is in between Ambassador and Fiat. B. Cadillac is next left to Mercedes car.
C. Fargo is next right of Cadillac. D. Maruti is fourth right of Mercedes.

19. Which of the following groups of cars is to the right of Ambassador ?

A. Cadillac, Fargo and Maruti B. Mercedes, Cadillac and Fargo
C. Maruti, Bedford and Fiat D. Bedford, Cadillac and Fargo

20. Which one of the following is the correct position of Mercedes ?

A. Next to the left of Cadillac B. Next to the left of Bedford
C. Between Bedford and Fargo D. Fourth to the right of Maruti.

Answer key
1. D 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. C 6. B 7. B 8. D 9. C 10. A

11. C 12. B 13. C 14. D 15. A 16. C 17. A 18. B 19. B 20. D

Solution
1 to 5. from iii. We have Q,_,M,_,_,_,_,_,_,_,_
from ii. Q,_,M,V,N,_,S,_,_,_,_
from i. Q,_,M,V,N,U,S,_,T,P,_
from iv. Q,_,M,V,N,U,S,O,T,P,R
Final arrangement is Q,W,M,V,N,U,S,O,T,P,R

6 to 10. It is given that B is at one end of the row. So we have the following two cases.
B __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ or __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ B
In the last line it is given that F is at the third place to the left of B, so the first arrangement will
be rejected. Now fix the position of F in the second arrangement, we get
__ __ __ __ __ F__ __ B
Given A is right next to the left of F.
__ __ __ __ A F__ __ B.
It is given that H is seated adjacent to both F and G. So H is in between F and G.
__ __ __ __ A F H G B.
Now C is at third place to the right of E.
E __ __ C A F H G B.
Now C is to the immediate right of D.
So the final arrangement is E I D C A F H G B.

11 to 15.

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16 to 20

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 Circular Arrangement

CIRCULAR ARRANGEMENTS
Questions
Directions for Questions 1 to 5: Read the following information given below and answer the
questions that follow.
P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are seven friends and are sitting in a circle facing the center of the circle.
1. V is second to the left of S and is the neighbour of T and U.
2. S is not a neighbour of R or T.
3. P is neighbour of Q and R.

1. Which of the following is correct?

A. Q is between P and S.
B. S is between U and P.
C. T is to the immediate right of V.
D. U is to the immediate left of V.

2. Which of the following has the pair with the second person sitting to the immediate right of
the first person?
A. QU B. VU C. TR D. PT

3. Which of the following will be S’s position after T and S interchange their places?
A. Neighbour of V and R B. To the immediate left of R
C. To the immediate right of U D. Neighbour of R and P

4. What is the position of R?

A. Second to the left of Q B. Third to the right of U
C. To the immediate left of P D. None of these

5. Which of the following has the second person sitting between the first and third persons?
A. SPQ B. VRT C. QRP D. VUS

Directions for Questions 6 to 10: Read the following information and answer the given
questions:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are eight friends sitting round a circle facing towards the centre.
i. H is not a neighbour of E and D and he is sitting immediate left of A.
ii. G is the neighbour of E. F is to the immediate right of B.
iii. C is sitting between E and F.

6. Which of the following statements is true?

A. E is sitting between F and B B. F is the neighbour of G
C. G is sitting between H and E D. H is sitting between A and D

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7. What is the position of D?

A. On the immediate left of B B. Second to the right of F
C. Between B and F D. On the immediate left of A

8. What is the position of G?

A. Second to the left of D B. Third of the right of F
C. On the immediate right of H D. Between E and C

9. Q9. Who are the neighbors of A?

A. H and D B. H and E C. B and C D. E and C

10. What is the position of E with respect to H?

A. Third to the left B. Second to the right
C. Second to the left D. Third to the right

Directions for Questions 11 to 15: Read the following information carefully and answer the
questions given below :
i. P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are sitting around a circular table facing the centre
ii. R is next to the left of U and V is second to the left of R.
iii. P is sitting third to the left of T.
iv. Q is between S and T.
11. Which of the following is false?
A. P is fourth to the right of T. B. U is to the immediate right of R.
C. U is third to the right of S. D. Q is to the immediate left of S.

12. Which of the following is true?

A. R is fourth to the right of T. B. P is to the immediate right of V.
C. S is second to the left of T. D. Q is second to the right of V.

13. Which of the following pairs has the first person sitting to the immediate left of the second
person?
A. QT B. RP C. VS D. SV

14. In which of the following options, the middle person is sitting between the other two?
A. URT B. TUQ C. STQ D. None of these

15. What is the position of U?

A. Fourth to the right of S B. To the immediate left of R
C. Between P and T D. To the immediate right of P

Directions for Questions 16 to 20: Read the following information carefully and answer these
questions:
i. K, L, M, N, O, P and Q are sitting in a circle facing at the centre and playing cards.
ii. O is neighbour of K and N.

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iii. Q is not between P and M.

iv. P is to the immediate right of K.
v. L is second to the left of Q.

16. Which of the following does not have the pair of persons sitting adjacent to each other?
A. LK B. ML C. NO D. QN

17. Which of the following pairs has the second person sitting immediately to the right of the
first?
A. KL B. ML C. OK D. None of these

18. What is the position of P?

A. Second to the left of M B. Second to the right of M
C. To the immediate left of K D. To the immediate right of L

19. Who are the neighbours of L?

A. K and P B. M and N C. P and M D. None of these

20. Which of the following persons are sitting adjacent to each other in clockwise order as
shown?
A. LQM B. PLM C. MNQ D. ONQ

Answer key
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. C
11. C 12. B 13. D 14. D 15. A 16. A 17. C 18. A 19. C
Solution
1 to 5

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2. U is sitting to immediate right of V.

6 to 10.
Given that H is immediate left of A.

Now F is to the immediate right of B and C is sitting between E and F. It means that B, F, C and E
are sitting together. So we have following arrangements.

Note that B cannot be third to the right of A as in that case E will become the neighbour of H
which the first condition say, cannot happen. Now it is further given that G is the neighbour of
E. So we can arrange, in both the above arrangements, G and D as

Now in the first arrangement, D is the neighbor of H. So this is not a valid arrangement. So the
final arrangement is:

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 Circular Arrangement

11 to 15

16 to 20
Let try yourself. Final arrangement will be as follows

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