Different Types of Seating Arrangement Questions

Seating arrangement Puzzles are one such topic which has the maximum number of questions linked to it and are very frequently asked in each and every exam. In this article, we will see how many different types and patterns of seating arrangement puzzles are asked in the exams and how to deal with them smartly and accurately to fetch maximum marks. 

Seating arrangements deal with the arrangement of different persons or articles in a certain pattern with a single or different variable as well. It can be of different forms generally in exams the seating arrangement asked are –

1. Circular Seating Arrangement ( With One or More Variables)

• Facing inside
• Facing outside 
• Some facing inside some outside
• Uncertain number 

2. Square/Rectangle Seating Arrangement ( With One or More Variables)

• Facing inside
• Facing outside 
• some facing inside some outside
• uncertain number 

3. Linear Seating Arrangement ( With One or More Variables)

• Facing North 
• Facing South 
• Facing both north and south 
• uncertain number 

4. Polygon Seating Arrangement( More Than Four Sides)( With One or More Variables)

• Facing inside
• Facing outside 
• some facing inside some outside
• uncertain number 

5. Floor and Flat Based ( With One or More Variables)

Above mentioned are some of the types along with the pattern of seating arrangement asked in the exam. Now let us solve some example and see how to approach different questions smartly to fetch maximum marks. 

Key points

1.  If you are able to crack any puzzle you are closer to attempting all the questions related to it.
2.  Even if you are not able to solve all the questions related to the set (mostly 5 Questions in 1 set) try to attempt at least 3-4 questions from the set.
3. Read the question properly and focus on the direction. 
4. Always try to make a spare arrangement diagram beforehand to avoid wastage of time as most of the time cases are formed. 

Points to Remember-

1. Linear arrangement : 

• If the direction is not mentioned take it as North facing and south facing and make two cases then try to conclude as per the puzzle. 
• The student’s right side is taken as the arrangement right side and the left side of the student is the left side of the arrangement when all of them are facing north and vice versa when all are facing south.

2. Circular arrangement:

• If the direction is not mentioned take it as inward facing and outward facing and make two cases then try to conclude as per the puzzle. 

Let’s solve some problems to understand the pattern better. 

Floor and Flat Based Puzzle

Direction (1-5). Seven people A, B, C, D, E, F, and G live in the seven-storey building, not necessarily in the same order The lowermost floor is numbered as 1 and the topmost is numbered as 7. G lives on an odd-numbered floor and A lives two floors above G.  Three floors are there between A and D. The floor on which C lives is immediately above F’s floor whose floor is immediately above A’s floor. No more than two floors are there between E’s and B’s floors.

Solution: G lives on an odd-numbered floor and A lives two floors above G. Means there is one floor between A and G. A and D have three floors between them.

Floor	Case 1	Case 2	Case3
7	A		D
6
5	G	A
4
3	D	G	A
2
1		D	G

The floor on which C lives is immediately above F’s floor whose floor is immediately above A’s floor. Case 1 gets eliminated.

Floor	Case 2	Case3
7	C	D
6	F
5	A	C
4		F
3	G	A
2
1	D	G

No more than two floors are there between E’s and B’s floors.

Floor	Case2	Case3
7	C	D
6	F	E/B
5	A	C
4	E/B	F
3	G	A
2	E/B	E/B
1	D	G

Hence case 3 gets eliminated 
The final arrangement will be 

Floor	Case2
7	C
6	F
5	A
4	E/B
3	G
2	E/B
1	D

Q1. If B lives on the immediate floor below A then on which floor does E live?
1. First 
2. Second 
3. Third 
4. Fourth 
5. Fifth 
Answer: 2

Q2. G lives two floors above ___ floor.
1. D
2. B
3. E
4. Cannot be determined 
5. None of these 
Answer:1

Q3. How many floors are there in between G and C?
1. Two 
2. Three 
3. One 
4. Four 
5. Five 
Answer: 2

Q4 What is the floor number of E?
1. Four 
2. Second 
3. Cannot be determined 
4. None of these
5. Third 
Answer:3

Q5 Four among the following five options follow the pattern which of the following does not belong to the group.
1. C 
2. A
3. G
4. F
5. D 
Answer: 4

Circular Arrangement Based Puzzle

Direction(1 – 5) Eight people sitting at the circular table facing towards the centre like eight different Mobile Real me, Nokia, HTC, iPhone, Micromax, Sony, Oneplus, Samsung not 
in the same order.
U likes iPhone and sitting second to the left of Micromax. V is sitting opposite Realme and second to the right of Oneplus. Three-person sit between one plus and HTC which is liked by Q. Two people are sitting between Micromax and Real me. T likes Nokia who is a neighbour of V. Two-person sits between Nokia and P who is an Immediate neighbour of S. W does not like Realme. One who is facing Micromax is Samsung.

Solution: 
U likes iPhone and sitting second to the left of Micromax. Two people are sitting between Micromax and Real me. It can either be left or right so, there will be two cases 

V is sitting opposite Realme and second to the right of Oneplus. Three-person sit between one plus and HTC which is liked by Q. One who is facing Micromax is Samsung.

T likes Nokia who is a neighbour of V. Two-person sits between Nokia and P who is an Immediate neighbour of S. This eliminated case1 

W does not like Realme. So, W will like Micromax and V will like Sony. The only left person is R who will like Realme.

Q1.Which of the following like Sony?
1. V
2. Q
3. S
4. P
5. W
Answer:1

Q2. Who is sitting exactly opposite to the one who likes iPhone?
1. T
2. Nokia 
3. Realme 
4. Both 1 and 2
5. None of these 
Answer:4

Q3. Who is sitting third to the right of S?
1. U
2. Oneplus 
3. Sony 
4. Micromax
5. HTC
Answer: 3

Q4. How many people are sitting between Oneplus and one who likes Micromax when counted from the right of Micromax?
1. Two 
2. Four 
3. Immediate right 
4. Immediate left 
5. Five 
Answer: 2

Q5. Who among the following likes HTC?
1. P
2. V
3. Q
4. R
5. W
Answer: 3

Here are Some Questions for Practice-

Directions : (1 -5) 

There are eight persons I, J, K, L, M, N, O, and P, who live on four different floors – floor 1, floor 2, floor 3, and floor 4. Each floor has two different flats viz. flat 1 and flat 2. There are 2 flats on each floor flat I – flat II in such a way that Flat I is west of Flat II. Flat 1 on the second floor is exactly above flat 1 on the first floor and flat II on the third floor is exactly above flat II on the second floor and other flats are situated in the same way.
Flat and floor numbers of O are the same. There is only one floor between O’s and N’s floor. N and K live on the same floor. M lives on a floor immediately below K’s floor and has the same flat as K. Flat of M and O are different.   
Q1. How many floors are there in between K’s and O’s floors?
1. Immediately above 
2. Immediately below
3. One 
4. Two 
5. Three 
Answer: 3
Q2. Who lives on the same floor as M?
1. O
2. J
3. N
4. L
5. P
Answer: 2
Q3. Which of the following statement is true?
1. J lives on the Topmost floor 
2. I live immediately above O
3. P lives on the same floor as K
4. L lives in Flat II on the 1st floor.
5. None of the statements is true
Answer: 4
Q4. ___ lives in Flat II floor 4 
1. K 
2. N 
3. O 
4. J 
5. L
Answer:2
Q5 Which of the following is the correct combination of people living in Flat I?
1. N, I, L, M
2. K, M, I, O
3. K, M, J, I
4. P, K, M, O
5. P, M, I, K
Answer: 5

Solution: Flat and floor numbers of O are the same. O can live on Floor 1 Flat I or Floor2 Flat II. There is only one floor between O’s and N’s floor. N and K live on the same floor.

M lives on a floor immediately below K’s floor and has some flats like K. Flat of M and O is different. So, Case1 K will be on Floor 3 flat II and Case 2 K will be on Floor 4 flat I.

The flat of P is west of the flat of L. J lives on the floor immediately above the floor on which O lives. N’s flat is North East of I’s flat. Case 1 gets eliminated.

Final arrangement