Seating Arrangement
🔒 Log in to trackSeating puzzles — linear rows and circular tables — are the highest-value reasoning block in CGL, appearing as a linked set of 3-5 questions. Mastery is mechanical: pin absolute seats (ends, middle, opposite) first, chain the fixed-distance and immediate-neighbour clues as arrows, apply negative clues last, and read the answer off the finished sketch. Circular variants hinge on one convention — facing centre, left = clockwise — and flip when people face outward.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
3 exam-level questions worked step by step.
54 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.
Test difficulty mix (54 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
One row facing north
very common5 to 8 people sit in one row, all facing north.
Number the seats 1, 2, 3 ... from the left.
Start with the ends, then use the other clues.
Six people sit in a row facing north. D is at the left end. B is fourth to the right of D. E is immediately left of B. How many people sit between D and E?
D is seat 1
B is fourth to the right: seat 5
E is immediately left of B: seat 4
People between seats 1 and 4: seats 2 and 3, so 2
One row facing south
commonPeople face south, and the question asks about left or right.
When facing south, your right hand is on the west side.
Draw the row with west on the right.
Five people sit in a row facing south. V sits immediately to the right of R. Is V to the east or the west of R?
Facing south, right hand points to the west
V is to the right of R
So V is on the west of R
Circle facing the centre
very common6 to 8 people sit around a table facing the centre. Clues about opposite and neighbour.
Put one person at seat 1 and number clockwise.
Facing the centre, left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise.
Six people sit around a table facing the centre. A sits opposite D. B is second to the right of A. Is B next to D?
Seats 1 to 6 clockwise: A = 1, D = 4
Right is anticlockwise: B = seat 5 (1 → 6 → 5)
Seat 5 is next to seat 4, so Yes
Circle facing outside
commonSome or all people face outside the circle.
Mark each person's facing direction.
Facing outside, left is anticlockwise.
Five people sit in a circle facing outside. Q is immediately to the left of P. Which way from P is Q?
Facing outside, left is anticlockwise
Q is immediately left of P
Q is one seat anticlockwise from P
Two rows facing each other
very commonTwo rows of 4 to 6 people; clues say who faces whom.
Draw the two rows one above the other.
Remember that a south-facing row has left on the east side.
Row 1 faces south and row 2 faces north. P is at the left end of row 2. Whom does P face?
Facing north, left is west, so P is at the west end
P faces the west end of row 1
For row 1 (facing south), west is the right side: the right end of row 1
Several questions on one puzzle
very common3 to 5 questions share one puzzle: which is true, who is odd one out, who swapped.
Solve the whole puzzle once.
Write the final order, then answer each question from it.
Row facing north, left to right: D F A C E B. Which is true: (a) E is at an end, (b) F is immediately right of D?
E is seat 5 of 6, so it is not at an end; (a) is false
F is seat 2 and D is seat 1
Facing north, right means higher seat number, so (b) is true
People with a second detail
commonEach person also has a colour, city or drink.
Place the seats first.
Then fill a table of people against details.
Four people sit in a row. The tea drinker sits at the left end and B drinks coffee. Can B sit at the left end?
The left end seat belongs to the tea drinker
B drinks coffee, not tea
So B cannot be there: No
Position from an end
commonAsks for a position from the other end, or how many people are between two persons.
Position from the other end = total − position + 1.
People between = difference − 1.
In a row of 7, K is 3rd from the left. What is K's position from the right?
Total = 7
Position from the right = 7 − 3 + 1
= 5th