Every puzzle has conditions that must be satisfied. Read all conditions first. Look for direct clues (like 'A meets on Monday') and indirect clues (like 'B meets two days after C'). Use elimination method to narrow down possibilities
→Three Main Types
1) Day-wise scheduling (7 days of week), 2) Month-wise scheduling (12 months), 3) Date-wise scheduling (1-31 dates). Each type follows similar solving patterns but has different reference points
🔑Formula for Gap Calculation
If X meets 'n' days after Y, and Y is on day 'd', then X is on day 'd+n'. For circular arrangements (like days of week), use modulo 7. If result exceeds 7, subtract 7.
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Exam Patterns
What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
⚡Powerful Shortcut
Create a possibility chart. List all people vertically and all days/months horizontally. Mark 'YES' for confirmed positions and 'NO' for impossible ones. This visual method prevents confusion and speeds up solving
✏️Worked Example 1
Six friends A, B, C, D, E, F meet on different days of the week starting Monday
→Conditions
1
Place direct clues. B = Wednesday, E = Sunday (last day).
2
F meets immediately before B, so F = Tuesday.
3
From condition 1, if C = Monday, then A = Wednesday. But B is already on Wednesday. So C cannot be Monday.
4
If C = Thursday, then A = Saturday
🔑Check condition 3
D must be between C and A, so D = Friday. This works!
Step 5: Remaining person goes to remaining day. So the arrangement is: Monday = (remaining), Tuesday = F, Wednesday = B, Thursday = C, Friday = D, Saturday = A, Sunday = E
✏️Worked Example 2
1
P = April (given).
2
Since S meets immediately after R, and S meets in a 30-day month, possible months for S are April, June, September, November.
3
S cannot be April (P is there). If S = June, then R = May
🔑Check
Q meets two months before R means Q = March. This works!
Step 4: Final arrangement: Q = March, P = April, R = May, S = June.
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Shortcuts
Use these to save 30–60 seconds per question
⚠️Most Common Mistake
Students confuse 'after' and 'before'. If A meets 2 days after B, it means A's day comes later than B's day. Many students reverse this relationship. Always draw a timeline to avoid confusion.
Another frequent error is miscounting gaps. 'Two days after Monday' means Wednesday, not Tuesday
→Count carefully
Monday (start) → Tuesday (1 day after) → Wednesday (2 days after).
🔑 Key Points
Read all conditions first before attempting to place anyone
Use elimination method - mark impossible positions with 'NO'
Formula: If X is 'n' days after Y on day 'd', then X is on day 'd+n'
Create possibility charts with people vs days/months grid
Direct clues (A meets Monday) are easier than indirect clues (A meets after B)
For circular weeks, use modulo 7 for date calculations
Months with 30 days: April, June, September, November
Count gaps carefully - 'two days after Monday' means Wednesday
Use assume-and-check method when multiple possibilities exist
Always verify final arrangement satisfies all given conditions
📌 Exam Facts
Months with 31 days: January, March, May, July, August, October, December
Months with 30 days: April, June, September, November
February has 28 days in normal year, 29 days in leap year
Days of week cycle: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
First quarter months: January, February, March
Second quarter months: April, May, June
SSC CGL typically includes 2-3 scheduling puzzle questions per paper
Most common puzzle size involves 6-8 people and 6-8 time slots
🚀 60-Second Revision
Remember: Read all conditions before solving, mark direct clues first
Formula: Gap counting - 'n days after day d' means day 'd+n'
Trap: Don't confuse 'after' and 'before' relationships
Method: Use possibility chart with YES/NO marking system
Shortcut: Months with 30 days are April, June, September, November
Verify: Always check final answer satisfies all given conditions
Count carefully: 'Two days after Monday' is Wednesday, not Tuesday
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Test yourself under real exam conditions
A timed Agniveer Army mock shows exactly how Scheduling / Day-Month Puzzle questions appear in the actual paper — and where you lose marks.