This page covers IBPS RRB PO Parallel Row Puzzle with complete concept notes, 17 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
In parallel row puzzles, you arrange people in two rows based on given conditions. The key challenge is tracking who sits where and their facing directions. Most commonly, people in Row 1 face south and people in Row 2 face north, so they look at each other
Key Rules
Always establish the facing direction first. If Row 1 faces south and Row 2 faces north, then left-right positions are opposite when viewed from each person's perspective. When someone in Row 1 looks at Row 2, their left corresponds to the right side of people in Row 2. Distance relationships work normally - adjacent means next to each other, and counting positions follows the established direction.
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 3-5 questions from one parallel row puzzle. Questions focus on who sits opposite to whom, who sits at ends, counting positions from left or right, and identifying neighbors. The puzzle usually involves 6-10 people with 3-4 people in each row.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
1
Draw two horizontal lines and mark positions as 1,2,3,4 in Row 1 and 1,2,3,4 in Row
2
When Row 1 faces Row 2, position 1 of Row 1 faces position 1 of Row 2 directly. Use arrows to show facing directions. This visual method prevents confusion about left-right orientations.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Draw two rows. Row 1 faces north, Row 2 faces south (given A faces north in Row 1).
2
Step 2
D sits at left end of Row 1, so D is at position 1.
3
Step 3
A sits second from left in Row 1, so A is at position 2.
4
Step 4
B sits opposite to A, so B is at position 2 in Row 2.
5
Step 5
C sits immediate right of B. Since Row 2 faces south, C's right means position 1 in Row 2.
6
Step 6
Who sits opposite to C? C is at position 1 in Row 2, so the person opposite is at position 1 in Row 1, which is D.
Answer: D sits opposite to C.
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students confuse left-right directions when people face different directions. Always remember that when two people face each other, their left-right sides are opposite. Draw diagrams with clear direction arrows to avoid this confusion.
Another mistake is not establishing the total number of positions in each row before placing people.
Key Points to Remember
Two parallel rows with people facing each other or same direction
Row 1 typically faces south, Row 2 faces north in standard setup
Left-right positions are opposite when people face each other
Always draw diagram with direction arrows to avoid confusion
Opposite positions have same number in both rows
Adjacent means immediately next to each other in same row
Distance counting follows the established facing direction
End positions are leftmost and rightmost in each row
Exam-Specific Tips
Standard setup has Row 1 facing south and Row 2 facing north
Parallel row puzzles typically contain 6-10 people total
Each row usually has 3-5 positions maximum
Opposite positions share the same numerical position across rows
Left end means position 1, right end means last position
Immediate neighbor means adjacent position with no gap
Second from left means position 2 in the row
Third from right means third position counting from rightmost end
Practice MCQs
Parallel Row Puzzle — Practice Questions
17graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
Nine people—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I—sit in two parallel rows of 4 and 5 respectively. Row 1 (4 seats) faces North; Row 2 (5 seats) faces North. Positions are numbered 1–4 (Row 1) and 1–5 (Row 2) from left to right.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. B sits directly behind A (Row 2, Position 2).
3. C sits to the left of A in Row 1.
4. D sits to the right of A in Row 1.
5. E sits in Row 1, Position 4.
6. F sits in Row 2, Position 1.
7. G sits in Row 2, Position 5.
8. H sits in Row 2, Position 3.
9. I is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row 2, Position 4?
Practice 2easy
Six people—P, Q, R, S, T, U—sit in two parallel rows of 3 each, facing East. Row 1 is on the North side; Row 2 is on the South side. Positions are numbered 1–3 from left to right in each row.
Clues:
1. P sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. Q sits directly south of P (Row 2, Position 2).
3. R sits to the left of P in Row 1.
4. S sits to the right of Q in Row 2.
5. T sits in Row 1, Position 3.
6. U is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row 2, Position 1?
Practice 3easy
Eight people—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H—sit in two parallel rows of 4 each, facing North. Row 1 is in front; Row 2 is behind. Positions are numbered 1–4 from left to right in each row.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. B sits directly behind A (Row 2, Position 2).
3. C sits to the right of A in Row 1.
4. D sits to the left of B in Row 2.
5. E sits in Row 2, Position 4.
6. F sits directly in front of E (Row 1, Position 4).
7. G sits in Row 1, Position 1.
8. H is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row 2, Position 3?
Practice 4easy
Five people—X, Y, Z, W, V—sit in two parallel rows: Row 1 has 3 seats, Row 2 has 2 seats. Both rows face South. Positions are numbered 1–3 (Row 1) and 1–2 (Row 2) from left to right.
Clues:
1. X sits in Row 1, Position 1.
2. Y sits in Row 1, Position 3.
3. Z sits directly behind Y (Row 2, Position 2).
4. W sits in Row 2, Position 1.
5. V is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row 1, Position 2?
Practice 5easy
Six friends—Aman, Bhavna, Chirag, Diya, Eshan, and Fiona—sit in two parallel rows of three seats each. Row 1 faces Row 2. The following conditions apply:
1. Aman sits in Row 1, middle seat.
2. Bhavna sits immediately to the right of Aman (in Row 1).
3. Chirag sits in Row 2, left seat.
4. Diya sits directly opposite to Aman.
5. Eshan sits immediately to the left of Diya (in Row 2).
Who sits in the right seat of Row 2?
Practice 6easy
Seven people—M, N, O, P, Q, R, S—sit in two parallel rows: Row 1 has 4 seats, Row 2 has 3 seats. Both rows face West. Positions are numbered 1–4 (Row 1) and 1–3 (Row 2) from left to right.
Clues:
1. M sits in Row 1, Position 1.
2. N sits in Row 2, Position 2.
3. O sits directly in front of N (Row 1, Position 2).
4. P sits to the right of O in Row 1.
5. Q sits to the right of P in Row 1.
6. R sits in Row 2, Position 1.
7. S is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row 2, Position 3?
Practice 7medium
Six people—V, W, X, Y, Z, and one unnamed person—sit in two parallel rows of 3 each, all facing East. Row North is above; Row South is below. Positions in each row are numbered 1 (West) to 3 (East).
Clues:
1. V sits in Row North, Position 2.
2. W sits in Row South, Position 2.
3. X sits immediately to the right of V.
4. Y sits immediately to the left of V.
5. W is directly south of V.
6. Z sits in Row South, Position 1.
7. The unnamed person sits in Row South, Position 3.
Who sits in Row North, Position 1?
Practice 8medium
Eight people—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H—sit in two parallel rows of 4 each, facing North. Row 1 is in front; Row 2 is behind. Positions are numbered 1–4 from left to right in each row.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. B sits directly behind A (Row 2, Position 2).
3. C sits to the immediate right of A in Row 1.
4. D sits in Row 2, Position 4, and faces the same direction as everyone else.
5. E sits to the left of B in Row 2.
6. F sits in Row 1, Position 1.
7. G sits in Row 2, Position 3.
8. H is the only person not yet placed.
Who sits in Row 1, Position 4?
Practice 9medium
Six friends—P, Q, R, S, T, U—sit in two parallel rows of 3 each, all facing East. Row A is North; Row B is South. Positions in each row are numbered 1 (West) to 3 (East).
Clues:
1. P sits in Row A, Position 2.
2. Q sits in Row B, Position 1.
3. R sits immediately to the right of P.
4. S sits directly south of R.
5. T sits in Row A, Position 1.
6. U sits in Row B, Position 3.
Who sits directly north of Q?
Practice 10medium
Six friends—Aman, Bhavna, Chirag, Diya, Eshan, and Fiona—sit in two parallel rows of three seats each. Row 1 faces Row 2. The following conditions must be satisfied:
1. Aman sits in Row 1, and Diya sits in Row 2.
2. Bhavna and Eshan sit in the same row.
3. Chirag sits immediately to the left of Fiona (in the same row).
4. Diya sits in the middle seat of Row 2.
5. Aman sits to the right of Bhavna (in Row 1).
Who sits in the left seat of Row 1?
Practice 11medium
Seven people—M, N, O, P, Q, R, S—sit in two parallel rows. Row 1 (front) has 4 seats; Row 2 (back) has 3 seats. All face the same direction.
Clues:
1. M sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. N sits in Row 2, Position 2.
3. O sits immediately to the left of M in Row 1.
4. P sits immediately to the right of M in Row 1.
5. N is directly behind M.
6. Q sits in Row 2, Position 1.
7. R sits in Row 2, Position 3.
8. S sits in Row 1, Position 4.
How many people sit between O and S in Row 1?
Practice 12hard
Nine people—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I—sit in three parallel rows of 3 each. Row I (top) faces North; Row II (middle) faces North; Row III (bottom) faces North. Positions in each row are numbered 1–3 from left to right.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row I, Position 2.
2. B sits directly below A (Row II, Position 2).
3. C sits directly below B (Row III, Position 2).
4. D sits to the right of A in Row I.
5. E sits directly below D (Row II, Position 3).
6. F sits in Row I, Position 1.
7. G sits directly below F (Row II, Position 1).
8. H sits directly below G (Row III, Position 1).
9. I is the remaining person.
Which row and position does I occupy?
Practice 13hard
Eight people—V, W, X, Y, Z, P, Q, R—sit in two parallel rows of 4 each, all facing East. Row North is in the North; Row South is in the South. Positions in each row are numbered 1–4 from West to East.
Clues:
1. V sits in Row North, Position 2.
2. W sits in Row South, Position 2.
3. X sits directly North of W (Row North, Position 2)... wait, that contradicts clue 1. Let me revise:
3. X sits in Row North, Position 1.
4. Y sits directly South of X (Row South, Position 1).
5. Z sits to the East of V in Row North.
6. P sits directly South of Z (Row South, Position 3).
7. Q sits in Row North, Position 4.
8. R is the remaining person.
Who sits in Row South, Position 4?
Practice 14hard
Eight people—A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H—sit in two parallel rows of 4 each, facing North. Row 1 is in front; Row 2 is behind. Positions are numbered 1–4 from left to right in each row.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. B sits directly behind A (Row 2, Position 2).
3. C sits to the right of A in Row 1.
4. D sits in Row 2, Position 4, and faces the same direction as everyone else.
5. E sits in Row 1, Position 1.
6. F sits directly behind E.
7. G sits in Row 2, Position 3.
8. H is the only person left.
Who sits in Row 1, Position 4?
Practice 15hard
Six people—P, Q, R, S, T, U—sit in two parallel rows of 3 each, all facing East. Row A is North; Row B is South. Positions in each row are numbered 1–3 from West to East.
Clues:
1. P sits in Row A, Position 2.
2. Q sits in Row B, Position 1.
3. R sits directly North of Q (Row A, Position 1).
4. S sits to the East of P in Row A.
5. T sits directly South of S.
6. U is the remaining person.
If we count people from West to East in Row B, who is the 3rd person?
Practice 16hard
Seven people—M, N, O, P, Q, R, S—sit in two parallel rows. Row 1 (front) has 4 seats; Row 2 (back) has 3 seats. All face North. Positions in Row 1 are numbered 1–4 left to right; positions in Row 2 are numbered 1–3 left to right.
Clues:
1. M sits in Row 1, Position 3.
2. N sits directly behind M (Row 2, Position 3).
3. O sits to the left of M in Row 1.
4. P sits in Row 1, Position 1.
5. Q sits directly behind P (Row 2, Position 1).
6. R sits in Row 1, Position 4.
7. S is the remaining person.
Which of the following is definitely TRUE?
Practice 17hard
Eight people — A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H — sit in two parallel rows of 4 each, facing North. Row 1 is in front; Row 2 is behind. Positions are numbered 1–4 from left to right in each row.
Clues:
1. A sits in Row 1, Position 2.
2. B sits directly behind A (Row 2, Position 2).
3. C sits to the immediate left of A.
4. D sits in Row 2, Position 4, and faces the same direction as everyone else.
5. E sits in Row 1, Position 4.
6. F sits directly behind E.
7. G sits in Row 2, Position 1.
8. H is the only person not yet placed.
Who sits in Row 1, Position 3?
60-Second Revision — Parallel Row Puzzle
Remember: Draw two lines with direction arrows first
Formula: Opposite positions have same numbers across rows
Trap: Left-right confusion when people face each other
Key: Establish total positions in each row before solving
Trick: Use position numbers 1,2,3,4 instead of left-right terms
Pattern: SSC asks who sits opposite, at ends, and neighbors
Speed tip: Mark known positions first, then use given relationships