This page covers IBPS RRB PO Scheduling / Day-Month Puzzle with complete concept notes, 2 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.
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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⚠️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).
Test Scheduling / Day-Month Puzzle under exam conditions
Six tasks—P, Q, R, S, T, U—must be completed on six consecutive days: Day 1 through Day 6. Each task is done exactly once. Based on the clues below, on which day is task R completed?
Clue 1: Task P is completed on Day 1.
Clue 2: Task Q is completed exactly three days before Task T.
Clue 3: Task S is completed on Day 6.
Clue 4: Task R is completed before Task U.
Practice 2easy
Five employees—Arun, Bhavna, Chitra, Deepak, and Esha—are scheduled to present on five consecutive days: Monday through Friday. Each person presents exactly once. Based on the following clues, who presents on Wednesday?
Clue 1: Arun presents on Monday.
Clue 2: Bhavna presents exactly two days after Chitra.
Clue 3: Deepak presents on Friday.
Clue 4: Esha does not present on Tuesday.