Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
You are given information about positions, rankings, or arrangements. Your job is to determine the exact order or find specific positions of elements in that arrangement
Key Rules
Always work systematically from left to right or top to bottom. When multiple conditions are given, satisfy all conditions simultaneously. Pay attention to words like 'between', 'immediately', 'adjacent', 'next to', and 'opposite'
Types of Questions
Linear arrangements (single row), circular arrangements, and ranking based on performance, height, weight, or age. SSC CGL frequently asks about finding positions, counting people between two positions, or determining who sits where.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
1: Use the 'Anchor Method'. Find the most restrictive condition first and use it as your starting point. This saves time and reduces errors.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
D sits at one end. Let's place D at the left end: D _ _ _ _
2
Step 2
A sits two places to the left of E. This means there's exactly one person between A and E. Possible positions: A_E or positions 2 and 4.
3
Step 3
Since D is at position 1, A can be at position 2 and E at position 4: D A _ E _
4
Step 4
B sits immediately to the right of C. The remaining positions are 3 and 5. So C must be at position 3 and B at position 5.
Final arrangement: D A C E B
Verification: A is two places left of E ✓, B is immediately right of C ✓, D is at one end ✓
Shortcut Technique 2: Use the 'Elimination Method' for ranking questions. When given partial information about ranks, eliminate impossible positions systematically.
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students often confuse 'left' and 'right' directions. Always maintain consistent orientation. Another mistake is not checking if the final arrangement satisfies ALL given conditions.
Many students also misinterpret 'between' (which excludes endpoints) and 'among' (which can include endpoints).
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 1-2 questions on this topic. Questions usually involve 5-8 people or objects. Linear arrangements are more common than circular ones. The difficulty level is moderate, and these questions are scoring if approached systematically.
Key Points to Remember
Always establish a reference point (left/right or clockwise/anticlockwise) before solving
Process the most restrictive condition first to narrow down possibilities quickly
Use systematic elimination when multiple arrangements seem possible
Verify your final answer against ALL given conditions, not just some
Draw diagrams or use positions (1,2,3,4,5) instead of trying to solve mentally
'Between A and B' means A and B are not included in the count
'Immediately next to' means adjacent positions with no gap
In circular arrangements, there is no fixed left or right end position
Exam-Specific Tips
Linear arrangements have exactly 2 end positions (leftmost and rightmost)
In a row of n people, there are (n-2) middle positions
Circular arrangements of n people have n! arrangements, but only (n-1)! unique arrangements due to rotational symmetry
The phrase 'immediately to the left' means the very next position on the left side
When counting people between two positions, exclude the people at those positions
In ranking questions, if A is ranked higher than B, then A's rank number is smaller than B's rank number
The total number of people between positions x and y is |x-y|-1
In circular arrangements, every person has exactly 2 neighbors
Practice MCQs
Ranking & Order — Practice Questions
12graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
In a class of 40 students, Raj ranks 15th from the top. What is his rank from the bottom?
Practice 2easy
Seven friends A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are standing in a line. D is 4th from the left. E is 2nd from the right. How many people stand between D and E?
Practice 3easy
In a race of 50 runners, Priya finishes ahead of exactly 30 runners. What is Priya's rank?
Practice 4easy
In a queue of 12 people, Meera is 5th from the front. If 3 people leave from the front of the queue, what will be Meera's new position from the front?
Practice 5easy
In a class of 40 students, Rajesh's rank from the top is 12th. What is his rank from the bottom?
Practice 6medium
In a class of 45 students, when students are arranged in a line in descending order of their marks, Priya stands at position 12 from the left. If 3 students are removed from the class due to absence, what will be Priya's new position from the left when the remaining 42 students are arranged in the same descending order of marks?
Practice 7medium
In a class ranking, Priya is 12th from the top and 19th from the bottom. Arun is 5 ranks below Priya. What is Arun's position from the top?
Practice 8medium
Seven friends—A, B, C, D, E, F, G—stand in a line. D is 3rd from the left. E is 2 positions to the right of D. F is immediately to the left of E. How many people stand between F and G if G is at the rightmost end?
Practice 9medium
In a tournament, Team X scored more points than Team Y. Team Y scored more points than Team Z. Team W scored fewer points than Team Z. If Team V scored more points than Team W but fewer than Team Y, which team scored the second-highest points?
Practice 10medium
In a building with 8 floors, Apartment P is on the 5th floor. Apartment Q is 2 floors above P. Apartment R is 3 floors below Q. Apartment S is on a floor higher than R but lower than P. On which floor is Apartment S?
Practice 11medium
Five students—Raj, Sam, Tina, Uma, and Veer—are ranked by their test scores (highest to lowest). Tina scored higher than Sam. Raj scored higher than Uma. Veer scored lower than Sam. Uma scored higher than Tina. If Raj is ranked 1st, what is Sam's rank?
Practice 12hard
Seven employees—Anil, Bina, Chetan, Deepak, Esha, Faisal, and Gita—are ranked from 1 to 7 based on their annual performance scores (1 = highest, 7 = lowest). The following conditions must be satisfied:
1. Chetan's rank is exactly 2 positions higher than Anil's rank.
2. Esha's rank is lower than Bina's rank (higher number = lower position).
3. Deepak is ranked exactly in the middle (rank 4).
4. Faisal's rank is higher than Gita's rank.
5. Bina is not ranked 1st or 7th.
6. The sum of Anil's and Chetan's ranks equals 9.
If Gita is ranked 6th, what is Faisal's rank?
60-Second Revision — Ranking & Order
Remember: Draw the arrangement as you solve, don't rely on mental calculation
Formula: People between positions A and B = |A-B| - 1
Trap: 'Left of' and 'Right of' depend on your reference direction - stay consistent
Technique: Start with the most restrictive condition to save time
Check: Verify final arrangement satisfies ALL conditions before marking answer
Key Words: 'Immediately' means adjacent, 'between' excludes endpoints
Pattern: SSC prefers 5-7 people linear arrangements over complex circular ones