Study Material — 6 PYQs (2024–2024) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
RRB NTPC Parallel Row Puzzle is a frequently tested subtopic — 6 previous year questions from 2024–2024 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
RRB NTPC Parallel Row Puzzle — Past Exam Questions
6 questions from actual RRB NTPC papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12024Previous Year Pattern
Six friends—Aman, Bhavna, Chirag, Diya, Eshan, and Fiona—sit in two parallel rows of 3 seats each. Row 1 faces Row 2. The following conditions apply:
1. Aman sits in Row 1, middle position.
2. Bhavna sits directly opposite to Aman in Row 2.
3. Chirag sits to the left of Aman in Row 1.
4. Diya sits to the right of Bhavna in Row 2.
5. Eshan sits in Row 1, right position.
6. Fiona sits in the remaining seat.
Who sits directly opposite to Chirag?
Exam Q 22024Previous Year Pattern
Eight people sit in two parallel rows of 4 seats each. Row North faces Row South. Kavya sits in Row North, Position 3. Ishaan sits directly opposite Kavya. Jaya sits to the left of Kavya. Laxman sits to the right of Ishaan. Mira sits in Row North, Position 1. Neeraj sits in Row South, Position 1. Who sits in Row South, Position 4?
Exam Q 32024Previous Year Pattern
Four people—Mohan, Geeta, Arjun, and Divya—sit in two parallel rows of 2 seats each. Row X faces Row Y. Mohan sits in Row X, Position 1. Geeta sits directly opposite Mohan. Arjun sits to the right of Mohan in Row X. Divya sits in Row Y, Position 2. Who sits in Row Y, Position 1?
Exam Q 42024Previous Year Pattern
Seven people sit in two parallel rows. Row 1 has 4 people, Row 2 has 3 people. Vikram sits in Row 1, Position 2. Priya sits directly opposite Vikram. Anuj sits to the immediate left of Vikram. Neha sits to the immediate right of Priya. Ravi sits in Row 1, Position 4. Sanjay sits in Row 2, Position 1. Who sits in Row 2, Position 3?
Exam Q 52024Previous Year Pattern
Six people—P, Q, R, S, T, U—sit in two parallel rows facing each other. Row A has 3 people, Row B has 3 people. P sits in Row A, Position 2. Q sits directly opposite P. R sits to the left of P in Row A. S sits to the right of Q in Row B. T sits in Row A, Position 3. U sits in Row B, Position 1. Who sits in Row B, Position 2?
Exam Q 62024Previous Year Pattern
Five friends—Arun, Bhavna, Chitra, Deepak, and Esha—sit in two parallel rows of 5 seats each. Row 1 faces Row 2. Arun sits in Row 1, Position 3. Bhavna sits directly opposite Arun in Row 2. Chitra sits to the immediate left of Arun. Deepak sits to the immediate right of Bhavna. Esha sits in Row 1, Position 1. Who sits in Row 2, Position 2?
Concept Notes
Parallel Row Puzzle— Rules & Concept
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
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