This page covers SBI Clerk Scheduling / Day-Month Puzzle with complete concept notes, 8 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Scheduling/Day-Month puzzles are arrangement problems where you place people or items in specific time slots. These puzzles test your logical thinking and data organization skills. You get clues about who meets whom on which day or month, then arrange them correctly.
Key RulesCore rules you must know cold
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.
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 2-3 questions from scheduling puzzles. Common formats include 'On which day does X meet?', 'Who meets on Friday?', 'How many people meet between A and B?'. Most puzzles involve 6-8 people and 6-8 time slots.
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 ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Place direct clues. B = Wednesday, E = Sunday (last day).
2
Step 2
F meets immediately before B, so F = Tuesday.
3
Step 3
From condition 1, if C = Monday, then A = Wednesday. But B is already on Wednesday. So C cannot be Monday.
4
Step 4
If C = Thursday, then A = Saturday. Check condition 3: D must be between C and A, so D = Friday. This works!
5
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: Four people meet in different months. P meets in April. Q meets two months before R. S meets in the month having 30 days, immediately after R.
1
Step 1
P = April (given).
2
Step 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
Step 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!
4
Step 4
Final arrangement: Q = March, P = April, R = May, S = June.
Top
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
(1) Always solve step-by-step, don't jump to conclusions. (2) Use the 'assume and check' method when stuck. (3) Remember months with 30 days: April, June, September, November.
Most
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
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 to Remember
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-Specific Tips
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
Practice MCQs
Scheduling / Day-Month Puzzle — Practice Questions
8graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
Four events—Wedding, Concert, Festival, and Dinner—are scheduled in four consecutive months: January, February, March, and April. Using the clues below, determine which event is scheduled for March.
Clue 1: The Wedding is scheduled exactly one month before the Concert.
Clue 2: The Festival is not scheduled in January.
Clue 3: The Dinner is scheduled after the Festival.
Practice 2easy
Six classes—Math, English, Science, History, Art, and PE—are scheduled across six time slots on a school day. Using the clues below, determine which class is scheduled in the 4th time slot.
Clue 1: Math is scheduled in the 1st time slot.
Clue 2: English is scheduled exactly two slots after Science.
Clue 3: History is scheduled after Art.
Clue 4: PE is not scheduled in the 6th time slot.
Practice 3easy
Five friends—Arun, Bhavna, Chitra, Deepak, and Esha—have birthdays in five consecutive months: March, April, May, June, and July (not necessarily in that order). Using the clues below, determine whose birthday is in May.
Clue 1: Arun's birthday is exactly two months before Bhavna's.
Clue 2: Chitra's birthday is in April.
Clue 3: Deepak's birthday is after Esha's.
Clue 4: Esha's birthday is not in March.
Practice 4medium
Four friends (Aman, Bhavna, Chetan, Divya) have birthdays in four different months (January, April, July, October). Based on the clues below, in which month is Chetan's birthday?
1. Aman's birthday is in January.
2. Bhavna's birthday is exactly three months after Chetan's birthday (within the same year).
3. Divya's birthday is in October.
4. Bhavna's birthday is not in July.
Practice 5medium
Five events (A, B, C, D, E) are scheduled on five consecutive days (Day 1 to Day 5). Each event occurs on exactly one day. Based on the clues below, on which day is event C scheduled?
1. Event A is on Day 1.
2. Event B is on the day immediately after event D.
3. Event E is on Day 5.
4. Event C is exactly two days before event B.
5. Event D is not on Day 2.
Practice 6medium
Five employees (Arun, Bina, Chitra, Deepak, Esha) are scheduled for meetings on five consecutive days (Monday to Friday). Each person meets on exactly one day. Based on the following clues, on which day does Chitra have her meeting?
1. Arun's meeting is on Wednesday.
2. Bina's meeting is exactly two days before Deepak's meeting.
3. Esha's meeting is on Friday.
4. Chitra's meeting is on the day immediately after Bina's meeting.
5. Deepak's meeting is not on Tuesday.
Practice 7medium
Six people (Priya, Qasim, Ravi, Sana, Tara, Uday) are born in six different months (February, April, June, August, October, December). Based on the clues below, in which month is Ravi born?
1. Priya is born in February.
2. Qasim is born exactly four months after Ravi.
3. Sana is born in October.
4. Tara is born in the month immediately before Uday.
5. Uday is not born in June.
Practice 8medium
Six tasks (P, Q, R, S, T, U) are scheduled over six days (Monday to Saturday). Each task is assigned to exactly one day. Using the clues below, on which day is task R scheduled?
1. Task P is scheduled on Monday.
2. Task Q is scheduled exactly three days after task R.
3. Task S is scheduled on Friday.
4. Task T is scheduled on the day immediately before task U.
5. Task U is not scheduled on Wednesday.