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SSC CPO Number Ranking

Study Material — 10 PYQs (2023–2023) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts

SSC CPO Number Ranking is a frequently tested subtopic — 10 previous year questions from 2023–2023 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.

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2023–2023
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Previous Year Questions

SSC CPO Number Ranking — Past Exam Questions

10 questions from actual SSC CPO papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution

Exam Q 12023Previous Year Pattern

In a class ranking, Priya is 12th from the top and 19th from the bottom. How many students are in the class?

Exam Q 22023Previous Year Pattern

In a row of students, Vikram is 7th from the left and 8th from the right. If 2 students leave the row, what will be the new total number of students?

Exam Q 32023Previous Year Pattern

Neha ranks 9th in a class of 35 students. If 3 new students join the class, what will be her new rank from the bottom?

Exam Q 42023Previous Year Pattern

In a queue of 40 people, Arun is 15th from the front. How many people are standing behind Arun?

Exam Q 52023Previous Year Pattern

In a row of 25 students, Rajesh is 8th from the left end. What is his position from the right end?

Exam Q 62023Previous Year Pattern

In a class of 40 students, Raj's rank from the top is 12th. What is Raj's rank from the bottom?

Exam Q 72023Previous Year Pattern

In a queue of 50 people, Arun is 18th from the front. If 5 people leave from the front of the queue, what will be Arun's new position from the front?

Exam Q 82023Previous Year Pattern

In a class ranking, Priya is 8th from the top and 13th from the bottom. How many students are in the class?

Exam Q 92023Previous Year Pattern

In a row of 40 students, Rajesh's rank from the left is 15th. What is his rank from the right?

Exam Q 102023Previous Year Pattern

In a line of 45 students, Arjun is 16th from the left. Bhavna is 12 positions to the right of Arjun. What is Bhavna's rank from the right?

Concept Notes

Number Ranking— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic

Number Ranking is a logical reasoning problem where you are given a series of numbers or positions, and you must determine the rank or position of a particular number or person in a sequence—either from left to right or right to left. CORE CONCEPT

In Number Ranking problems, you need to find where a number sits in a given order. The question might ask: 'What is the rank of number X from the left?' or 'If we reverse the sequence, what becomes the position of Y?' The key is to count carefully and apply simple directional rules. KEY RULES & PROPERTIES

1. Always identify the total count of numbers/items in the sequence. 2. Rank from left means counting from position 1 on the left side.

3. Rank from right means counting from position 1 on the right side (reverse counting). 4. If an item's rank from left is R, then its rank from right = (Total Count + 1) – R.

5. The middle position exists only if total count is odd. 6. Direction matters—left and right are opposite directions.

Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Rank from Right = (Total Number of Items + 1) − Rank from Left
Rank from Left = (Total Number of Items + 1) − Rank from Right
Total Items = Rank from Left + Rank from Right − 1
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL typically asks: - Direct rank questions: 'Find rank of X from left/right' - Reverse rank questions: 'If reversed, what is position?' - Both-side rank: 'A is 5th from left and 8th from right. Find total count' - Position-based: 'How many items between positions?' SHORTCUT/TRICK Always use the formula: Rank from Right = (Total + 1) − Rank from Left. This avoids counting errors. If you know any two values (total and one rank), you instantly find the other.

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Count total items = 8

2
Step 2

Identify rank of 60 from left = 5 (it's the 5th number)

3
Step 3

Apply formula: Rank from Right = (8 + 1) − 5 = 9 − 5 = 4 Answer: 60 is at rank 4 from the right. Verification: From right: 92(1st), 88(2nd), 75(3rd), 60(4th) ✓

Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these

Students often confuse rank with count. If 60 is 5th from left, it doesn't mean 5 items are to its left—only 4 items are to its left. Rank includes the item itself.

Key Points to Remember

  • Rank from Right = (Total Items + 1) − Rank from Left; memorise this formula.
  • Rank from left = counting from position 1 starting at leftmost item.
  • Rank from right = reverse counting from rightmost item as position 1.
  • If rank from left is R and total is T, items to the left = R − 1.
  • Items between two ranks = |Rank₁ − Rank₂| − 1 (subtract 1 to exclude both positions).
  • Direction change always uses the complement formula; direct counting saves time only for small lists.

Exam-Specific Tips

  • In a sequence of N items, if rank from left is L, then rank from right is always (N + 1) − L.
  • Number of items to the left of rank R = R − 1.
  • Number of items to the right of rank R = N − R.
  • If an item is 6th from left and 4th from right, total count = 6 + 4 − 1 = 9.
  • Middle position in a sequence of odd numbers (e.g., 7 items) = position 4.
  • Between rank 3 and rank 8 in a sequence, number of items = 8 − 3 − 1 = 4.
  • When a sequence is reversed, rank from left becomes rank from right in the new order.
  • Total items = Rank from Left + Rank from Right − 1 (this is a rearrangement of the main formula).

60-Second Revision — Number Ranking

  • Formula King: Rank from Right = (Total + 1) − Rank from Left. Write it once before exam starts.
  • Trap: Rank ≠ Count of items on one side. Rank 5 means 4 items to the left, not 5.
  • Quick Check: If rank from left is L and total is T, rank from right must be T + 1 − L; verify mentally.
  • Direction Matters: Left = normal order, Right = reverse order. Don't flip them.
  • Formula Rearrange: If given rank from left and right, find total = L + R − 1. Easy bonus question.
  • Middle Alert: In odd sequences (5, 7, 9 items), the middle rank = (Total + 1) ÷ 2.
  • Between Positions: Items between rank A and rank B = |A − B| − 1. Exclude endpoints.
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