Study Material — 11 PYQs (2023–2023) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC CPO Ranking & Order is a frequently tested subtopic — 11 previous year questions from 2023–2023 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
11 questions from actual SSC CPO papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12023Previous Year Pattern
In a building with 10 floors, Apartment A is on the 4th floor. Apartment B is 2 floors above Apartment A. Apartment C is 3 floors below Apartment B. On which floor is Apartment C?
Exam Q 22023Previous Year Pattern
In a class of 40 students, Rajesh's rank from the top is 12th. What is his rank from the bottom?
Exam Q 32023Previous Year Pattern
In a class of 40 students, Rajesh ranks 15th from the top. What is his rank from the bottom?
Exam Q 42023Previous Year Pattern
Seven books are arranged on a shelf. Book P is 3rd from the left. Book Q is 2nd from the right. How many books are between P and Q?
Exam Q 52023Previous Year Pattern
In a race, Priya finished ahead of Qureshi. Qureshi finished ahead of Ravi. Sanjay finished ahead of Priya. Tina finished behind Ravi. Who finished in the 3rd position?
Exam Q 62023Previous Year Pattern
Among 8 students, Arun is 5th from the top. Bhavna is 4th from the bottom. How many students are ranked between Arun and Bhavna?
Exam Q 72023Previous Year Pattern
Seven friends A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are standing in a line. D is 4th from the left. E is 3rd from the right. How many people stand between D and E?
Exam Q 82023Previous Year Pattern
In a class of 45 students, Rajesh's rank from the top is 12th. What is his rank from the bottom?
Exam Q 92023Previous Year Pattern
In a race of 10 runners, X finishes 4 positions ahead of Y. Z finishes 2 positions behind Y. W finishes 3 positions ahead of Z. If X finishes 2nd, what is W's finishing position?
Exam Q 102023Previous Year Pattern
Seven students A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are ranked based on their performance in an exam. B ranks 3 positions below D. C ranks 2 positions above E. A ranks immediately below F. G is ranked 4th. If D ranks 2nd, what is E's rank?
Exam Q 112023Previous Year Pattern
Eight students are ranked 1st to 8th. P ranks higher than Q but lower than R. S ranks higher than both T and U. V ranks lower than W. R ranks 3rd. If T ranks 5th, what is the maximum possible rank for S?
Concept Notes
Ranking & Order— Rules & Concept
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
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