Study Material — 11 PYQs (2024–2024) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC GD Constable Box / Stack Puzzle is a frequently tested subtopic — 11 previous year questions from 2024–2024 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
11 questions from actual SSC GD Constable papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12024Previous Year Pattern
Five boxes labeled A, B, C, D, and E are stacked vertically. Box C is immediately above Box B. Box A is at the bottom. Box E is above Box D. Box D is above Box C. Which box is at the top of the stack?
Exam Q 22024Previous Year Pattern
Six boxes labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are arranged in a stack. Box 4 is directly above Box 1. Box 5 is directly below Box 3. Box 2 is at the bottom. Box 6 is at the top. Box 5 is directly above Box 2. What is the position of Box 4 from the bottom?
Exam Q 32024Previous Year Pattern
Five boxes are stacked with the following conditions: Box P is directly above Box Q. Box R is at the top. Box S is at the bottom. Box T is directly above Box S. Which box is in the middle (3rd position)?
Exam Q 42024Previous Year Pattern
Seven boxes numbered 1 through 7 are stacked vertically. Box 3 is directly below Box 6. Box 1 is at the bottom. Box 5 is directly above Box 2. Box 4 is directly below Box 7. Box 2 is at position 3 from the bottom. What is the position of Box 6 from the bottom?
Exam Q 52024Previous Year Pattern
Four colored boxes are stacked. The Red box is not at the bottom. The Blue box is directly above the Green box. The Yellow box is at the bottom. The Red box is above the Blue box. Which box is second from the bottom?
Exam Q 62024Previous Year Pattern
Six boxes are arranged in a stack. Box 2 is directly below Box 5. Box 4 is at the top. Box 1 is at the bottom. Box 3 is directly above Box 1. Box 6 is directly below Box 4. What is the position of Box 2 from the bottom?
Exam Q 72024Previous Year Pattern
Eight boxes labeled A through H are arranged in two stacks of 4 boxes each. Stack 1 (bottom to top): A, B, C, D. Stack 2 (bottom to top): E, F, G, H. Box C is heavier than Box B. Box F is lighter than Box E. Box D is the heaviest in Stack 1. Box H is the heaviest in Stack 2. Box G is heavier than Box F. Which of the following is definitely true?
Exam Q 82024Previous Year Pattern
Four boxes are stacked vertically: positions 1 (bottom) to 4 (top). Box M is not at position 1. Box N is not at position 4. Box O is at position 2. Box P is immediately above Box M. Which box is at position 3?
Exam Q 92024Previous Year Pattern
Six boxes are arranged in two stacks: Stack 1 (bottom to top: P, Q, R) and Stack 2 (bottom to top: S, T, U). Box Q is heavier than Box P. Box T is lighter than Box S. Box R is the heaviest in Stack 1. Box U is heavier than both T and S. Which box is the lightest among all six?
Exam Q 102024Previous Year Pattern
Five boxes labeled A, B, C, D, and E are stacked vertically in positions 1 to 5 (1 = bottom, 5 = top). Box C is exactly in the middle. Box A is immediately below Box D. Box B is not at the top. Box E is above Box D. In which position is Box B?
Exam Q 112024Previous Year Pattern
Five boxes are stacked in positions 1 to 5 (bottom to top). Box X is at position 3. Box Y is two positions above Box Z. Box W is immediately below Box X. Box V is at the top. Which box is at position 2?
Concept Notes
Box / Stack Puzzle— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Box/Stack puzzles involve arranging items in a vertical stack or boxes on different floors. Items are placed one above the other based on given conditions. Think of it like stacking books or placing boxes in a tower.
Key RulesCore rules you must know cold
Only one item can occupy each position. Items are numbered from bottom to top or top to bottom. Conditions link items using words like 'above', 'below', 'immediately above', 'between', 'top', 'bottom'.
Key Properties: 'Immediately above' means direct contact with no gap. 'Above' means anywhere higher, with possible gaps. 'Between' means exactly one item separates two others. 'Second from top' means one item above it.
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC asks 3-5 questions per puzzle. Common formats include 7-floor buildings, 8-box stacks, or 5-item arrangements. Questions test position identification, relative placement, and counting gaps between items.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
Use the 'Fixed Point Method'. Find items with maximum constraints first. Items mentioned as 'top', 'bottom', or with multiple conditions become anchor points.
Build the arrangement around these fixed positions.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Fix definite positions. C is at position 7 (top). A is at position 6 (immediately below C). D is at position 1 (bottom).
2
Step 2
Analyze 'between' condition. B is between E and F means E-B-F or F-B-E arrangement.
3
Step 3
Use remaining condition. G is above E but below F. This gives us F-G-E sequence when read from top to bottom.
4
Step 4
Combine sequences. From F-G-E and E-B-F, we get F-G-E-B-F. But F cannot repeat, so we arrange as F-G-E-B with F above this group.
5
Step 5
Final arrangement from bottom to top: D(1), E(2), B(3), G(4), F(5), A(6), C(7).
Verification: C at top ✓, A immediately below C ✓, D at bottom ✓, B between E and F ✓, G above E but below F ✓.
Second Shortcut: Draw a rough vertical line and mark positions 1-7. Fill known positions first, then work with remaining conditions.
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students confuse 'above' with 'immediately above'. 'Above' allows gaps, 'immediately above' means direct contact. Also, misreading 'between' conditions leads to wrong sequences. Always verify final arrangement against all given conditions.
Key Points to Remember
Box puzzles arrange items vertically with one item per position
'Immediately above' means direct contact, 'above' allows gaps between items
'Between' means exactly one item separates two others in the stack
Use Fixed Point Method - identify items with maximum constraints first
Number positions from 1 (bottom) to n (top) or vice versa consistently
Draw vertical arrangements to visualize relationships clearly
Always verify final arrangement against every given condition
Common question types: position finding, gap counting, relative placement
Exam-Specific Tips
Box puzzles typically involve 5-8 items arranged vertically
SSC asks 3-5 questions per box arrangement puzzle
'Second from bottom' means position 2 when counting from bottom
'Third from top' means position 3 when counting from top
Maximum gap between two items in 7-box puzzle is 5 positions
Minimum items needed for 'between' relationship is 3 items
'Immediately below' means direct contact from lower position
Box puzzles appear in 80% of SSC CGL Tier-1 question papers
60-Second Revision — Box / Stack Puzzle
Remember: Fix definite positions (top/bottom/immediately) first
Formula: Total positions minus 1 equals maximum possible gaps
Trap: 'Above' and 'immediately above' have different meanings
Method: Use vertical line diagram for clear visualization
Check: Verify final answer against all given conditions
Shortcut: Items with most constraints become anchor points
Pattern: Between A and B means A-X-B or B-X-A arrangement