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SSC MTS Number Ranking

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This page covers SSC MTS Number Ranking with complete concept notes, 17 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.

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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).
Practice MCQs

Number Ranking — Practice Questions

17graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis

All MCQs →
Practice 1easy

In a row of 12 chairs, the red chair is 5th from the left. The blue chair is 4th from the right. How many chairs are between the red and blue chairs?

Practice 2easy

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

Practice 3easy

In a line of 20 students, Neha is 8th from the left and Zara is 12th from the left. How many students are standing between Neha and Zara?

Practice 4easy

In a queue of 15 people, Arun is 7th from the front. How many people are standing behind Arun?

Practice 5easy

In a row of 8 students, Raj is 3rd from the left. What is Raj's position from the right?

Practice 6easy

In a ranking of 25 athletes, Vikram is ranked 10th from the top. If 3 athletes are disqualified from the top, what will be Vikram's new rank from the top?

Practice 7medium

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

Practice 8medium

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

Practice 9medium

In a queue of 40 people, Arun is 15th from the front. If 5 people leave from the front of the queue before Arun, what will be Arun's new position from the front?

Practice 10medium

In a row of students, Meera is 7th from the left and Neha is 9th from the right. If there are 20 students in total and both are in the same row, how many students are between them?

Practice 11medium

In a ranking list of 50 students, Vikram's rank is 18th from the top. If 3 students are added to the top of the ranking (above all current students), what will be Vikram's new rank from the top?

Practice 12hard

In a line of 35 people, Neha is 14th from the left. Mohan is 11th from the right. Between Neha and Mohan, there are exactly 6 people. What is the distance (in positions) between Neha and Mohan?

Practice 13hard

In a ranking of 50 students by marks, Arun is 18th from the top. If 5 students are removed from the ranking (none of whom are Arun), how many students will be ranked below Arun in the new ranking?

Practice 14hard

Seven boxes are arranged in a line. Box P is 3rd from the left. Box Q is 2 positions to the right of Box P. Box R is exactly in the middle. How many boxes are between Box Q and Box R?

Practice 15hard

In a row of 40 students, Rajesh is 12th from the left end. Priya is 8 positions to the right of Rajesh. What is Priya's position from the right end?

Practice 16hard

In a class of 60 students, when ranked by height from tallest to shortest, Vikram is 25th. When the same students are ranked by weight from heaviest to lightest, Vikram is 20th. If we create a combined ranking where students are ordered by the sum of their height rank and weight rank (lower sum = better rank), what is Vikram's maximum possible rank in the combined ranking?

Practice 17hard

In a tournament with 8 teams, Team A finished 3rd. In a separate tournament with 12 teams, Team B finished 5th. If we rank these teams together (treating the tournaments as equivalent), what is the minimum number of teams that must rank below both Team A and Team B?

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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