# Order and Ranking Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 9 Jul 2026

> Solve this 5-person order and ranking puzzle for IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, SSC exam practice. 5 logic clues, one answer. Free daily reasoning puzzle with step-by-step walkthrough.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-07-09-order-and-ranking-order-ranking-puzzle

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Published: 2026-07-09 · Difficulty: medium · 5 clues · 5 people
Exams: IBPS Clerk · SBI Clerk · SSC CHSL

## The puzzle

Manish, Geeta, Nikhil, Isha, Pooja — are ranked from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest) — work out each person's exact rank. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Exactly 2 people are ranked between Manish and Pooja.
2. Manish is 5th from the bottom.
3. Exactly 1 person is ranked between Isha and Pooja.
4. Geeta is ranked higher than Pooja.
5. Nikhil is ranked lower than Manish.

## Answer

Manish, Isha, Geeta, Pooja, Nikhil (rank 1 = highest, down to rank 5 = lowest).

Rank 1: Manish · Rank 2: Isha · Rank 3: Geeta · Rank 4: Pooja · Rank 5: Nikhil

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 120 possible rankings of 5 people.
2. Clue 2 — "Manish is 5th from the bottom." ⇒ Manish → rank 1 (top) (24 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Manish · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 1 — "Exactly 2 people are ranked between Manish and Pooja." ⇒ Pooja → rank 4 (4th from top) (6 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Manish · _ · _ · Pooja · _
4. Clue 3 — "Exactly 1 person is ranked between Isha and Pooja." ⇒ Isha → rank 2 (2nd from top) (2 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Manish · Isha · _ · Pooja · _
5. Clue 4 — "Geeta is ranked higher than Pooja." ⇒ Geeta → rank 3 (3rd from top), Nikhil → rank 5 (bottom) (1 possibility left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Manish · Isha · Geeta · Pooja · Nikhil
6. Exactly one ranking survives every clue — that is the answer.

## How to crack order & ranking puzzles faster

- "Ranked higher" means a **smaller rank number** — rank 1 outranks rank 2. Fix that direction before anything else.
- Lock the **anchors first** — "exactly k-th from the top/bottom" fixes a rank instantly.
- "Exactly k people between" gives a **fixed gap** — try it at each valid pair of ranks.
- Treat it as a row: write ranks 1 to N on paper and fill names as each clue eliminates possibilities.

## FAQ

### Who is ranked highest in this puzzle?

Manish holds rank 1 (highest). The full order from rank 1 to rank 5: Manish, Isha, Geeta, Pooja, Nikhil.

### How do you solve order and ranking puzzles for bank exams?

Fix direct rank anchors first (k-th from the top/bottom), then apply relative clues (higher/lower, immediately above, exactly k between). Remember rank 1 is the highest — 'higher than' means a smaller rank number. Eliminate until one order satisfies every clue.

## Learn the method

This post is one worked example. The topic page for order and ranking carries the full method,
the clue-wording table and the mistakes that cost marks: https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/order-and-ranking

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