# Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 10 Jul 2026

> Solve this 6-person linear row seating arrangement for IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, SSC exam practice. 9 logic clues, one answer. Free daily reasoning puzzle with step-by-step walkthrough.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-07-10-row-seating-row-seating-puzzle

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Published: 2026-07-10 · Difficulty: hard · 9 clues · 6 people
Exams: IBPS PO · SBI PO · SSC CGL

## The puzzle

Meera, Bhavna, Jaya, Anjali, Esha, Lata — sit in a single row, all facing north — seat 1 is the far-left end and seat 6 is the far-right end. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Jaya and Esha do NOT sit next to each other.
2. Anjali and Lata do NOT sit next to each other.
3. Anjali and Esha do NOT sit next to each other.
4. Meera and Anjali do NOT sit next to each other.
5. Bhavna and Jaya do NOT sit next to each other.
6. Bhavna and Esha do NOT sit next to each other.
7. Jaya and Anjali do NOT sit next to each other.
8. Jaya and Lata do NOT sit next to each other.
9. Bhavna sits somewhere to the right of Meera.

## Answer

Jaya, Meera, Esha, Lata, Bhavna, Anjali (left to right).

Seat 1: Jaya · Seat 2: Meera · Seat 3: Esha · Seat 4: Lata · Seat 5: Bhavna · Seat 6: Anjali

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 720 possible left-to-right orders of 6 people.
2. Clue 9 — "Bhavna sits somewhere to the right of Meera." narrows it to 360 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 1 — "Jaya and Esha do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 240 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 2 — "Anjali and Lata do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 168 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
5. Clue 3 — "Anjali and Esha do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 90 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
6. Clue 4 — "Meera and Anjali do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 48 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
7. Clue 5 — "Bhavna and Jaya do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 38 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
8. Clue 6 — "Bhavna and Esha do NOT sit next to each other." narrows it to 20 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
9. Clue 7 — "Jaya and Anjali do NOT sit next to each other." ⇒ Bhavna → seat 5, Anjali → seat 6 (4 possibilities left). Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _ · Bhavna · Anjali
10. Clue 8 — "Jaya and Lata do NOT sit next to each other." ⇒ Meera → seat 2, Jaya → seat 1, Esha → seat 3, Lata → seat 4 (1 possibility left). Board (left → right): Jaya · Meera · Esha · Lata · Bhavna · Anjali
11. Exactly one order survives every clue: Jaya, Meera, Esha, Lata, Bhavna, Anjali (left to right).

## How to crack row seating puzzles faster

- Lock the **ends first** — any "far-left / far-right" clue fixes a seat instantly.
- Convert "immediately to the left/right" into **adjacent pairs** and slide them along.
- "Exactly _k_ people between" gives a **fixed gap** — try it at each valid position.
- Eliminate, don't guess: each clue should cut the possibilities until one order remains.

## FAQ

### Who sits in the middle (seat 3) in this seating arrangement?

Esha sits in seat 3. The full order: Jaya, Meera, Esha, Lata, Bhavna, Anjali (left to right).

### How do you solve linear seating arrangement puzzles for bank exams?

Fix direct positions first (far-left / far-right ends), then apply relative clues (left of, immediately left, exactly k between). Eliminate impossible orders until a single arrangement satisfies every clue.

## Learn the method

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

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