Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Box B, Box G, Box A, Box D, Box C, Box E
The puzzle
Box B, Box G, Box A, Box D, Box C, Box E — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 6 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Box A is NOT kept adjacent to Box E.
- Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box G.
- Box D is NOT kept adjacent to Box E.
- Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box E.
- Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box A.
- Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box C.
- Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box A.
- Box B is kept neither at the top nor at the bottom of the stack.
- Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box D.
- Box B is kept somewhere below Box G.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Position 6: Box G (top) down to Position 1: Box E (bottom).
- Start: 720 possible stackings of 6 boxes.
- Clue 10 — "Box B is kept somewhere below Box G." narrows it to 360 possibilities.
- Clue 8 — "Box B is kept neither at the top nor at the bottom of the stack." narrows it to 240 possibilities.
- Clue 1 — "Box A is NOT kept adjacent to Box E." narrows it to 168 possibilities.
- Clue 2 — "Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box G." narrows it to 108 possibilities.
- Clue 3 — "Box D is NOT kept adjacent to Box E." narrows it to 76 possibilities.
- Clue 4 — "Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box E." narrows it to 38 possibilities.
- Clue 5 — "Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box A." narrows it to 17 possibilities.
- Clue 6 — "Box G is NOT kept adjacent to Box C." ⇒ Box G → position 6 (top), Box D → position 5 (7 possibilities left).
- Clue 7 — "Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box A." narrows it to 2 possibilities.
- Clue 9 — "Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box D." ⇒ Box B → position 2, Box A → position 4, Box C → position 3, Box E → position 1 (bottom) (1 possibility left).
- Exactly one stacking survives every clue — that is the answer.
How to crack box arrangement puzzles faster
- A box stack is a vertical row — number positions 1 (bottom) to N (top) on paper before reading a single clue.
- Lock the ends first — "at the top / at the bottom / k-th from the top" fixes a position instantly.
- "Exactly k boxes between" gives a fixed vertical gap — try it at each valid pair of positions, in both directions.
- "Kept above" only means somewhere higher — never assume adjacency unless the clue says "immediately".
FAQ
Which box is kept at the top of the stack?
Box G is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box G, Box D, Box A, Box C, Box B, Box E.
How do you solve box arrangement puzzles for bank exams?
Treat the stack as a vertical line numbered 1 (bottom) to N (top). Place the absolute clues first (top, bottom, k-th from an end), then apply above/below and exactly-k-between clues, eliminating positions until a single stacking satisfies every clue.
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