Double-Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Imran, Rohan, Pooja, Anjali, Tarun, Aditi
The puzzle
Imran, Rohan, Pooja, Anjali, Tarun, Aditi — sit in two rows facing each other — Row 1 faces south, Row 2 faces north, with 3 seats per row. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Anjali sits immediately to the left of Tarun (both facing north).
- Imran faces north.
- Tarun sits directly opposite Aditi (they face each other).
- Rohan sits immediately to the left of Pooja (both facing south).
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Row 1 (facing south): Imran, Anjali, Tarun. Row 2 (facing north): Pooja, Rohan, Aditi.
- Start: 720 ways to seat 6 people in two facing rows of 3.
- Clue 1 — "Anjali sits immediately to the left of Tarun (both facing north)." leaves 96 possibilities.
- Clue 2 — "Imran faces north." leaves 48 possibilities.
- Clue 3 — "Tarun sits directly opposite Aditi (they face each other)." leaves 12 possibilities.
- Clue 4 — "Rohan sits immediately to the left of Pooja (both facing south)." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving seating is north row: Imran, Anjali, Tarun; south row: Pooja, Rohan, Aditi.
- Exactly one seating survives every clue — north row: Imran, Anjali, Tarun; south row: Pooja, Rohan, Aditi.
How to crack double-row seating puzzles faster
- Treat each row as an independent linear arrangement, then apply the cross-row clues last.
- "Faces" means the person opposite — use these clues as cross-row constraints to lock both rows at once.
- Draw two parallel rows on paper, fill each row independently, then check which cross-row pairs satisfy the remaining clues.
- "Immediately to the left/right of" applies within the same row only — cross-row facing is a different relationship.
FAQ
Who sits in the first seat of each row?
Imran, Anjali, Tarun sit in Row 1, and Pooja, Rohan, Aditi sit in Row 2. Cross-reference with the facing clues to validate.
How do you solve double-row seating arrangement puzzles?
Solve each row independently first using linear-seating techniques, then apply cross-row constraints (facing, diagonally opposite) to find valid pairs. Draw two parallel rows and eliminate combinations that violate any clue.
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