# Order and Ranking Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 19 Jul 2026

> Solve this 6-person order and ranking puzzle for IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, SSC exam practice. 8 logic clues, one answer. Free daily reasoning puzzle with step-by-step walkthrough.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-07-19-order-and-ranking-order-ranking-puzzle

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Published: 2026-07-19 · Difficulty: hard · 8 clues · 6 people
Exams: IBPS PO · SBI PO · SSC CGL

## The puzzle

Bhavna, Geeta, Imran, Harsh, Tarun, Isha — are ranked from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) — work out each person's exact rank. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Tarun and Isha are NOT ranked next to each other.
2. Geeta is ranked neither FIRST nor LAST.
3. Geeta and Tarun are NOT ranked next to each other.
4. Geeta and Imran are NOT ranked next to each other.
5. Geeta and Isha are NOT ranked next to each other.
6. Isha is ranked neither FIRST nor LAST.
7. Bhavna is ranked immediately above Tarun.
8. Imran and Harsh are NOT ranked next to each other.

## Answer

Imran, Isha, Harsh, Geeta, Bhavna, Tarun (rank 1 = highest, down to rank 6 = lowest).

Rank 1: Imran · Rank 2: Isha · Rank 3: Harsh · Rank 4: Geeta · Rank 5: Bhavna · Rank 6: Tarun

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 720 possible rankings of 6 people.
2. Clue 7 — "Bhavna is ranked immediately above Tarun." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 2 — "Geeta is ranked neither FIRST nor LAST." narrows it to 72 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 6 — "Isha is ranked neither FIRST nor LAST." narrows it to 36 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
5. Clue 1 — "Tarun and Isha are NOT ranked next to each other." narrows it to 28 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
6. Clue 3 — "Geeta and Tarun are NOT ranked next to each other." narrows it to 20 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
7. Clue 4 — "Geeta and Imran are NOT ranked next to each other." narrows it to 11 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
8. Clue 5 — "Geeta and Isha are NOT ranked next to each other." ⇒ Bhavna → rank 5 (5th from top), Geeta → rank 4 (4th from top), Imran → rank 1 (top), Harsh → rank 3 (3rd from top), Tarun → rank 6 (bottom), Isha → rank 2 (2nd from top) (1 possibility left). Board (rank 1 → 6): Imran · Isha · Harsh · Geeta · Bhavna · Tarun
9. 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?

Imran holds rank 1 (highest). The full order from rank 1 to rank 6: Imran, Isha, Harsh, Geeta, Bhavna, Tarun.

### 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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