Square Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Meera, Sanjay, Omkar, Vikram, Farhan, Gauri, Sneha, Varun
The puzzle
Meera, Sanjay, Omkar, Vikram, Farhan, Gauri, Sneha, Varun — sit around a square table — 4 at the corners, 4 at the middle of the sides; each clue states its own facing convention — work out the seating order clockwise. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Sneha does NOT sit at any corner of the table.
- Farhan does NOT sit next to Varun.
- Vikram does NOT sit at any corner of the table.
- Varun does NOT sit at any corner of the table.
- Omkar sits immediately to the left of Sanjay (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward).
- Sneha sits 2nd to the right of Omkar (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward).
- Gauri sits immediately to the right of Omkar (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward).
- Meera does NOT sit next to Gauri.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Farhan, Vikram, Meera, Varun, Sanjay, Omkar, Gauri, Sneha (clockwise; position 1 is a corner, so odd positions are corners and even positions are side-middles).
- Start: 10080 distinct seatings (up to rotating the square frame) of 8 people — 4 at corners, 4 at the middle of the sides.
- Clue 1 — "Sneha does NOT sit at any corner of the table." leaves 5040 possibilities.
- Clue 2 — "Farhan does NOT sit next to Varun." leaves 3600 possibilities.
- Clue 3 — "Vikram does NOT sit at any corner of the table." leaves 1584 possibilities.
- Clue 4 — "Varun does NOT sit at any corner of the table." leaves 432 possibilities.
- Clue 5 — "Omkar sits immediately to the left of Sanjay (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward)." leaves 32 possibilities.
- Clue 6 — "Sneha sits 2nd to the right of Omkar (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward)." leaves 6 possibilities.
- Clue 7 — "Gauri sits immediately to the right of Omkar (corner people face the centre; side-middle people face outward)." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving clockwise order is Farhan, Vikram, Meera, Varun, Sanjay, Omkar, Gauri, Sneha (starting from a corner).
- Clue 8 — "Meera does NOT sit next to Gauri." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving clockwise order is Farhan, Vikram, Meera, Varun, Sanjay, Omkar, Gauri, Sneha (starting from a corner).
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Farhan, Vikram, Meera, Varun, Sanjay, Omkar, Gauri, Sneha clockwise, seat 1 being a corner.
How to crack square seating puzzles faster
- Draw the square with 8 marked seats — 4 corners, 4 side-middles — before reading a single clue.
- Place every "sits at a corner / middle of a side" clue first: each one halves the possibilities.
- Check WHO faces which way before any left/right clue — for an outward-facing sitter, left and right reverse.
- "Directly opposite" is always 4 seats away and never depends on facing — corner faces corner, middle faces middle.
FAQ
What is the seating order around this square table?
The order clockwise is: Farhan, Vikram, Meera, Varun, Sanjay, Omkar, Gauri, Sneha, starting from a corner. Relative positions are what matter — any rotation of the square that keeps corners on corners is the same answer.
How do you solve square table seating arrangement puzzles?
Mark the 8 seats (4 corners, 4 side-middles) and place the corner/middle clues first. Then apply left/right clues, checking each person's facing direction — a person facing outward has left and right reversed compared to someone facing the centre.
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