Square Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Varun, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Anjali, Kiran, Priya, Sneha
The puzzle
Varun, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Anjali, Kiran, Priya, Sneha — 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.
- Anjali sits at one of the corners of the table.
- Jaya sits next to Esha.
- Jaya sits at one of the corners of the table.
- Kiran sits immediately to the right of Jaya (all facing the centre).
- Tarun sits 3rd to the right of Sneha (all facing the centre).
- Esha sits 3rd to the left of Priya (all facing the centre).
- Varun sits next to Tarun.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Anjali, Sneha, Priya, Kiran, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Varun (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 — "Anjali sits at one of the corners of the table." leaves 5040 possibilities.
- Clue 2 — "Jaya sits next to Esha." leaves 1440 possibilities.
- Clue 3 — "Jaya sits at one of the corners of the table." leaves 720 possibilities.
- Clue 4 — "Kiran sits immediately to the right of Jaya (all facing the centre)." leaves 72 possibilities.
- Clue 5 — "Tarun sits 3rd to the right of Sneha (all facing the centre)." leaves 8 possibilities.
- Clue 6 — "Esha sits 3rd to the left of Priya (all facing the centre)." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving clockwise order is Anjali, Sneha, Priya, Kiran, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Varun (starting from a corner).
- Clue 7 — "Varun sits next to Tarun." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving clockwise order is Anjali, Sneha, Priya, Kiran, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Varun (starting from a corner).
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Anjali, Sneha, Priya, Kiran, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Varun 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: Anjali, Sneha, Priya, Kiran, Jaya, Esha, Tarun, Varun, 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.
Learn the method for this puzzle type
This post is one worked example. The topic page for circular and square seating carries the full method, the clue-wording table, the mistakes that cost marks and more practice questions.
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