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.
Solve a fresh one every day
Deduce gives you a new server-validated reasoning puzzle daily — timed, with streaks and a leaderboard.
Play today's puzzle