Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Box B, Box C, Box F, Box D, Box H
The puzzle
Box B, Box C, Box F, Box D, Box H — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 5 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Box D is kept at the top of the stack.
- Box H is kept immediately above Box B.
- Exactly 2 boxes are kept between Box F and Box H.
- Box B is kept immediately above Box C.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Position 5: Box D (top) down to Position 1: Box F (bottom).
- Start: 120 possible stackings of 5 boxes.
- Clue 1 — "Box D is kept at the top of the stack." ⇒ Box D → position 5 (top) (24 possibilities left). Stack (top → bottom): Box D · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 2 — "Box H is kept immediately above Box B." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): Box D · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 4 — "Box B is kept immediately above Box C." narrows it to 2 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): Box D · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Exactly 2 boxes are kept between Box F and Box H." ⇒ Box B → position 3, Box C → position 2, Box F → position 1 (bottom), Box H → position 4 (1 possibility left). Stack (top → bottom): Box D · Box H · Box B · Box C · Box F
- Exactly one stacking survives every clue — that is the answer.
How to crack box arrangement puzzles faster
- A box stack is a vertical row — number positions 1 (bottom) to N (top) on paper before reading a single clue.
- Lock the ends first — "at the top / at the bottom / k-th from the top" fixes a position instantly.
- "Exactly k boxes between" gives a fixed vertical gap — try it at each valid pair of positions, in both directions.
- "Kept above" only means somewhere higher — never assume adjacency unless the clue says "immediately".
FAQ
Which box is kept at the top of the stack?
Box D is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box D, Box H, Box B, Box C, Box F.
How do you solve box arrangement puzzles for bank exams?
Treat the stack as a vertical line numbered 1 (bottom) to N (top). Place the absolute clues first (top, bottom, k-th from an end), then apply above/below and exactly-k-between clues, eliminating positions until a single stacking satisfies every clue.
Learn the method for this puzzle type
This post is one worked example. The topic page for box puzzles carries the full method, the clue-wording table, the mistakes that cost marks and more practice questions.
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