Circular Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Sneha, Karan, Meera, Divya, Harsh, Uma
The puzzle
Sneha, Karan, Meera, Divya, Harsh, Uma — sit around a round table, all facing the centre — work out the seating order clockwise. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Harsh sits 3rd to the left of Sneha (all facing the centre).
- Meera sits 2nd to the left of Harsh (all facing the centre).
- Uma sits 2nd to the right of Karan (all facing the centre).
- Divya sits immediately to the right of Uma (all facing the centre).
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Divya, Uma, Harsh, Karan, Meera, Sneha (clockwise around the table).
- Start: 120 distinct seatings (up to rotation) of 6 people around the table. Fix Divya at seat 1 and count clockwise — only rotations of the same seating differ.
- Clue 1 — "Harsh sits 3rd to the left of Sneha (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 2 — "Meera sits 2nd to the left of Harsh (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Uma sits 2nd to the right of Karan (all facing the centre)." ⇒ Sneha → seat 6, Karan → seat 4, Meera → seat 5, Harsh → seat 3, Uma → seat 2 (1 possibility left). Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · Uma · Harsh · Karan · Meera · Sneha
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Divya, Uma, Harsh, Karan, Meera, Sneha clockwise.
How to crack circular seating puzzles faster
- Circular seating has no fixed start — anchor any person first, then place others relative to them.
- "Immediately to the left" in a circle means clockwise-adjacent (when facing the centre).
- "Opposite" in an even-N circle means exactly halfway around the table.
- Draw a rough circle and mark positions as you deduce — visual elimination is faster than mental tracking.
FAQ
What is the seating order in this circular arrangement?
The order clockwise is: Divya, Uma, Harsh, Karan, Meera, Sneha. In circular seating, all relative positions are preserved regardless of where you start — the relationship between neighbours is what matters.
How do you solve circular seating arrangement puzzles?
Start by fixing one person, then place others using relative clues (immediately left, opposite, between). In a circle, 'left' means clockwise-adjacent when facing the centre. Work outward from the anchored person.
Learn the method for this puzzle type
This post is one worked example. The topic page for circular seating arrangement carries the full method, the clue-wording table, the mistakes that cost marks and more practice questions.
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