# Order and Ranking Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — Bhavna, Sneha, Varun, Gauri, Meera

> 5-person order and ranking puzzle (2026-08-20) — Bhavna, Sneha, Varun, Gauri, Meera. 4 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-08-20-order-ranking-puzzle

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Published: 2026-08-20 · Difficulty: medium · 4 clues · 5 people
Exams: IBPS Clerk · SBI Clerk · SSC CHSL

## The puzzle

Bhavna, Sneha, Varun, Gauri, Meera — are ranked from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest) — work out each person's exact rank. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Meera is ranked lower than Sneha.
2. Sneha is ranked lower than Bhavna.
3. Exactly 2 people are ranked between Varun and Meera.
4. Gauri is ranked immediately below Sneha.

## Answer

Bhavna, Varun, Sneha, Gauri, Meera (rank 1 = highest, down to rank 5 = lowest).

Rank 1: Bhavna · Rank 2: Varun · Rank 3: Sneha · Rank 4: Gauri · Rank 5: Meera

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 120 possible rankings of 5 people.
2. Clue 4 — "Gauri is ranked immediately below Sneha." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 5): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 3 — "Exactly 2 people are ranked between Varun and Meera." narrows it to 4 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 5): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 1 — "Meera is ranked lower than Sneha." narrows it to 2 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 5): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
5. Clue 2 — "Sneha is ranked lower than Bhavna." ⇒ Bhavna → rank 1 (top), Sneha → rank 3 (3rd from top), Varun → rank 2 (2nd from top), Gauri → rank 4 (4th from top), Meera → rank 5 (bottom) (1 possibility left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Bhavna · Varun · Sneha · Gauri · Meera
6. Exactly one ranking survives every clue — that is the answer.

## How to crack order & ranking puzzles faster

- "Ranked higher" means a **smaller rank number** — rank 1 outranks rank 2. Fix that direction before anything else.
- Lock the **anchors first** — "exactly k-th from the top/bottom" fixes a rank instantly.
- "Exactly k people between" gives a **fixed gap** — try it at each valid pair of ranks.
- Treat it as a row: write ranks 1 to N on paper and fill names as each clue eliminates possibilities.

## FAQ

### Who is ranked highest in this puzzle?

Bhavna holds rank 1 (highest). The full order from rank 1 to rank 5: Bhavna, Varun, Sneha, Gauri, Meera.

### How do you solve order and ranking puzzles for bank exams?

Fix direct rank anchors first (k-th from the top/bottom), then apply relative clues (higher/lower, immediately above, exactly k between). Remember rank 1 is the highest — 'higher than' means a smaller rank number. Eliminate until one order satisfies every clue.

## Learn the method

This post is one worked example. The topic page for order and ranking carries the full method,
the clue-wording table and the mistakes that cost marks: https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/order-and-ranking

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