# Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 30 Aug 2026

> 6-box box stacking arrangement (2026-08-30) — Box E, Box C, Box D, Box F, Box H, Box A. 5 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-08-30-box-arrangement-puzzle

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Published: 2026-08-30 · Difficulty: hard · 5 clues · 6 boxes
Exams: IBPS PO · SBI PO · SSC CGL

## The puzzle

Box E, Box C, Box D, Box F, Box H, Box A — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 6 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Box C is NOT kept adjacent to Box F.
2. Exactly 4 boxes are kept between Box E and Box F.
3. Box E is kept immediately above Box A.
4. Box D is kept immediately below Box A.
5. Box F is kept somewhere below Box H.

## Answer

Position 6: Box E (top) down to Position 1: Box F (bottom).

Pos 6: Box E · Pos 5: Box A · Pos 4: Box D · Pos 3: Box C · Pos 2: Box H · Pos 1: Box F

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 720 possible stackings of 6 boxes.
2. Clue 3 — "Box E is kept immediately above Box A." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 4 — "Box D is kept immediately below Box A." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 2 — "Exactly 4 boxes are kept between Box E and Box F." ⇒ Box E → position 6 (top), Box D → position 4, Box F → position 1 (bottom), Box A → position 5 (2 possibilities left). Stack (top → bottom): Box E · Box A · Box D · _ · _ · Box F
5. Clue 1 — "Box C is NOT kept adjacent to Box F." ⇒ Box C → position 3, Box H → position 2 (1 possibility left). Stack (top → bottom): Box E · Box A · Box D · Box C · Box H · Box F
6. 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 E is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box E, Box A, Box D, Box C, Box H, 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

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

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