# Double-Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 12 Sep 2026

> 4-person double-row seating arrangement (2026-09-12) — Deepak, Imran, Uma, Varun. 3 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-09-12-double-row-seating-puzzle

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Published: 2026-09-12 · Difficulty: easy · 3 clues · 4 people
Exams: IBPS PO · SBI Clerk · SSC

## The puzzle

Deepak, Imran, Uma, Varun — sit in two rows facing each other — Row 1 faces south, Row 2 faces north, with 2 seats per row. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Deepak faces north.
2. Deepak sits immediately to the left of Imran (both facing north).
3. Varun sits immediately to the left of Uma (both facing south).

## Answer

Row 1 (facing south): Deepak, Imran. Row 2 (facing north): Uma, Varun.

R1S1: Deepak · R1S2: Imran · R2S1: Uma · R2S2: Varun

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 24 ways to seat 4 people in two facing rows of 2.
2. Clue 1 — "Deepak faces north." narrows it to 12 possibilities. Board — North (W→E): _ · _ | South (W→E): _ · _
3. Clue 2 — "Deepak sits immediately to the left of Imran (both facing north)." ⇒ Deepak → the north-facing row, column 1 (1 = west), Imran → the north-facing row, column 2 (1 = west) (2 possibilities left). Board — North (W→E): Deepak · Imran | South (W→E): _ · _
4. Clue 3 — "Varun sits immediately to the left of Uma (both facing south)." ⇒ Uma → the south-facing row, column 1 (1 = west), Varun → the south-facing row, column 2 (1 = west) (1 possibility left). Board — North (W→E): Deepak · Imran | South (W→E): Uma · Varun
5. Exactly one seating survives every clue — north row: Deepak, Imran; south row: Uma, Varun.

## How to crack double-row seating puzzles faster

- Treat each row as an **independent linear arrangement**, then apply the cross-row clues last.
- "Faces" means the person opposite — use these clues as **cross-row constraints** to lock both rows at once.
- Draw two parallel rows on paper, fill each row independently, then check which cross-row pairs satisfy the remaining clues.
- "Immediately to the left/right of" applies **within the same row only** — cross-row facing is a different relationship.

## FAQ

### Who sits in the first seat of each row?

Deepak, Imran sit in Row 1, and Uma, Varun sit in Row 2. Cross-reference with the facing clues to validate.

### How do you solve double-row seating arrangement puzzles?

Solve each row independently first using linear-seating techniques, then apply cross-row constraints (facing, diagonally opposite) to find valid pairs. Draw two parallel rows and eliminate combinations that violate any clue.

## Learn the method

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

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