# Order and Ranking Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 13 Sep 2026

> 5-person order and ranking puzzle (2026-09-13) — Farhan, Priya, Rahul, Tanvi, Tarun. 4 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-09-13-order-ranking-puzzle

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Published: 2026-09-13 · Difficulty: medium · 4 clues · 5 people
Exams: IBPS Clerk · SBI Clerk · SSC CHSL

## The puzzle

Farhan, Priya, Rahul, Tanvi, Tarun — are ranked from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest) — work out each person's exact rank. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Priya is ranked lower than Tanvi.
2. Farhan is ranked FIRST (highest).
3. Rahul is 3rd from the bottom.
4. Tarun is 2nd from the bottom.

## Answer

Farhan, Tanvi, Rahul, Tarun, Priya (rank 1 = highest, down to rank 5 = lowest).

Rank 1: Farhan · Rank 2: Tanvi · Rank 3: Rahul · Rank 4: Tarun · Rank 5: Priya

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 120 possible rankings of 5 people.
2. Clue 2 — "Farhan is ranked FIRST (highest)." ⇒ Farhan → rank 1 (top) (24 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Farhan · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 3 — "Rahul is 3rd from the bottom." ⇒ Rahul → rank 3 (3rd from top) (6 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Farhan · _ · Rahul · _ · _
4. Clue 4 — "Tarun is 2nd from the bottom." ⇒ Tarun → rank 4 (4th from top) (2 possibilities left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Farhan · _ · Rahul · Tarun · _
5. Clue 1 — "Priya is ranked lower than Tanvi." ⇒ Priya → rank 5 (bottom), Tanvi → rank 2 (2nd from top) (1 possibility left). Board (rank 1 → 5): Farhan · Tanvi · Rahul · Tarun · Priya
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?

Farhan holds rank 1 (highest). The full order from rank 1 to rank 5: Farhan, Tanvi, Rahul, Tarun, Priya.

### 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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