Circular Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 26 Sep 2026
The puzzle
Rohan, Tanvi, Yash, Rahul, Sanjay, Divya, Aditi — sit around a round table, all facing the centre — work out the seating order clockwise. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Divya does NOT sit next to Aditi.
- Exactly 1 person sits between Tanvi and Aditi (the shorter way).
- Exactly 2 people sit between Yash and Aditi (the shorter way).
- Sanjay sits next to Divya.
- Yash sits next to Sanjay.
- Rohan sits 3rd to the right of Yash (all facing the centre).
- Exactly 2 people sit between Rahul and Divya (the shorter way).
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Aditi, Rohan, Divya, Sanjay, Yash, Tanvi, Rahul (clockwise around the table).
- Start: 720 distinct seatings (up to rotation) of 7 people around the table. Fix Aditi at seat 1 and count clockwise — only rotations of the same seating differ.
- Clue 6 — "Rohan sits 3rd to the right of Yash (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 2 — "Exactly 1 person sits between Tanvi and Aditi (the shorter way)." narrows it to 36 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Exactly 2 people sit between Yash and Aditi (the shorter way)." ⇒ Rohan → seat 2, Yash → seat 5 (12 possibilities left). Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · Rohan · _ · _ · Yash · _ · _
- Clue 7 — "Exactly 2 people sit between Rahul and Divya (the shorter way)." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · Rohan · _ · _ · Yash · _ · _
- Clue 4 — "Sanjay sits next to Divya." narrows it to 3 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · Rohan · _ · _ · Yash · _ · _
- Clue 5 — "Yash sits next to Sanjay." narrows it to 2 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · Rohan · _ · _ · Yash · _ · _
- Clue 1 — "Divya does NOT sit next to Aditi." ⇒ Tanvi → seat 6, Rahul → seat 7, Sanjay → seat 4, Divya → seat 3 (1 possibility left). Table (clockwise from Aditi): Aditi · Rohan · Divya · Sanjay · Yash · Tanvi · Rahul
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Aditi, Rohan, Divya, Sanjay, Yash, Tanvi, Rahul 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: Aditi, Rohan, Divya, Sanjay, Yash, Tanvi, Rahul. 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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