Circular Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 4 Oct 2026
The puzzle
Anjali, Neha, Karan, Sanjay, Farhan, Sneha, Varun — sit around a round table, all facing the centre — work out the seating order clockwise. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Sanjay sits 3rd to the right of Varun (all facing the centre).
- Exactly 2 people sit between Sneha and Varun (the shorter way).
- Varun sits 2nd to the left of Neha (all facing the centre).
- Farhan sits 3rd to the right of Neha (all facing the centre).
- Anjali sits 3rd to the right of Sanjay (all facing the centre).
- Karan sits immediately to the left of Neha (all facing the centre).
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Anjali, Farhan, Sneha, Sanjay, Neha, Karan, Varun (clockwise around the table).
- Start: 720 distinct seatings (up to rotation) of 7 people around the table. Fix Anjali at seat 1 and count clockwise — only rotations of the same seating differ.
- Clue 1 — "Sanjay sits 3rd to the right of Varun (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Anjali): Anjali · _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Varun sits 2nd to the left of Neha (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Anjali): Anjali · _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 4 — "Farhan sits 3rd to the right of Neha (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Anjali): Anjali · _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 5 — "Anjali sits 3rd to the right of Sanjay (all facing the centre)." ⇒ Neha → seat 5, Sanjay → seat 4, Farhan → seat 2, Varun → seat 7 (2 possibilities left). Table (clockwise from Anjali): Anjali · Farhan · _ · Sanjay · Neha · _ · Varun
- Clue 6 — "Karan sits immediately to the left of Neha (all facing the centre)." ⇒ Karan → seat 6, Sneha → seat 3 (1 possibility left). Table (clockwise from Anjali): Anjali · Farhan · Sneha · Sanjay · Neha · Karan · Varun
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Anjali, Farhan, Sneha, Sanjay, Neha, Karan, Varun 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: Anjali, Farhan, Sneha, Sanjay, Neha, Karan, Varun. 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.
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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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