Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 9 Oct 2026
The puzzle
Box A, Box D, Box E, Box B — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 4 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Box E is kept 2nd from the bottom of the stack.
- Box D is kept somewhere above Box E.
- Box A is kept 4th from the bottom of the stack.
- Box A is kept somewhere above Box B.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Position 4: Box A (top) down to Position 1: Box B (bottom).
- Start: 24 possible stackings of 4 boxes.
- Clue 1 — "Box E is kept 2nd from the bottom of the stack." ⇒ Box E → position 2 (6 possibilities left). Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · Box E · _
- Clue 3 — "Box A is kept 4th from the bottom of the stack." ⇒ Box A → position 4 (top) (2 possibilities left). Stack (top → bottom): Box A · _ · Box E · _
- Clue 2 — "Box D is kept somewhere above Box E." ⇒ Box D → position 3, Box B → position 1 (bottom) (1 possibility left). Stack (top → bottom): Box A · Box D · Box E · Box B
- 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 A is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box A, Box D, Box E, Box B.
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 for this puzzle type
This post is one worked example. The topic page for box puzzles carries the full method, the clue-wording table, the mistakes that cost marks and more practice questions.
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