# Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 9 Oct 2026

> 4-box box stacking arrangement (2026-10-09) — Box A, Box D, Box E, Box B. 4 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-10-09-box-arrangement-puzzle

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Published: 2026-10-09 · Difficulty: easy · 4 clues · 4 boxes
Exams: IBPS Clerk · SBI Clerk · SSC CHSL

## 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.

1. Box E is kept 2nd from the bottom of the stack.
2. Box D is kept somewhere above Box E.
3. Box A is kept 4th from the bottom of the stack.
4. Box A is kept somewhere above Box B.

## Answer

Position 4: Box A (top) down to Position 1: Box B (bottom).

Pos 4: Box A · Pos 3: Box D · Pos 2: Box E · Pos 1: Box B

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 24 possible stackings of 4 boxes.
2. 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 · _
3. 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 · _
4. 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
5. 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

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

Play a fresh server-validated puzzle every day: https://deducepuzzles.com