Circular Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 12 Oct 2026
The puzzle
Divya, Uma, Pooja, Gauri, Harsh — sit around a round table, all facing the centre — work out the seating order clockwise. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Uma sits immediately to the left of Harsh (all facing the centre).
- Harsh sits 2nd to the right of Divya (all facing the centre).
- Harsh sits 2nd to the left of Pooja (all facing the centre).
- Exactly 1 person sits between Uma and Gauri (the shorter way).
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Divya, Pooja, Gauri, Harsh, Uma (clockwise around the table).
- Start: 24 distinct seatings (up to rotation) of 5 people around the table. Fix Divya at seat 1 and count clockwise — only rotations of the same seating differ.
- Clue 1 — "Uma sits immediately to the left of Harsh (all facing the centre)." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 2 — "Harsh sits 2nd to the right of Divya (all facing the centre)." ⇒ Uma → seat 5, Harsh → seat 4 (2 possibilities left). Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · _ · _ · Harsh · Uma
- Clue 3 — "Harsh sits 2nd to the left of Pooja (all facing the centre)." ⇒ Pooja → seat 2, Gauri → seat 3 (1 possibility left). Table (clockwise from Divya): Divya · Pooja · Gauri · Harsh · Uma
- Exactly one seating (up to rotation) survives every clue: Divya, Pooja, Gauri, Harsh, Uma 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: Divya, Pooja, Gauri, Harsh, Uma. 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.
Solve a fresh one every day
Deduce gives you a new server-validated reasoning puzzle daily — timed, with streaks and a leaderboard.
Play today's puzzle