Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 17 Oct 2026
The puzzle
Box C, Box D, Box B, Box F, Box H, Box G — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 6 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box G.
- Box F is kept immediately below Box C.
- Box G is kept somewhere below Box C.
- Exactly 2 boxes are kept between Box D and Box G.
- Exactly one box is kept between Box B and Box F.
- Box H is kept somewhere above Box G.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Position 6: Box C (top) down to Position 1: Box G (bottom).
- Start: 720 possible stackings of 6 boxes.
- Clue 2 — "Box F is kept immediately below Box C." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 4 — "Exactly 2 boxes are kept between Box D and Box G." narrows it to 20 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 5 — "Exactly one box is kept between Box B and Box F." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Box G is kept somewhere below Box C." narrows it to 4 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 6 — "Box H is kept somewhere above Box G." narrows it to 2 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 1 — "Box B is NOT kept adjacent to Box G." ⇒ Box C → position 6 (top), Box D → position 4, Box B → position 3, Box F → position 5, Box H → position 2, Box G → position 1 (bottom) (1 possibility left). Stack (top → bottom): Box C · Box F · Box D · Box B · Box H · Box G
- 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 C is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box C, Box F, Box D, Box B, Box H, Box G.
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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