Order and Ranking Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 23 Oct 2026
The puzzle
Neha, Vikram, Yash, Nikhil, Sanjay, Farhan — are ranked from 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) — work out each person's exact rank. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.
- Farhan is ranked neither FIRST nor LAST.
- Sanjay is ranked lower than Vikram.
- Neha is ranked lower than Farhan.
- Yash is ranked immediately below Sanjay.
- Neha is ranked immediately above Vikram.
- Nikhil is ranked immediately above Farhan.
Question: Determine the arrangement.
Reveal the answer
Answer: Nikhil, Farhan, Neha, Vikram, Sanjay, Yash (rank 1 = highest, down to rank 6 = lowest).
- Start: 720 possible rankings of 6 people.
- Clue 4 — "Yash is ranked immediately below Sanjay." narrows it to 120 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 5 — "Neha is ranked immediately above Vikram." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 6 — "Nikhil is ranked immediately above Farhan." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 2 — "Sanjay is ranked lower than Vikram." narrows it to 3 possibilities. Board (rank 1 → 6): _ · _ · _ · _ · _ · _
- Clue 3 — "Neha is ranked lower than Farhan." ⇒ Neha → rank 3 (3rd from top), Vikram → rank 4 (4th from top), Yash → rank 6 (bottom), Nikhil → rank 1 (top), Sanjay → rank 5 (5th from top), Farhan → rank 2 (2nd from top) (1 possibility left). Board (rank 1 → 6): Nikhil · Farhan · Neha · Vikram · Sanjay · Yash
- Exactly one ranking survives every clue — that is the answer.
How to crack order & ranking puzzles faster
- "Ranked higher" means a smaller rank number — rank 1 outranks rank 2. Fix that direction before anything else.
- Lock the anchors first — "exactly k-th from the top/bottom" fixes a rank instantly.
- "Exactly k people between" gives a fixed gap — try it at each valid pair of ranks.
- Treat it as a row: write ranks 1 to N on paper and fill names as each clue eliminates possibilities.
FAQ
Who is ranked highest in this puzzle?
Nikhil holds rank 1 (highest). The full order from rank 1 to rank 6: Nikhil, Farhan, Neha, Vikram, Sanjay, Yash.
How do you solve order and ranking puzzles for bank exams?
Fix direct rank anchors first (k-th from the top/bottom), then apply relative clues (higher/lower, immediately above, exactly k between). Remember rank 1 is the highest — 'higher than' means a smaller rank number. Eliminate until one order satisfies every clue.
Learn the method for this puzzle type
This post is one worked example. The topic page for order and ranking carries the full method, the clue-wording table, the mistakes that cost marks and more practice questions.
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