# Box Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 25 Oct 2026

> 5-box box stacking arrangement (2026-10-25) — Box H, Box E, Box D, Box B, Box C. 4 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-10-25-box-arrangement-puzzle

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Published: 2026-10-25 · Difficulty: medium · 4 clues · 5 boxes
Exams: IBPS Clerk · SBI Clerk · SSC CHSL

## The puzzle

Box H, Box E, Box D, Box B, Box C — are kept one above another in a stack — position 1 is the bottom, position 5 the top. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Box B is kept somewhere below Box E.
2. Box C is kept somewhere below Box B.
3. Box D is kept somewhere above Box H.
4. Box D is kept immediately above Box C.

## Answer

Position 5: Box E (top) down to Position 1: Box H (bottom).

Pos 5: Box E · Pos 4: Box B · Pos 3: Box D · Pos 2: Box C · Pos 1: Box H

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 120 possible stackings of 5 boxes.
2. Clue 4 — "Box D is kept immediately above Box C." narrows it to 24 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 1 — "Box B is kept somewhere below Box E." narrows it to 12 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 2 — "Box C is kept somewhere below Box B." narrows it to 4 possibilities. Stack (top → bottom): _ · _ · _ · _ · _
5. Clue 3 — "Box D is kept somewhere above Box H." ⇒ Box H → position 1 (bottom), Box E → position 5 (top), Box D → position 3, Box B → position 4, Box C → position 2 (1 possibility left). Stack (top → bottom): Box E · Box B · Box D · Box C · Box H
6. 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 E is kept at the top. The full stack from top to bottom: Box E, Box B, Box D, Box C, Box H.

### 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

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