# Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle for IBPS PO — 27 Oct 2026

> 4-person linear row seating arrangement (2026-10-27) — Arjun, Nikhil, Gauri, Imran. 3 logic clues, one provable answer. Free IBPS PO & SSC practice.

Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/blog/2026-10-27-row-seating-puzzle

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Published: 2026-10-27 · Difficulty: easy · 3 clues · 4 people
Exams: IBPS PO · SBI Clerk · SSC

## The puzzle

Arjun, Nikhil, Gauri, Imran — sit in a single row, all facing north — seat 1 is the far-left end and seat 4 is the far-right end. Using the clues below, work out the arrangement.

1. Nikhil sits immediately to the left of Arjun.
2. Imran sits immediately to the left of Nikhil.
3. Nikhil sits somewhere to the left of Gauri.

## Answer

Imran, Nikhil, Arjun, Gauri (left to right).

Seat 1: Imran · Seat 2: Nikhil · Seat 3: Arjun · Seat 4: Gauri

## Step-by-step solution

1. Start: 24 possible left-to-right orders of 4 people.
2. Clue 1 — "Nikhil sits immediately to the left of Arjun." narrows it to 6 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _
3. Clue 2 — "Imran sits immediately to the left of Nikhil." narrows it to 2 possibilities. Board (left → right): _ · _ · _ · _
4. Clue 3 — "Nikhil sits somewhere to the left of Gauri." ⇒ Arjun → seat 3, Nikhil → seat 2, Gauri → seat 4, Imran → seat 1 (1 possibility left). Board (left → right): Imran · Nikhil · Arjun · Gauri
5. Exactly one order survives every clue: Imran, Nikhil, Arjun, Gauri (left to right).

## How to crack row seating puzzles faster

- Lock the **ends first** — any "far-left / far-right" clue fixes a seat instantly.
- Convert "immediately to the left/right" into **adjacent pairs** and slide them along.
- "Exactly _k_ people between" gives a **fixed gap** — try it at each valid position.
- Eliminate, don't guess: each clue should cut the possibilities until one order remains.

## FAQ

### Who sits in the middle (seat 2) in this seating arrangement?

Nikhil sits in seat 2. The full order: Imran, Nikhil, Arjun, Gauri (left to right).

### How do you solve linear seating arrangement puzzles for bank exams?

Fix direct positions first (far-left / far-right ends), then apply relative clues (left of, immediately left, exactly k between). Eliminate impossible orders until a single arrangement satisfies every clue.

## Learn the method

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

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