# Double Row Seating Arrangement Questions — Free Practice | Deduce > Practise double row seating arrangement questions free: fix which row faces where, then place opposite pairs first. Worked solutions and one proven answer. Source: https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/double-row-seating --- # Double row seating arrangement questions — free, verified practice The double-row set is the hardest arrangement family in a banking prelims paper and usually the last one a candidate should attempt. Its difficulty is not logical but directional: the same phrase, “to the immediate left of”, means opposite physical seats depending on which row the person is sitting in. ## How to solve double row seating arrangement questions without inverting - Write the facing direction above each row and never assume it One row faces north, the other south, and the question always states which. Write it above each row before placing a single person. Every direction error in this topic starts with skipping this step. - Remember that left and right invert between rows For someone facing north, their left is the page's left. For someone facing south, their left is the page's right. Draw a small arrow at the end of each row pointing to that row's left, and read every left-right clue against the arrow rather than against the page. - Place opposite-pair clues before positional ones “P sits opposite the person third from the left of Q” links the two rows and constrains both at once. These are the highest-value clues in the set, so apply them before working within either row separately. - Fill one row as far as possible, then mirror across Push one row to the point where no further clue applies, then use the opposite pairings to transfer what is known into the second row. Alternating between rows clue by clue is what produces the tangle most candidates abandon. - Verify every clue against both rows before answering A double-row arrangement can satisfy all the within-row clues and break a single opposite-pair clue. Re-read the full list against the finished diagram, checking each clue in the row it belongs to. ## Reading a clue in the right frame | Clue | How to read it | | --- | --- | | Immediate left of a north-facing person | One seat to the page's left | | Immediate left of a south-facing person | One seat to the page's right | | P sits opposite Q | Same column, other row — the strongest clue type | | Third to the left of, north-facing row | Three seats towards the page's left | | P sits at an extreme end | Column 1 or column n, in a named row | | Two people sit between P and Q, same row | \|P − Q\| = 3 within that row | ## Practise double row seating arrangement questions right now Every question below was generated by the same engine that mints the Deduce daily puzzle, and machine-proven to have exactly one correct answer before it reached this page. The walkthrough is the engine's own, step for step. ### Question 1 6 people sit in two parallel rows facing each other — one row faces north, the other faces south, and each person sits directly opposite exactly one other. - Meera does NOT sit directly opposite Varun. - Nikhil does NOT sit directly opposite Meera. - Nikhil does NOT sit directly opposite Rahul. - Exactly 1 person sits between Nikhil and Varun in the same row. - Pooja sits immediately to the left of Varun (both facing north). - Varun faces north. - Gauri does NOT sit directly opposite Rahul. Can you work out who sits in each seat, in both rows? - Start: 720 ways to seat 6 people in two facing rows of 3. - Clue 1 — "Meera does NOT sit directly opposite Varun." leaves 576 possibilities. - Clue 2 — "Nikhil does NOT sit directly opposite Meera." leaves 432 possibilities. - Clue 3 — "Nikhil does NOT sit directly opposite Rahul." leaves 336 possibilities. - Clue 4 — "Exactly 1 person sits between Nikhil and Varun in the same row." leaves 32 possibilities. - Clue 5 — "Pooja sits immediately to the left of Varun (both facing north)." leaves 2 possibilities. - Clue 6 — "Varun faces north." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving seating is north row: Nikhil, Pooja, Varun; south row: Gauri, Meera, Rahul. - Clue 7 — "Gauri does NOT sit directly opposite Rahul." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving seating is north row: Nikhil, Pooja, Varun; south row: Gauri, Meera, Rahul. - Exactly one seating survives every clue — north row: Nikhil, Pooja, Varun; south row: Gauri, Meera, Rahul. ### Question 2 6 people sit in two parallel rows facing each other — one row faces north, the other faces south, and each person sits directly opposite exactly one other. - Zoya does NOT sit at either extreme end of their row. - Farhan does NOT sit directly opposite Sneha. - Exactly 1 person sits between Anjali and Farhan in the same row. - Esha sits immediately to the left of Farhan (both facing south). - Farhan faces south. - Zoya does NOT sit directly opposite Neha. Can you work out who sits in each seat, in both rows? - Start: 720 ways to seat 6 people in two facing rows of 3. - Clue 1 — "Zoya does NOT sit at either extreme end of their row." leaves 240 possibilities. - Clue 2 — "Farhan does NOT sit directly opposite Sneha." leaves 192 possibilities. - Clue 3 — "Exactly 1 person sits between Anjali and Farhan in the same row." leaves 32 possibilities. - Clue 4 — "Esha sits immediately to the left of Farhan (both facing south)." leaves 2 possibilities. - Clue 5 — "Farhan faces south." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving seating is north row: Neha, Zoya, Sneha; south row: Farhan, Esha, Anjali. - Clue 6 — "Zoya does NOT sit directly opposite Neha." leaves 1 possibility. The surviving seating is north row: Neha, Zoya, Sneha; south row: Farhan, Esha, Anjali. - Exactly one seating survives every clue — north row: Neha, Zoya, Sneha; south row: Farhan, Esha, Anjali. ## Common mistakes ### Applying one row's left-right convention to the other This is the defining error of the topic and it is almost always invisible until the very end, when a late clue contradicts an early placement. The arrow-per-row habit prevents it entirely. ### Working the two rows in alternation Jumping between rows on every clue multiplies the bookkeeping. Exhaust one row, then transfer through the opposite pairings, then return. The same clue set feels dramatically easier in that order. ### Attempting the double-row set first in the paper It carries the same marks as an easier single-row or floor set but takes roughly twice as long. Clear the cheaper sets first and return to this one with the time that remains. ## Keep the streak going One puzzle a day, timed on the server, with a national and state leaderboard and a streak that survives as long as you do. Practising a topic once is worth little; the aspirants who move are the ones who show up daily. [See what Deduce does](https://deducepuzzles.com/features) or [read the rules first](https://deducepuzzles.com/how-to-play). ## FAQ ### Which way is left in a double row seating arrangement? It depends on the row. For a person facing north, their left is the left of the page as you have drawn it. For a person facing south, their left is the right of the page. Drawing a small arrow at each row's end pointing to that row's left, and reading every clue against the arrow, removes the error completely. ### Should I attempt double row sets in the exam? Attempt them last. They carry the same marks as a single-row or floor set but typically take twice the time. Clear the faster sets, bank those marks, and come back if time allows — a half-finished double-row set scores nothing. ### What is the strongest clue type in a double row puzzle? The opposite-pair clue, because it constrains both rows simultaneously. Anything of the form “P sits opposite Q” or “P faces the person second from the left of Q” should be placed before within-row positional clues. ## Practise the next topic - [All reasoning topics](https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning) — the full practice hub. - [Seating arrangement questions for bank exam prep](https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/seating-arrangement) — linear seating practice with worked solutions. - [Circular seating arrangement questions](https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/circular-seating-arrangement) — circular seating practice with worked solutions. - [Floor puzzle reasoning questions](https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning/floor-arrangement) — floor arrangement practice with worked solutions. - [All 28 reasoning puzzle types](https://deducepuzzles.com/reasoning-puzzle-types) — one real example of each. - [SBI reasoning: pattern, topics and a daily routine](https://deducepuzzles.com/sbi) — how to fit this into a study plan. 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