Linear Seating Arrangement Questions for Bank Exams: The Short Answer
Linear seating arrangement questions place people in one straight row (or two parallel rows) and ask who sits where. The whole topic rests on one rule: draw the row as you see it; a person facing north (away from you) has the same right as you, and a person facing south (towards you) has their right on your left. Fix the people with definite positions first, draw every possible case, and cut cases using the negative clues.
Key takeaway: In SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk and IBPS RRB prelims, expect one linear or parallel-row set of 3 to 5 questions, often mixed with a "number of persons" twist. Always draw the row with numbered positions from your left, write each person's facing direction as an arrow, and convert "right/left" using the facing table below before placing anyone.
Every puzzle in this note was checked by a computer program that tried all possible arrangements and directions, so each has exactly one answer. If you have already read our circular seating arrangement tricks, this note completes the seating topic.
What Is Linear Seating Arrangement in Reasoning?
In a linear arrangement, people sit in a straight line. The question tells you which way they face and gives clues such as "A sits second to the right of B" or "only two people sit between C and D". You must find the unique order.
Three types appear in bank exams:
| Type | What it looks like | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| Single row, all facing one direction | 7 to 10 people facing north (or south) | IBPS Clerk, SBI Clerk prelims |
| Single row, mixed facing | Some face north, some face south | SBI PO, IBPS PO prelims, Clerk mains |
| Two parallel rows | Row 1 faces south, Row 2 faces north, each person faces another | IBPS PO, RRB PO, SBI Clerk mains |
A fourth, harder type adds an unknown number of people ("some persons sit in a row"). It uses the same rules plus the counting formulas below.
Linear Seating Arrangement Rules: Left and Right When Facing North or South
Draw the row from your left to your right and number the seats 1, 2, 3 and so on. Then use this table.
| Person faces | Person's right is | Person's left is | "2nd to the right of X" means |
|---|---|---|---|
| North (away from you, same way as you) | Your right (higher seat number) | Your left (lower seat number) | Seat of X + 2 |
| South (towards you) | Your left (lower seat number) | Your right (higher seat number) | Seat of X − 2 |
Linear seating arrangement terms explained
- Immediate right / left: the seat just next to the person on that side.
- Second to the right: skip one seat, take the next one on the right.
- Neighbours: the two people on either side (end persons have only one neighbour).
- "Only two people sit between A and B": the seats differ by 3. The side is not given, so draw both cases.
- Extreme ends: seats 1 and n. "At one of the ends" always means two cases.
- "Faces the same direction as": both face north or both face south.
The direction of the person named in the clue as the reference decides left and right. "A sits second to the right of B" uses B's facing direction, not A's. This is the single biggest source of mistakes.
Linear Seating Arrangement Formulas (Position and Counting)
Many bank exam questions are not puzzles but quick counting items. Learn these four formulas.
| Situation | Formula |
|---|---|
| Position from right when position from left is L in a row of n | n − L + 1 |
| Total people when someone is L-th from left and R-th from right | L + R − 1 |
| People between A (L₁ from left) and B (L₂ from left), L₂ greater | L₂ − L₁ − 1 |
| A and B swap places; A's new position from left becomes L′, B was R-th from right | Total = L′ + R − 1 |
Overlap check: if A is 10th from the left and B is 15th from the right in a row of 20, B is 20 − 15 + 1 = 6th from the left. B is to the left of A, so the people between them = 10 − 6 − 1 = 3. Always convert both positions to the same end before subtracting.
How to Solve Linear Seating Arrangement Questions Quickly (Step-by-Step Trick)
- Draw the frame. Write seat numbers 1 to n from your left. Put an arrow (↑ for north, ↓ for south) above each seat once you know it.
- Start with fixed clues. "C sits third from the left end", "M sits exactly in the middle", "P sits at an extreme end". These fix a seat or give at most two cases.
- Attach linked people. Clues like "A sits immediate right of F" come next, because they hang on someone already placed.
- Open cases on purpose. When a clue allows two placements, draw Case 1 and Case 2 one below the other. Never keep a "maybe" in your head.
- Use negative clues to delete cases. "E is not an immediate neighbour of C" or "S does not sit at an end" usually kills one case.
- Directions last in mixed puzzles. Place people where seats are certain, then use "faces the same direction as" and "exactly three face north" clues to fix arrows.
- Recheck every clue against the final row before answering. It takes 20 seconds and saves wrong answers.
With practice, a 7- or 8-person single-row set takes about 4 to 5 minutes in SBI Clerk prelims, which is fair for 5 questions.
Linear Seating Arrangement Questions with Solutions (Solved Puzzles)
Puzzle 1: Eight people facing north (IBPS Clerk / SBI Clerk style)
Eight persons A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H sit in a straight row, all facing north.
- C sits third from the left end.
- Only two persons sit between C and F.
- A sits to the immediate right of F.
- D sits to the immediate left of F.
- B sits second to the right of G.
- E sits somewhere to the right of D.
Solution. Everyone faces north, so their right is your right.
- Clue 1: C is in seat 3.
- Clue 2: F is in seat 6 (seat 0 does not exist).
- Clues 3 and 4: A in seat 7, D in seat 5.
- Clue 5: G and B need seats two apart from {1, 2, 4, 8}. Only G = 2, B = 4 works.
- Clue 6: seats 1 and 8 are left for E and H. E must be to the right of D (seat 5), so E = 8 and H = 1.
| Seat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person (↑ north) | H | G | C | B | D | F | A | E |
Questions
- Who sit at the extreme ends? H and E.
- How many persons sit between G and A? Seats 2 and 7, so 4 (C, B, D, F).
- Who sits third to the left of A? Seat 7 − 3 = 4, so B.
- Who is second to the right of B? Seat 6, so F.
Puzzle 2: Mixed facing row (SBI PO / IBPS PO prelims style)
Seven persons J, K, L, M, N, O and P sit in a straight row. Some face north and some face south.
- M sits exactly in the middle of the row and faces south.
- L sits second to the left of M.
- L and M face opposite directions.
- P sits at an extreme end and faces north.
- K sits to the immediate right of P.
- Only two persons sit between J and L.
- J faces the same direction as K.
- N sits second to the right of O.
- O faces south.
- The persons at the two extreme ends face opposite directions.
- Exactly three persons face north.
Solution.
- Clue 1: M is in seat 4 (middle of 7), facing south (↓).
- Clue 2: M faces south, so M's left is your right. L is in seat 4 + 2 = 6. Clue 3: L faces north.
- Clues 4 and 5: P faces north, so P's right is your right. If P were in seat 7, K would need seat 8. So P = 1, K = 2.
- Clue 6: J is 3 seats away from L (seat 6), so J = 3.
- Seats 5 and 7 remain for N and O. Clue 9: O faces south, so O's right is your left. If O = 5, N would be seat 3 (taken). So O = 7, N = 5.
- Clue 10: seat 1 (P) faces north, so seat 7 (O) faces south. Consistent.
- Clue 11: north so far = P and L. J and K face the same way (clue 7). If both faced north we would have at least four. So J and K face south, and the third north-facing person is N.
| Seat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person | P | K | J | M | N | L | O |
| Facing | ↑ N | ↓ S | ↓ S | ↓ S | ↑ N | ↑ N | ↓ S |
Questions
- Who face north? P, N and L.
- Who sits to the immediate right of J? J faces south, so J's right is your left: seat 2, K.
- Who sits third to the left of L? L faces north, so seat 6 − 3 = 3, J.
- How many persons face south? Four (K, J, M, O).
Puzzle 3: Two parallel rows facing each other (IBPS PO style)
Eight persons sit in two parallel rows of four. In Row 1, A, B, C and D face south. In Row 2, P, Q, R and S face north. Each person in one row faces exactly one person in the other row.
- B sits at an extreme end of Row 1.
- D sits to the immediate right of B.
- Q faces B.
- R sits second to the left of Q.
- C faces R.
- S does not sit at an extreme end of the row.
Solution. Number the columns 1 to 4 from your left (west). Row 1 faces south, so their right is your left. Row 2 faces north, so their right is your right.
- Clues 1 and 2: D must be on B's right, which is your left. If B were in column 1, D would need column 0. So B = 4, D = 3.
- Clue 3: Q = 4 (opposite B).
- Clue 4: Row 2 faces north, so Q's left is your left: R = 2.
- Clue 5: C = 2 (opposite R), so A = 1.
- Clue 6: S is not at an end, so S = 3 and P = 1.
| Column | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 (↓ south) | A | C | D | B |
| Row 2 (↑ north) | P | R | S | Q |
Questions
- Who faces D? S.
- Who sits to the immediate left of R? Row 2 faces north, so column 1: P.
- Who sits at the extreme ends of Row 1? A and B.
Common Mistakes in Linear Seating Arrangement Puzzles
- Using the wrong person's direction. In "A is second to the right of B", look at B's arrow.
- Forgetting that "only two people between" gives a difference of 3 seats, not 2.
- Keeping only one case for "at one of the ends" or "two people between". Draw both.
- In parallel rows, treating Row 1's right as your right. If Row 1 faces south, its right is your left.
- Answering before checking the last clue. Negative clues such as "S does not sit at an end" are usually the case-breakers.
- In counting questions, subtracting a "from left" position and a "from right" position directly. Convert to one end first.
Quick Revision Table: Linear Seating Arrangement Tricks
| Clue | Facing north | Facing south |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate right of X | X + 1 | X − 1 |
| Immediate left of X | X − 1 | X + 1 |
| k-th to the right of X | X + k | X − k |
| k-th to the left of X | X − k | X + k |
| Only k people between A and B | Seats differ by k + 1 (both sides possible) | Same |
| Middle of a row of n (n odd) | Seat (n + 1)/2 | Same |
| Position from the other end | n − L + 1 | Same |
Linear Seating Arrangement Practice Questions with Answers
- In a row of 30 students facing north, Ravi is 12th from the left end. What is his position from the right end? Answer: 19th. 30 − 12 + 1 = 19.
- Meena is 9th from the left and Asha is 14th from the right in a row of 25. How many students sit between them? Answer: 2. Asha is 25 − 14 + 1 = 12th from the left; 12 − 9 − 1 = 2.
- A is 7th from the left and B is 10th from the right. When they swap seats, A becomes 15th from the left. How many people are in the row? Answer: 24. A takes B's seat, which is 15th from left and 10th from right: 15 + 10 − 1 = 24.
- In a row of 40, X is 16th from the left and Y is 30th from the right. How many people sit between X and Y? Answer: 4. Y is 40 − 30 + 1 = 11th from the left, so between seats 11 and 16 there are 16 − 11 − 1 = 4.
- In Puzzle 1, how many persons sit to the right of C? Answer: 5 (B, D, F, A, E).
- In Puzzle 1, if all persons were made to face south without changing seats, who would sit to the immediate right of D? Answer: B. Facing south, D's right is your left: seat 4.
- In Puzzle 2, who sits second to the right of N? Answer: O. N faces north, so seat 5 + 2 = 7.
- In Puzzle 2, how many persons sit between P and the person who faces the same direction as P and sits nearest to P? Answer: 3. Nearest north-facing person to P is N (seat 5); seats 2, 3, 4 lie between.
- In Puzzle 3, who faces the person sitting second to the right of P? Answer: D. P faces north; seat 1 + 2 = 3 is S, and S faces D.
- Seven people sit in a row facing south. T sits exactly in the middle. Who is third to the left of T if U sits at your extreme right? Answer: U. T is seat 4; facing south, T's left is your right, so seat 4 + 3 = 7, which is U.
Want timed practice? Try the SBI Clerk Puzzle and Seating Arrangement Test 01 and the IBPS Clerk Puzzle and Seating Arrangement Test 01.
Linear Seating Arrangement FAQs
How do you find left and right in linear seating arrangement?
Number the seats from your own left. If a person faces north (away from you), their right is your right. If a person faces south (towards you), their right is your left. Always use the direction of the reference person named in the clue.
What is the formula for linear seating arrangement?
Position from the right = n − (position from the left) + 1. Total people = position from left + position from right − 1. People between two persons = difference in positions from the same end − 1.
How do you solve linear seating arrangement with mixed facing directions?
Place the people whose seats are certain first, using each reference person's own direction. Then use clues like "faces the same direction as" and "exactly three face north" to fix the remaining arrows, and test both cases wherever a clue allows two seats.
What does "only two people sit between A and B" mean?
A and B are three seats apart, so exactly two seats lie between them. Since the side is not given, A can be on either side of B, so you draw both cases unless another clue fixes it.
How many questions come from linear seating arrangement in SBI Clerk?
Puzzles and seating arrangement together often carry about 15 to 20 marks in the 35-question reasoning section of SBI Clerk and IBPS Clerk prelims. A linear or parallel-row set is a regular part of that block, usually with 3 to 5 questions.
Is linear seating easier than circular seating?
Single-row questions with everyone facing one direction are usually the easiest seating type. Mixed-facing rows and parallel rows can be as hard as circular puzzles, because each clue depends on the reference person's direction.
Practice Next: Linear Seating Arrangement Mock Tests
- New seating tests with straight-row (facing north) and circular sets: IBPS RRB Clerk Seating Arrangement Mock Test 03 and IBPS RRB PO Seating Arrangement Mock Test 02.
- Mock tests: SBI Clerk Puzzle and Seating Arrangement Test 01, IBPS Clerk Puzzle and Seating Arrangement Test 02 and SBI PO Puzzle and Seating Arrangement Test 01.
- Related notes: circular seating arrangement tricks, order and ranking questions for bank exams, coded inequality tricks and data sufficiency for bank exams, plus box puzzle questions for bank exams, plus direction sense questions for bank exams.
- Exam details: SBI Clerk 2026 notification.
- Browse all study notes.