Seating Arrangement Questions for Bank Exams: 20 Solved Questions with Answers

Seating Arrangement Questions for Bank Exams: Quick Answer

This set has 20 original seating arrangement questions with full step-by-step answers, written at bank Mains level. Every question hangs off one of four puzzles — two linear rows, one circular table and one square table — and every puzzle has been brute-forced in code, so each one has exactly one possible arrangement and exactly one correct option for every question. If your arrangement does not match the one in the explanation, the explanation shows you the exact clue you misread.

Seating arrangement is the heaviest single topic in bank Reasoning: one puzzle is worth five questions. In SBI PO Mains, Reasoning and Computer Aptitude is 40 questions for 60 marks in 50 minutes. In IBPS PO Mains, Reasoning is 40 questions for 60 marks in 45 minutes. In IBPS RRB PO and Clerk Mains, Reasoning is 40 questions for 50 marks in 30 minutes. In IBPS Clerk Mains, Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude is 40 questions for 60 marks in 35 minutes, and in SBI Clerk Mains the same combined section is 50 questions for 60 marks in 45 minutes. Solve the puzzle and you bank five marks in about five minutes; fail to solve it and you lose five marks at once.

Key takeaway: Never answer a seating question before the whole arrangement is fixed. Draw the shape, place every person, check every clue against your drawing, and only then look at the questions. Here, questions 1 to 5 share one row, 6 to 10 share a second row, 11 to 15 share one circle, and 16 to 20 share one square table.

What This Set Covers

Key spread: A 4, B 4, C 4, D 4, E 4.

How to Use This Set

Give yourself 25 minutes and a blank sheet. For each puzzle, read all the clues before placing anyone. Draw the shape first — a straight line of boxes for the linear puzzles, a circle for the circular puzzle, a square with eight marked seats for the last one — and write the names into the drawing, never into a list. A list hides the neighbours; a drawing shows them. Attempt the questions in order, and mark every question you guessed. After the timer, rework the guessed ones before reading the explanations. Keep a notebook of the exact step where you went wrong — left and right swapped, "second to the right" counted as one seat instead of two.

The Linear Method in One Page

Every linear puzzle here is solved the same way. First, fix the ends: a clue that puts someone at an end is worth more than any other clue, because ends have only one neighbour. Second, place the fixed middle: a person in the exact middle of a seven-person row is nearly as good as an end. Third, chain the "immediately to the left or right" clues: a neighbour clue ties two people into a block, and a block behaves like a single person with two seats. Fourth, use the gap clues last: "exactly two persons sit between X and Y" only makes sense once the row is mostly filled. Fifth, count before you answer. And one rule governs the whole topic: in a row facing north, left is your left as you look at the row. Both linear puzzles here face north — but if a paper gives you a row facing south, flip left and right before you place anyone.

Linear Row (7 Persons): Questions 1–5

Seven friends — Ananya, Vikram, Priya, Rohan, Sneha, Arjun and Kavya — sit in a row facing north. The end clues come first: Ananya sits at one of the ends, and Kavya sits at the right end, so Ananya must be at the left end. Rohan in the exact middle is the next anchor, and the neighbour clues fill the rest.

• Ananya sits at one of the ends of the row.
• Vikram sits immediately to the left of Priya.
• Rohan sits exactly in the middle of the row.
• Sneha sits second to the right of Rohan.
• Kavya sits at the right end of the row.
• Arjun sits between Rohan and Sneha.

Final arrangement (left to right): Ananya, Vikram, Priya, Rohan, Arjun, Sneha, Kavya.

Q1. Who sits third from the left end of the row?

A. Vikram B. Rohan C. Priya D. Sneha E. Arjun

Answer: C — Priya.

Explanation: The final arrangement, left to right, is Ananya, Vikram, Priya, Rohan, Arjun, Sneha, Kavya. Count three seats in from the left end: first is Ananya, second is Vikram, third is Priya. The trap is option A, Vikram, who sits second from the left — one seat short of the position the question asks for. Always count the seats out loud, one by one, instead of judging the position by eye.

Q2. Who sits immediately to the right of Rohan?

A. Arjun B. Sneha C. Priya D. Kavya E. Vikram

Answer: A — Arjun.

Explanation: In the final arrangement, Rohan sits in the middle, in the fourth seat from the left. The seat immediately to his right is the fifth seat, and that seat belongs to Arjun. The clue "Arjun sits between Rohan and Sneha" already tells you this — Arjun is the person squeezed between Rohan on his left and Sneha on his right. The trap is option B, Sneha, who sits second to the right of Rohan, not immediately to his right. "Immediately" and "second to" are different distances, and the exam tests that difference in almost every linear set.

Q3. How many persons sit between Ananya and Rohan?

A. 1 B. 3 C. 4 D. 0 E. 2

Answer: E — 2.

Explanation: Ananya sits at the left end, in the first seat, and Rohan sits in the middle, in the fourth seat. The seats between them are the second and third seats, occupied by Vikram and Priya — that is 2 persons. The count is the difference of the positions minus one: 4 − 1 − 1 = 2. The trap is option B, 3, which is what you get if you count Rohan himself as one of the persons between, or if you count the seats instead of the people sitting in them. "Between" never includes the two named people.

Q4. Who sits second from the right end of the row?

A. Arjun B. Sneha C. Rohan D. Kavya E. Priya

Answer: B — Sneha.

Explanation: Count two seats in from the right end: the first seat from the right is Kavya, at the right end, and the second seat from the right is Sneha. In the final arrangement, Sneha sits in the sixth seat from the left, which is the second seat from the right in a seven-person row. The trap is option A, Arjun, who sits third from the right end — one seat too far in. Counting from the wrong end is the most common error on this question type, so always start your count at the end the question names.

Q5. Who sits at the left end of the row?

A. Vikram B. Kavya C. Priya D. Ananya E. Rohan

Answer: D — Ananya.

Explanation: The clues say Ananya sits at one of the ends and Kavya sits at the right end. Since Kavya takes the right end, Ananya must take the other end — the left end. In the final arrangement, the first seat from the left is Ananya. The trap is option B, Kavya, who sits at the right end: the question asks for the left end, and the two ends are the easiest seats in the row to confuse when you are reading fast. If a question asks for an end, say the end out loud before you look at the options.

Linear Row (8 Persons): Questions 6–10

Eight friends — Farhan, Gauri, Harish, Isha, Jatin, Leena, Mohan and Naina — sit in a row facing north. This row has no single middle seat, so it is solved from the ends inward. Both ends are given — Farhan at the left end and Naina at the right end — and their neighbours too: Gauri immediately to the right of Farhan, and Mohan immediately to the left of Naina.

• Farhan sits at the left end of the row.
• Naina sits at the right end of the row.
• Exactly two persons sit between Harish and Leena.
• Gauri sits immediately to the right of Farhan.
• Isha sits immediately to the left of Jatin.
• Mohan sits immediately to the left of Naina.
• Jatin sits between Isha and Leena.
• Harish sits third from the left end.

Final arrangement (left to right): Farhan, Gauri, Harish, Isha, Jatin, Leena, Mohan, Naina.

Q6. Who sits fourth from the left end of the row?

A. Harish B. Jatin C. Leena D. Isha E. Gauri

Answer: D — Isha.

Explanation: The final arrangement, left to right, is Farhan, Gauri, Harish, Isha, Jatin, Leena, Mohan, Naina. Count four seats in from the left: first is Farhan, second is Gauri, third is Harish, fourth is Isha. The trap is option A, Harish, who sits third from the left — the clue "Harish sits third from the left end" is printed in the puzzle, and the exam counts on you answering with the clue instead of counting to the position the question actually asks for.

Q7. How many persons sit between Harish and Leena?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 0

Answer: B — 2.

Explanation: Harish sits in the third seat from the left and Leena sits in the sixth seat from the left. The seats between them are the fourth and fifth seats, occupied by Isha and Jatin — that is 2 persons. This is the gap clue from the puzzle itself, stated as "exactly two persons sit between Harish and Leena", so the question is really checking whether you built the row correctly rather than whether you can count. The trap is option C, 3, which is the difference of the two positions (6 − 3 = 3) without subtracting one for the gap count. Position difference minus one is the number of people between.

Q8. Who sits immediately to the right of Gauri?

A. Isha B. Farhan C. Jatin D. Leena E. Harish

Answer: E — Harish.

Explanation: Gauri sits in the second seat from the left, immediately to the right of Farhan at the left end. The seat immediately to Gauri's right is the third seat, and that seat belongs to Harish. In the final arrangement, Farhan, Gauri and Harish are three in a row at the left end of the row. The trap is option B, Farhan, who sits immediately to the left of Gauri, not to her right. Left and right are the oldest trap in seating arrangement, and the only cure is to point at the seat with your pen before you pick an option.

Q9. Who sits second from the right end of the row?

A. Mohan B. Naina C. Leena D. Jatin E. Isha

Answer: A — Mohan.

Explanation: Count two seats in from the right end: the first seat from the right is Naina, at the right end, and the second seat from the right is Mohan. The clue "Mohan sits immediately to the left of Naina" says the same thing in different words — in a north-facing row, immediately to the left of the person at the right end is the second seat from the right end. The trap is option C, Leena, who sits third from the right end. If two clues in a puzzle say the same thing in different words, use one to check the other.

Q10. Who sits at the right end of the row?

A. Mohan B. Leena C. Naina D. Farhan E. Gauri

Answer: C — Naina.

Explanation: The clues say Naina sits at the right end of the row, and in the final arrangement the eighth seat, the last seat on the right, belongs to Naina. The trap is option A, Mohan, who sits next to Naina at the right end of the row — the nearest neighbour of the end is not the end itself. End questions are free marks, but only if you answer with the person at the end and not the person beside them.

The Circular Method in One Page

Circular puzzles run on the linear method with one extra rule: left and right flip. When everyone faces the centre, a person's left hand points clockwise round the table and their right hand points anticlockwise. Write that rule at the top of your rough sheet. A circle has no ends, so there is nothing to anchor on until an opposite pair appears: "A sits opposite P" fixes two seats at once, four seats apart. Fix one person in place while you draw: put one person at the top and build clockwise from there.

Circular Table (8 Persons): Questions 11–15

Eight friends — Asha, Rahul, Divya, Karan, Pooja, Sameer, Neha and Varun — sit around a round table, facing the centre. Left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise. The opposite pair is the anchor: Asha sits opposite Pooja, so put Asha at the top of your circle and Pooja directly across from her.

• Asha sits opposite Pooja.
• Rahul sits immediately to the left of Asha.
• Divya sits immediately to the left of Rahul.
• Karan sits immediately to the left of Divya.
• Sameer sits immediately to the left of Pooja.
• Neha sits between Sameer and Varun.
• Varun sits immediately to the right of Asha.

Final arrangement (clockwise from Asha): Asha, Rahul, Divya, Karan, Pooja, Sameer, Neha, Varun.

Q11. Who sits opposite Asha?

A. Pooja B. Sameer C. Neha D. Varun E. Karan

Answer: A — Pooja.

Explanation: In a circle of eight, the person opposite someone sits four seats away in either direction. Asha sits at the top of the circle and Pooja sits directly across from her, four seats clockwise and four seats anticlockwise. The clue "Asha sits opposite Pooja" states this directly, so the question is a check that you placed the anchor pair correctly. The trap is option E, Karan, who sits three seats clockwise from Asha — one seat short of opposite. Opposite in an eight-person circle always means four seats away, never three.

Q12. Who sits second to the left of Divya?

A. Karan B. Sameer C. Rahul D. Pooja E. Neha

Answer: D — Pooja.

Explanation: Facing the centre, left is clockwise. Divya sits in the third seat clockwise from Asha. Count two seats clockwise from Divya: the first seat clockwise is Karan, and the second seat clockwise is Pooja. In the final arrangement, the clockwise order from Divya is Divya, Karan, Pooja. The trap is option A, Karan, who sits immediately to the left of Divya — one seat clockwise, not two. "Second to the left" means skip one seat and take the next, and skipping is the step most candidates forget under time pressure.

Q13. Who sits immediately to the right of Karan?

A. Pooja B. Divya C. Rahul D. Sameer E. Varun

Answer: B — Divya.

Explanation: Facing the centre, right is anticlockwise. Karan sits in the fourth seat clockwise from Asha. One seat anticlockwise from Karan is Divya, who sits in the third seat clockwise from Asha. The clue "Karan sits immediately to the left of Divya" says the same thing from the other side: if Karan is immediately to the left of Divya, then Divya is immediately to the right of Karan. The trap is option A, Pooja, who sits immediately to the left of Karan, not to his right. Every immediate-neighbour clue has two readings, one from each side, and the question is testing whether you read it from the right side.

Q14. Who sits between Sameer and Varun?

A. Asha B. Rahul C. Divya D. Karan E. Neha

Answer: E — Neha.

Explanation: In the final arrangement, going clockwise from Asha, the order is Asha, Rahul, Divya, Karan, Pooja, Sameer, Neha, Varun — and then back to Asha. Sameer and Varun are separated by exactly one seat on the clockwise side, and that seat belongs to Neha. The clue "Neha sits between Sameer and Varun" states this directly. The trap is option A, Asha, who sits on the other side of Varun — Varun's other neighbour is Asha, but Asha is not between Sameer and Varun, she is next to Varun on the far side. "Between" means the seat that has one named person on each side of it.

Q15. Who sits third to the left of Neha?

A. Divya B. Varun C. Rahul D. Asha E. Pooja

Answer: C — Rahul.

Explanation: Facing the centre, left is clockwise. Neha sits in the seventh seat clockwise from Asha. Count three seats clockwise from Neha: the first is Varun, the second is Asha, and the third is Rahul. The count wraps round the top of the circle, past Asha and on to Rahul — and wrapping round is exactly what makes circular questions harder than linear ones, because there is no end to stop at. The trap is option B, Varun, who sits immediately to the left of Neha, one seat clockwise. If you stopped after one seat, you answered the wrong question.

The Square-Table Method in One Page

A square table is a circle with corners. Eight people sit four at the corners and four in the middle of the sides, alternating all the way round — so the person opposite a corner sitter is another corner sitter, and opposite a side-middle sitter is another side-middle sitter. That is a free check: if your drawing breaks that rule, it is wrong. Draw the square, mark the eight seats, and place people clockwise exactly as you would round a circle — left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise, because everyone faces the centre. Name the seat type when you place someone, because the corner questions separate a finished arrangement from a half-finished one.

Square Table (8 Persons): Questions 16–20

Eight friends — Aditi, Bhavesh, Chetan, Deepa, Esha, Girish, Hema and Imran — sit around a square table, facing the centre. Four sit at the corners and four in the middle of the sides. Going clockwise from the middle of the north side, the seats are: north middle, north-east corner, east middle, south-east corner, south middle, south-west corner, west middle, north-west corner.

• Aditi sits opposite Esha.
• Bhavesh sits immediately to the left of Aditi.
• Chetan sits immediately to the left of Bhavesh.
• Deepa sits immediately to the left of Chetan.
• Girish sits opposite Bhavesh.
• Hema sits between Girish and Imran.
• Imran sits immediately to the right of Aditi.

Final arrangement (clockwise from the north middle): Aditi (north middle), Bhavesh (north-east corner), Chetan (east middle), Deepa (south-east corner), Esha (south middle), Girish (south-west corner), Hema (west middle), Imran (north-west corner).

Q16. Who sits opposite Aditi?

A. Girish B. Esha C. Hema D. Deepa E. Chetan

Answer: B — Esha.

Explanation: Aditi sits in the middle of the north side, and the seat directly across the table from her is the middle of the south side, which belongs to Esha. The clue "Aditi sits opposite Esha" states this directly. Both are side-middle sitters, which is the check the square method gives you for free — opposite pairs always share a seat type. The trap is option A, Girish, who sits opposite Bhavesh, not opposite Aditi. There are four opposite pairs at this table, and the question is testing whether you picked the pair that belongs to Aditi.

Q17. Who sits at the corner immediately to the left of Aditi?

A. Chetan B. Imran C. Hema D. Bhavesh E. Girish

Answer: D — Bhavesh.

Explanation: Facing the centre, left is clockwise. Aditi sits at the north middle, and the next seat clockwise is the north-east corner, which belongs to Bhavesh. The clue "Bhavesh sits immediately to the left of Aditi" states this directly, and the seat type confirms it: the seat immediately clockwise from a side middle is always a corner. The trap is option B, Imran, who sits at the north-west corner, immediately to the right of Aditi — the corner on the other side. Left and right at a square table are decided by the facing direction, not by the map, so always work from the person's left, not from yours.

Q18. Who sits second to the left of Deepa?

A. Girish B. Esha C. Hema D. Bhavesh E. Aditi

Answer: A — Girish.

Explanation: Facing the centre, left is clockwise. Deepa sits at the south-east corner. Count two seats clockwise from Deepa: the first seat clockwise is Esha, at the south middle, and the second seat clockwise is Girish, at the south-west corner. In the final arrangement, the clockwise order from Deepa is Deepa, Esha, Girish. The trap is option B, Esha, who sits immediately to the left of Deepa — one seat clockwise, not two. "Second to the left" always means skip one seat and take the next, and at a square table the skipped seat is a side middle and the answer is a corner, which is another way to check your count.

Q19. Who sits immediately to the right of Esha?

A. Chetan B. Girish C. Deepa D. Aditi E. Hema

Answer: C — Deepa.

Explanation: Facing the centre, right is anticlockwise. Esha sits at the south middle, and one seat anticlockwise from her is the south-east corner, which belongs to Deepa. The clue "Deepa sits immediately to the left of Chetan" does not state this directly, but the arrangement does: going clockwise, the order is Chetan, Deepa, Esha, so going anticlockwise from Esha you reach Deepa first. The trap is option B, Girish, who sits immediately to the left of Esha, one seat clockwise — the mirror image of the right answer. When a question asks for the right, count anticlockwise, and say "anticlockwise" out loud before you start counting.

Q20. Who sits immediately to the left of Hema?

A. Girish B. Aditi C. Esha D. Deepa E. Imran

Answer: E — Imran.

Explanation: Facing the centre, left is clockwise. Hema sits at the west middle, and the next seat clockwise is the north-west corner, which belongs to Imran. The clue "Hema sits between Girish and Imran" states this from both sides at once: Girish is on Hema's anticlockwise side and Imran is on her clockwise side, and clockwise is left when you face the centre. The trap is option A, Girish, who sits immediately to the right of Hema, not to her left. A "between" clue always gives you both neighbours, and the question is testing whether you picked the neighbour on the side it asked for.

Answer Key

Key spread: A 4, B 4, C 4, D 4, E 4. No option repeats more than twice in a row.

Common Mistakes

The first and most expensive mistake is answering before the arrangement is finished. In Q2 the answer is only safe once Arjun is placed, and in Q15 only once the whole circle is drawn. The second mistake is swapping left and right: in a north-facing row left is your left, but facing the centre, left is clockwise. Q13 and Q19 are both built on that swap. The third mistake is counting the wrong distance: "immediately to the right" is one seat, "second to the right" is two, and "exactly two persons between" is three seats apart. Q3, Q7 and Q12 all turn on that arithmetic. The fourth mistake is treating an end like a middle: the person next to the end is not the end, and Q5 and Q10 both catch candidates who answer with the neighbour of the end. The fifth mistake is ignoring the seat type at a square table: if your drawing puts a corner sitter opposite a side-middle sitter, the drawing is wrong. Finally, check your drawing against every clue before you answer.

Memory Tricks

Four fast methods cover most seating questions. First, ends first, middles second, blocks third, gaps last: in the first linear puzzle the end and middle clues fix four seats before any neighbour clue is used. Second, "immediately" makes a block: Vikram immediately to the left of Priya is one block, and the circular puzzle's left-hand chain — Rahul, Divya, Karan — is one block of four. Place blocks, not people. Third, opposite means four away in a circle of eight, so an opposite clue fixes two seats at once. Fourth, say the direction out loud: "left is clockwise" for a circle or a square table, "left is my left" for a north-facing row. Fifth, position difference minus one is the number of people between: Harish in seat three and Leena in seat six gives 6 − 3 − 1 = 2.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many seating arrangement questions come in bank Mains?

A full seating puzzle is usually a set of five questions, and most Mains papers carry one or two such sets. SBI PO Mains Reasoning and Computer Aptitude is 40 questions for 60 marks in 50 minutes; IBPS PO Mains Reasoning is 40 questions for 60 marks in 45 minutes; IBPS RRB Mains Reasoning is 40 questions for 50 marks in 30 minutes.

What is the difference between linear, circular and square seating?

In a linear puzzle, people sit in a straight row and left and right follow the facing direction. In a circular puzzle, people sit round a table facing the centre, so left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise, and there are no ends. A square table works like a circle, except the seats alternate between corners and side middles.

How do I decide left and right when everyone faces the centre?

Left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise. Stand at the north side of the table facing the centre — your left hand points east, which is clockwise round the table. Write "left = clockwise" at the top of your rough sheet before you start.

What should I do first when I see a seating puzzle?

Draw the shape and read all the clues before placing anyone. Place the anchors first — ends in a row, opposite pairs in a circle — then chain the neighbour clues into blocks, and use the gap clues last.

How many people sit between two people, and how do I count it?

Subtract the two positions and take away one. Harish in seat 3 and Leena in seat 6 gives 6 − 3 − 1 = 2 people between them — Isha and Jatin. "Between" never includes the two named people.

Are square-table puzzles asked in bank Mains?

Yes. Square-table puzzles appear in SBI PO and IBPS PO Mains alongside circular and linear sets, usually as one five-question set. They are solved exactly like circular puzzles, with one extra check: opposite pairs share a seat type.

How much time should one five-question seating set take?

About 5 to 6 minutes in the Mains: roughly a minute to draw the arrangement and under a minute per question once it is drawn. If a set is taking more than 7 minutes, you are re-reading the clues too often.

Practice Next

• Linear seating arrangement questions for bank exams — north, south, mixed rows.
• Circular seating arrangement tricks — facing centre or outside.
• Parallel row seating arrangement for bank exams — two facing rows.
• Box puzzle questions for bank exams — stacking rules.
• Floor puzzle questions for bank exams — floor tricks.
• Puzzles for SBI PO — all puzzle types.
• Order and ranking questions for bank exams — ranking positions.
• Direction sense questions for bank exams — one-mark questions.
• Blood relation questions for bank exams — reasoning topic.
• Syllogism questions for bank exams — 20 Mains questions.
• Coded inequality tricks — coded format.
• IBPS Clerk puzzle and seating arrangement test 01 — timed Clerk practice.
• IBPS PO puzzle and seating arrangement test 01 — timed PO practice.
• SBI PO Mains reasoning and computer aptitude sectional mock test 01 — timed Mains practice.