Puzzle
About 7 min · General Intelligence and Reasoning · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 473 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Puzzles are questions in RRB NTPC reasoning that test your ability to organize information under constraints. Puzzles may involve seating arrangements (linear or circular), scheduling (days/months/times), or ranking/ordering problems. These questions carry the same marks as simpler reasoning topics but demand systematic approach and careful constraint-tracking.
Key ideas
- Constraint-based solving: Each statement eliminates possibilities. Mark definite placements first, then use remaining constraints to narrow options until only one arrangement fits all conditions.
- Visual representation: Always draw. For linear seating, draw a horizontal line with positions. For circular seating, draw a circle. For scheduling, create a day/month table. For ranking, use a vertical ladder or number line.
- Reference point technique: Identify one person/item mentioned in multiple constraints as your anchor. Fix their position first (or try both possibilities if two options exist), then place others relative to them.
- Elimination over construction: When options are given, test each option against constraints rather than constructing the full solution from scratch.
- Negative constraints matter: "A is not next to B" or "C is not on Wednesday" are as valuable as positive constraints. Track what cannot happen alongside what must happen.
Watch out for
- Not drawing the setup → Students try to solve mentally and confuse positions. Fix: Always draw a diagram/table, even for simple puzzles. Visual reference prevents confusion.
- Ignoring "facing direction" in seating → If people face south, left-right reverses relative to observer. Fix: Mark arrow for facing direction. If facing north, left is west; if facing south, left is east.
- Misinterpreting "between" → "R sits between P and Q" doesn't mean R is immediately adjacent to both; there may be others in between. Fix: "Between" = within the range, not necessarily adjacent. "Immediate" or "next to" means adjacent.
Quick reference
- Draw first, solve second — visual representation is non-negotiable for accuracy.
- Fix reference points early — anchor one person/item with definite constraints, build around them.
- Test options when given — elimination is faster than full construction.
- Recheck what the question asks — "Who sits second from right?" vs "How many between X and Y?" are different.
- Linear row formula: Position from left + Position from right = Total + 1.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. Six persons P, Q, R, S, T and U are standing in a circle facing the centre. P is to the immediate left of Q. R is between U and S. T is between P and S. Who is to the immediate right of Q?
2. In a class of 35 students, Ravi's rank from the top is 12th. What is his rank from the bottom?
3. Five friends P, Q, R, S and T are sitting on a bench. P is to the left of Q but to the right of T. S is at the right end and R is between Q and S. Who is sitting in the middle?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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