Order and Ranking Important Notes | CSAT Preparation - UPSC PDF Download

Order and Ranking

In this generally, the ranks of a person from both sides left or right or from top and from bottom are mentioned and total numbers of persons are asked. In other words a set, group or series of numerals is given and the candidates is asked to trace out numerals following certain given conditions. Sometimes the questions are based on their interchanged positions.

There are mainly three/four types of questions:

1. Total persons and position of one person (either from left or right) are given.
2. Position of more than one person is given.
3. Over lapping conditions:
   a. Overlapping case: When (left + right) positions > Total number of students
   b. Not overlapping case: When Total number of students > (left +right) positions
4. Ascending/Descending Order according age, height, marks etc.

We have to find out: 

1. Position from other side.
2. Total number of persons.
3. Number of persons in between
4. Minimum/maximum number of persons in the row.
5. Number of persons on either side of a particular person. 

Formulas for Order and Ranking

• Finding ranks either from left or from right: Total – (given rank – 1) = required rank
• Finding total numbers: When ranks of one person is given from both sides of the row.
  Ranks of common person from both sides (R1 + R2) – 1
• Finding total number of the person: (Misc. Case)
  When ranks of two persons and number of the persons who are sitting between these two persons are given.
  (a) (R1 + R2) + number of middle persons
  (b) (R1 + R2) - (number of middle persons +2)
  NOTE: Apply condition (b) only for overlapping case.
• Finding the number of persons who are sitting between any two persons: (Simple case)
  Total - (Rank from left + Rank from right)
• Finding the number of persons who are sitting between any two persons: (Overlapping Case)
  (Rank from left + Rank from right) - (Total + 2)
• Finding Rank of middle person: (Quick Trick)
  Step 1: Convert both ranks from same side (side from which rank of exactly mid asked)
  Step 2: Finds the average of both ranks (answer)
• Shortcut for calculating total number of maximum and minimum persons in a row:
  Note: Mid no. means number of the middle persons.

Solved Examples

Example 1: In a queue, Vijay is fourteenth from the front and Jack is seventeenth from the end, while Mary is exactly at the middle of Vijay and Jack. If Vijay be ahead of Jack and there be 48 persons in the queue, how many persons are there between Vijay and Mary?
(a) 5 
(b) 6 
(c) 7 
(d) 8 
Ans: (d)
Explanation: Number of persons between Vijay and Jack = 48 – (14 + 17) = 17.
Now, Mary lies in middle of these 17 persons i.e., at the ninth position.
So, number of persons between Vijay and Mary = 8.

Example 2: Kunal ranked sixteenth from the top and twenty ninth from the bottom among those who passed an examination. Six boys did not participate in the competition and five failed in it. How many boys were there in the class?
(a) 35 
(b) 45 
(c) 50 
(d) 55 
Ans: (d)
Explanation: Number of boys who passed = (15 + 1 + 28) = 44
Total number of boys in the class = 44 + 6 +5 = 55.

Example 3: In a queue of children, Ajay is fifth from the left and Sunil is sixth from the right. When they interchange their places among themselves, Ajay becomes thirteenth from the left. Then, what will be Sunil's position from the right?
(a) 8th 
(b) 14th 
(c) 15th 
(d) 16th 
Ans: (b)
Explanation: Since Ajay and Sunil interchange places, so Ajay’s new position (13th from left) is the same as Sunil’s earlier position (6th from right).
So, number of children in the queue = (12 + 1 + 5) = 18.
Now, Sunil’s new position is the same as Ajay's earlier position fifth from left.
Therefore Sunil’s position from the right = (18 - 4) = 14th.

Example 4: Students line up in a queue in which Aman stands fifteenth from the left and Simran is seventh from the right. If they interchange their places, Simran would be fifteenth from the right. How many students are there in the queue?
(a) 21 
(b) 22 
(c) 28 
(d) 29 
Ans: (d)
Explanation: Simran’s new position is 15th from the right as well as the left end of the row.
Therefore number of students in the queue = (14 + 1 + 14) = 29.

Example 5: Ram is 27th place from left end in the row of 44 boys. Rohit is 15th from the right end in the same row .How many boys are there between them in the row? 
(a) Eleven 
(b) Ten 
(c) Six 
(d) Two 
Ans: (d)
Explanation: 

Total boys between them = 44 - (27 + 15) = 2.

Example 6: In a row of girls, Rita and Monika occupy the ninth place from the right end and tenth place from the left end, respectively. If they interchange their places, then Rita and Monika occupy seventeenth place from the right and eighteenth place from the left respectively. How many girls are there in the row? 
(a) 25 
(b) 26 
(c) 27 
(d) Data inadequate
Ans: (b)
Explanation:

Total girls in the row = 17 + 9 = 26.Example 7: Jai is 25th from left and Vijay is 24th from right. When they interchange their positions respectively then Vijay becomes 31st from right end. What will be Jai's position from left after interchanging?
(a) 25 
(b) 26 
(c) 27 
(d) None of these
Ans: (d)
Explanation:

Jai's position from the left after interchanging = 25 + 6 + 1 = 32

Example 8: Zombo, correctly remembers that his father's birthday is before 29th July but after 24th July whereas his younger brother correctly remembers that their father's birthday is after 23rd July but before 28th July and his elder brother correctly remembers that their father's birthday is on an odd date. On which date of July is definitely their father's birthday? 
(a) Twenty-five or Twenty-seven 
(b) Twenty-seven 
(c) Twenty-five 
(d) Twenty-six 
Ans: (a)
Explanation:
Example 9: Among Zojo, Yo, Xe, William and Vicky each scoring different marks in a test. Xe scored more than William but not as much as Vicky. Vicky scored more than Zojo, who scored less than Yo. Who did score second highest marks? 
(a) Yo 
(b) Zojo 
(c) Xe 
(d) Data inadequate 
Ans: (d)
Explanation:
Example 10: In a row of 40 girls, when Komal was shifted to her left by 4 places her number from the left end of the row became 10. What was the place of Swati from the right end of the row if Swati was three places to the right of Komal’s original position? 
(a) 22 
(b) 23 
(c) 25 
(d) None of these
Ans: (d)
Explanation: On shifting 4 places to the left, Komal becomes 10th from the left end of the row. Thus, Komal’s original position was 14th from the left end.

Swati is 3 places to the right of Komal’s original position.
Clearly, Swati is 17th from the left end.
Number of girls to the right of Swati = (40 – 17) = 23.
Thus, Swati is 24th from the right end of the row.