Tips & Tricks: Seating Arrangement

Theory

• In seating arrangement, we are generally asked to arrange a group of people according to the given conditions. They may have to be seated around a table, the table could be of any shape-circular, square, rectangular, pentagonal or any other. To solve seating arrangement problems on the basis of the information given in the equation.
• It is one of the important part of the reasoning section for any competitive exam. In this part, questions are based on set of information containing set of conditions which gives hidden information followed by set of questions.
• These type of questions judge the ability of a candidates to analyze the information and solve the questions by the help of pictorial figures.
  

Tips

• The data given in such questions specify the positions of some or all the individuals in arrangement. The positions are specified through conditions involving specified persons sitting (or not sitting) opposite each other or a particular person sitting to the right of left of another person etc.
• Once you read the data, first draw the shape (Circle, square, rectangle, pentagaon, etc) specified in the data and then mark the slots (empty spaces) in the sitting arrangement.
• Using all definite information, fill up as many slots (empty places) as possible. Means always be careful to choose the correct starting point. Those information which are (100%) confirm should be taken first.
• Never assume anything in the questions.
• In case, if information cannot be use, mark that information and use them, later when the problems calls for it.
• Now, move on the comparative information. Taking comparative information and consider all possibilities and choose the possibility which does not violate any condition.
• Be careful with certain words like "not", "only", "who", "and".
• Some gender defining terms are like "him", "her", "he", "she" will help you decode the information.

Solved Examples

Direction: Read the following information carefully and answer the given questions carefully. 
Seven people A,B,C,D,E,F and G are sitting in a straight line with equal distance between them, but not necessarily in the same order. Some of them are facing North and some are facing South. Only two people are sitting to the left of G. Only two people sit between G and B. A sits second to the left of B. The immediate neighbours of A face opposite directions. Only one person sits between A and C. F sits third to the left of C. D is not an immediate neighbour of B. Both the immediate neighbours of C face the same direction. A faces the same direction as that of C. E faces North. B sits to the immediate left of E.