Overview: Ranking Test | CSAT Preparation - UPSC PDF Download

CSAT Angle

Questions from this topic are asked almost every year. So, this chapter is very important in context to CSAT exam.

Mostly questions are asked from this chapter are based on comparison of person/object on the basis of age, height, weight, etc.

In the year 2023, one question and in 2022 one question was asked from this chapter. And in other Previous exams every year one to five questions were asked from chapter.

Practice of this chapter is must for every aspirant in the context of CSAT exam.

Ranking Test

• Ranking is based on the fact of comparison, which includes various factors such as age, height, marks, salary and weights, etc. This comparison can be in increasing or decreasing order as per asked or required.
• Questions asked on Ranking Test are given with a set of information, based on that the candidates are required to systematically understand the given information and compare them with the help of proper notation in ascending or descending order depending upon their characteristics.

Types of Ranking

Ranking is classified as:
1. Fixed ranking: In fixed ranking of objects, we get the position of objects as fixed. In other words, by fixed ranking we mean that the position of an object is definite and certain.
2. Variable ranking: In variable ranking of objects, the position of anyone of the ranks keeps varying. The variable ranking is the consequence of inadequate information about a rank given in the question.

Methodology to Solve the Questions

Ranking of objects sometimes seems to be tedious for the students when information given in the question is complicated and distorted. In such situation establishing the relationship among the objects using of symbols ‘>’ (greater than), ‘<’ (less than), ‘=’ (equal to), ‘≥’ (greater than and equal to) and ‘≤’ (less than and equal to) proves to be handy. So, use the proper notation or mental ability to solve the questions based on ranking.

Illustration 1: Roshan is taller than Hardik who is shorter than Susheel. Niza is taller than Harry but shorter than Hardik. If Susheel is shorter than Roshan, then who is the tallest?
(a) Roshan
(b) Susheel
(c) Hardik
(d) Harry
Sol: (a)
According to the height given in the question,

• Roshan > Hardik
• Susheel > Hardik
• Niza > Harry
• Hardik > Niza
• Roshan > Susheel

Thus, final ranking of height in descending order is
Roshan > Susheel > Hardik > Niza > Harry
Hence, the tallest person is Roshan.

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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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) 28
(e) None of these
Ans: (e)
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
(e) None of these
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
(e) None of these
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) 26
(e) None of these
Ans: (e)
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.