Ranking and Ordering is a crucial topic in Logical Reasoning, commonly tested in competitive exams like CUET UG. This topic involves arranging people or objects based on given conditions such as position, height, weight, marks, or other attributes. It requires logical deduction, application of formulas, and careful interpretation of given information.
Ranking and Ordering questions are generally classified into the following categories:
This type of question involves determining the position of an individual/item in a row or a sequence.
Key Concepts and Formulas
Example 1:
Q: In a row of students, Rahul is 12th from the left and 18th from the right. Find the total number of students in the row.
Solution:
Using the formula:
Total Persons = Left Position + Right Position - 1
= 12 + 18 - 1
= 29
Answer: 29 students
In this type, we determine how many people are placed between two given individuals.
Formula
No. of persons between A and B = Total Persons - (Position of A from one end + Position of B from the opposite end)
Example 2
Q: In a queue of 50 persons, A is 10th from the left and B is 15th from the right. Find the number of persons sitting between them.
Solution:
Total Persons = 50
Persons between A and B = 50 - (10 + 15) = 50 - 25 = 25
Answer: 25 persons
Sometimes, we need to find the minimum number of people in a row when given relative positions of individuals.
Example 3
Q: P is 8th from the left and Q is 12th from the right. If there are 4 persons between them, find the total number of persons in the row.
Solution:
Total Persons = Left Position of P + Right Position of Q + Persons in Between
= 8 + 12 + 4 = 24
Answer: 24 persons
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This type involves arranging individuals based on height, weight, marks, age, etc.
Example 4
Q: Five students – A, B, C, D, and E – have different heights.
Who is the tallest?
Solution:
From the conditions, we can order the students as:
C > D > A > B > E
Answer: C is the tallest
These questions ask for comparisons between two individuals in terms of ranking.
Example 5
Q: Ravi is ranked 20th in a class of 60 students. What is his rank from the bottom?
Solution:
Rank from Bottom = Total Students - Rank from Top + 1
= 60 - 20 + 1
= 41
Answer: 41st
These questions require identifying the middle position in a given arrangement.
Example 6
Q: In a row of 51 persons, who is sitting exactly in the middle?
Solution:
Middle Position = (Total Persons + 1) / 2
= (51 + 1) / 2 = 52 / 2 = 26
Answer: 26th person
When individuals are placed relative to one another, we find the minimum possible total number.
Example 7
Q: In a row, A is 14th from the left, and B is 18th from the right. Only one person sits exactly between them. Find the minimum number of persons in the row.
Solution:
Minimum Persons = (Left Position + Right Position - 3)
= 14 + 18 - 3 = 29
Answer: 29 persons
In these questions, different people’s heights are compared to determine who is taller or shorter.
Example 8
Q: P is taller than Q but shorter than R. S is shorter than Q but taller than T. Who is the shortest?
Solution:
From the given conditions, the order is:
R > P > Q > S > T
Answer: T is the shortest
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This involves determining the ranks of individuals based on their scores or performance.
Example 9
Q: In a batch of 100 students, Kavya's rank is 45th from the top and Lucky's rank is 60th from the bottom. How many students are between them?
Solution:
Students in Between = (Sum of both ranks) - Total Students - 2
= (45 + 60) - 100 - 2 = 3
Answer: 3 students
These questions require logical analysis of ranking conditions.
Example 10
Q: Five friends—Rahul, Aditi, Mohan, Karan, and Suresh—are ranked in their class.
Who is ranked the lowest?
Solution:
From the conditions, the ranking order is:
Mohan > Rahul > Aditi > Suresh > Karan
Answer: Karan is ranked the lowest
Ranking and Ordering questions test logical reasoning, position-based calculations, and relative comparison skills. The key to mastering this topic is practicing different types of problems and applying shortcuts wherever possible.
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