Ranking and Order is an important part of the reasoning section of government examinations, especially the bank exams. Ranking and Order questions are tested in examinations for IBPS Specialist Officer, CISF, RRB NTPC, CLAT, SSC Selection Post, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, SBI SO IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk. You can expect 3-4 questions on this topic. Candidates should not take the risk of skipping this topic as it is tested in every examination where it has been included as part of the syllabi. For this subject, the questions enquire about people or units related to their rank from left/right/top/bottom. In some cases, the ending units on either side are given to and the total number of persons is asked. In some cases, the opposite might be assessed.
From this Ranking and Order subject, many kinds of questions can be asked. Since people or units are arranged in rows and orders, several changes can be made. Thus, a number of different types of questions can be devised based on position or the rank of the persons in the row. Presented below are the types of questions that may be assessed:
Rank of a person from the right or left side
Here candidates are required to ascertain the number of people placed in a row. The rank of two people and the total number of people sitting between two people is given to us.
E.g., At the annual prize distribution ceremony, Harry was seated ninth from the left while Ron was sitting eighth from the right in the front row. If we’re told that Hermione was placed thirteenth from the left and was sitting exactly in the middle of Harry and Ron in the same row then what was the total number of people seated in the front row?
Answer: (d)
2) Calculating the number of people in a row
In such questions, the positions of two people are given in a row. Some other details may also be specified to deduce the total number of people in the row. In some cases, to complicate the problem, the position of two persons is given and their positions are later interchanged within a row.
E.g., In a line, Ariel is at the 9th position from the front and Eric is at the 7th position from the end. 8 other people are standing between Ariel and Eric. So, what is the total number of people standing in the row?
Answer: 24. (9+8+7)
3) Total number of units between the two specified units.
E.g., 60 people stand outside a movie theatre waiting to go in. Mufasa is standing 35th from the entrance into the hall and Nala is standing 39th from the end of the line. How many people stand between Mufasa and Nala in the line to enter the theatre?
Answer: (a)
After interchanging the positions of alphabets/numbers from a previously given order. The position(s) of one or more numbers is asked from the new order.
E.g., A sequence of numbers is given: 89314725
When this sequence is arranged in ascending order, which number will remain in its original place?
Answer: (b) 3
5) When units are arranged in ascending/descending order according to their height/ weight/ numerical value and the like, In a class six students A, B, C, D, E and F are having different heights not necessarily in the same order. C is not the fourth tallest. A is taller than F and C but shorter than B. Among these six students, there are four students who are shorter than D and five students who are taller than E. Who is the tallest in the class?
Ans: 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| B | D | A | F | C | E |
E.g., Nakul’s office is on the 17th floor from the bottom of a 29-floor building. What is the position of his floor from the top?
Since a variety of questions can be tested from this topic, the only way to score full marks in it is through practice.
