SBI Clerk Mains 2021: Solving Seating Arrangement Questions Made Easy

If we carefully analyze the previous year’s questions, we will easily discover that seating arrangement is one crucial topic that formed a major portion of the questions from the Reasoning section in the SBI Clerk Exam. And without doubt, RA (Reasoning Ability Section) is one of the most unignorable and scoring sections of the Exam. So, aspirants must prepare this topic well!

In order to master the art of solving seating arrangement questions, you must practice previous year’s questions as much as you can. Practice is the sure-shot way to score well in this section.

This article will shed light on the tips to solve different types of seating arrangement questions that usually appear in the SBI Clerk Exams.

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Read: 5 Benefits of Mock Tests & Quizzes-Beat SBI Clerk Exam 2021

Various Forms of Seating Arrangements Questions

You might be knowing that the Reasoning section usually invites at least 2 sets from seating arrangement or puzzle-based questions in most of the banking exams. You may face questions in a set of 5 questions and on the correct arrangement, you can easily fetch 5 marks from this part.

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The types of questions that you should expect in the SBI Clerk Mains Exam 2021 are:

1. Linear Arrangement
2. Circular Arrangement (inward facing, outward facing or facing both sides)
3. Rectangular/Square Arrangement (inward facing, outward facing or facing both sides)
4. Combination of Linear, Circular & Square along with Puzzles

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Let’s throw some light on every arrangement in detail!

Linear Seating Arrangement

Linear Seating Arrangements are generally asked in a single row or double row arrangement. In it, the directions of the people in which they are sitting in the spot which is to be considered carefully in order to ascertain the answer. Usually, in this sort of arrangement, a single row of arrangement is formed.

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Circular Seating Arrangement

In the circular arrangement, the questions are generally asked in the forms were, ‘all the people are either facing towards the center,’ or ‘all people are facing outside the center,’ or, a question where ‘some people are facing inside and some are facing outside the center.’

To answer these types of questions, you should pay close attention to find the exact direction in which people are sitting.

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Double Row Arrangement

Double Row Arrangement questions invite situations where there will be two groups of persons and you have to arrange one group in one row and the other group in another row. People in this normally face each other.

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Square/Rectangular Arrangement

In this seating arrangement, three types of arrangements are possible, either all people will face towards the center, in the second case, all the people will face outside the center, or, in the third case, the people will face inside while others will be facing outside.

The directions in this arrangement will be similar to the directions of the circular arrangement question.

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Combination of Linear, Circular and Square Seating Arrangements with Puzzles

This problem can be complicated, as it is a combination of all the above-mentioned situations. Hence, to master this combination you need good practice. Practice them!

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Tips & Tricks to Solve Seating Arrangement Questions

You will be asked Seating arrangement questions in the form of blocks containing 4-5 questions. You will receive some related information, and you will be required to answer the question based on it.  Mostly, this information is of two types, direct and indirect.

Type I: Direct Information-

You will be required to find direct information, which is clearly mentioned in the statement of the question while answering the given question.

Type II: Indirect Information-

You will have to find the indirect connection between different parts of the information, after filling the all the direct information correctly, while answering the question. These connections act as indirect information.

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6 Things to Remember While Solving Seating Arrangement Questions

1.      Don’t get terrified

Don’t get terrified by the complexity of the language of the question or the size. It is just the information you have to base your answer on.

2.      Choose only the useful/definite information

Choose only useful information. The information is “definite information,” and fix the place accordingly. For instance, A is sitting second to the left of B.

3. Read the entire question carefully

Read the entire question carefully before giving the answer and look for all the relevant and important details. You will find all the details in the question itself. You just have to find what the question is expressing.

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4.      Pay attention to all the possible scenarios

Pay attention to all the possible scenarios and possibilities in the question, because as you will read on the question the possibilities may get canceled. Thus, the answer will change.

5.      Your technique should remain the same

Solve the question combined with puzzles, just as you would have solved a normal seating arrangement question. Your technique should remain the same.

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6.      Ignore the negative information

Ignore negative information in the first step of solving the question. Negative information is that information that does not tell you anything definitely but gives an idea to eliminate a possibility. For instance, A is not sitting on the immediate left of/adjacent to B. or B is not opposite of E.

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Practice and practice

Practice seating arrangement questions via Mock Test. It will tell you which questions you have not mastered and encourage you to focus on your weak areas. It’s proven in psychology that you are more likely to retain information if you learn it separated over time. Since Mock Tests stimulate revision and studying, they check and encourage earlier learning and so space out learning, which is most likely to improve your retention. Hence, you need to make sure that you practice specific seating arrangements and puzzle-based questions every day for better retention to invite the best results.

Practice Reasoning Aptitude sectional tests and attempt Mock Tests as much as possible to fly higher and higher in the upcoming SBI Clerk Exam!