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Quantitative Aptitude · Seating Arrangements

Double Row Seating Arrangement for CA Foundation

Updated 1 October 2026 · Fact-checked

A double row seating arrangement places people in two parallel rows, either facing each other or facing the same direction. To solve it, fix each row's facing direction, draw two lines of boxes, place definite clues first, then map each person to a position in the row and the person across from them.

Understand Double Row Seating Arrangement

In a double row arrangement, people sit in two parallel lines. Every person has two addresses: a position within the row (left, right, middle, end) and a position across (opposite, or directly behind or in front).

There are two common set-ups. In the first, the rows face each other, for example Row 1 faces north and Row 2 faces south. In the second, both rows face the same direction, so one row sits in front and the other sits behind.

Everything depends on facing direction. Left and right always mean the person's own left and right. If two rows face each other, one person's left lies on the opposite compass side from the other person's left. So the left end of Row 1 sits opposite the right end of Row 2. If both rows face the same way, left stays left in both rows, and the left end of the front row is directly in front of the left end of the back row.

A question gives you clues such as "A sits opposite B", "C is to the immediate left of D" or "E is at an end of the row". Your job is to turn these into a grid and answer from the grid. The questions are objective, so one clean diagram usually gives the answer in under two minutes.

Key formulas to remember

Facing each other: mirror rule
Left end of Row 1 is opposite the right end of Row 2 (each row's own left/right)
Position k from the left in Row 1 is opposite position k from the right in Row 2. This holds only when the rows face each other.
Same direction: straight rule
Left end of front row is directly in front of left end of back row
Position k from the left in one row matches position k from the left in the other. This holds only when both rows face the same way.
Left and right
Left and right always mean the seated person's own left and right
Facing north: left is west. Facing south: left is east.
Opposite means across
Opposite = in the other row, at the matching position
Use it only for facing rows. For same-direction rows, use behind or in front.
Equal rows
Total persons = number of rows × persons per row
For two rows, total = 2 × persons per row. Use this to check that every seat is filled.

How to solve Double Row Seating Arrangement questions

This method works for any double row question, whether the rows face each other or face the same way.

  1. 1Read the facing direction of each row first. Write it beside each row, for example "Row 1: faces north, Row 2: faces south".
  2. 2Draw two lines of empty boxes. Put the row's own left on the correct side for each row, using the facing direction.
  3. 3Mark the match pairs. For facing rows, link position 1 of Row 1 with the last position of Row 2, and so on. For same-direction rows, link equal positions.
  4. 4List the clues and place the definite ones first: ends, middle, "opposite" and "immediate" clues.
  5. 5Combine clues. Use "immediate left/right" and "opposite" together to fix pairs, and use elimination for the remaining people.
  6. 6If two cases remain, write both lightly and carry on. A later clue usually kills one case.
  7. 7Check that every person is placed once and every clue holds. Then read the answer from the diagram.

Quickest way: Anchor, mirror, eliminate

When to use it: Use this under time pressure when the question gives many clues and four answer options.

  1. Anchor first. Find the clue that fixes an exact seat, such as "at the left end" or "middle of the row".
  2. Apply the mirror rule at once. Write the opposite person beside the anchor, so each clue fills two seats.
  3. Read the question before the full solution. If it asks about one person, solve only the clues that touch that person and their neighbours.
  4. Test the four options against the clues. Cross out any option that breaks even one clue.
  5. If a clue is ambiguous and the remaining clues cannot fix it after two minutes, skip. A wrong answer costs 0.25 marks, so guess only after you have removed at least one option.

Common mistakes in Double Row Seating Arrangement

  • Using the same left-right order in both rows when they face each other

    Students draw both rows left to right on paper and forget that the people face opposite ways.

    Fix: Write the facing direction first and mark the left end of each row using the person's own left. Remember the mirror rule.

  • Treating "opposite" as "directly behind"

    Both words describe the other row, so they seem interchangeable.

    Fix: Use opposite only when the rows face each other. Use behind or in front when both rows face the same way.

  • Reading left and right from your own viewpoint

    You look at the diagram from outside, so you read it from your side.

    Fix: Always judge left and right from the seated person's direction. Compass directions help: facing north, left is west.

  • Ignoring the word "immediate"

    The word is short, so students skim past it.

    Fix: "Immediate left" means the very next seat. "To the left" alone means anywhere on that side. Underline the word in the clue.

  • Placing a person before the clues force it

    Students guess to finish quickly and then find a clash.

    Fix: Place only definite clues. Keep two cases when unsure, and let the later clues decide.

  • Forgetting to check the last clue

    After the grid looks complete, students rush to the answer.

    Fix: Re-read every clue once against the finished diagram. This takes under 30 seconds.

Worked examples

Example 1

Six persons P, Q, R, S, T and U sit in two parallel rows of three each. Row 1 (P, Q, R) faces north. Row 2 (S, T, U) faces south, so the rows face each other. In Row 1, P sits at the left end, Q in the middle and R at the right end. In Row 2, T sits in the middle, U sits immediately to the left of T, and S sits at the right end. Who sits opposite R? Options: (a) S (b) T (c) U (d) Q

Show the solution
  1. Row 1 faces north, so P (left end) is at the west end and R (right end) is at the east end.
  2. Row 2 faces south, so its left is east and its right is west. The left end of Row 2 is the east end.
  3. T is in the middle. U is immediately to the left of T, so U is at the left end of Row 2, which is the east end. S is at the right end, which is the west end.
  4. Row 2 from its own left to right is U, T, S.
  5. R is at the east end of Row 1. The east end of Row 2 is U. So R is opposite U.
  6. Check: P is opposite S (both west) and Q is opposite T. All clues hold.

Answer: (c) U

Example 2

Eight persons A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H sit in two rows of four, both facing north. Row 1 (front) has A, B, C and D. Row 2 (behind) has E, F, G and H. A sits at the left end of Row 1, B sits immediately to the right of A, and C sits immediately to the right of B. E sits directly behind B. F sits directly behind C. G sits at the left end of Row 2. Who sits directly behind D? Options: (a) E (b) F (c) G (d) H

Show the solution
  1. Both rows face north, so positions match from the left. Use the straight rule.
  2. Row 1 from the left: A, B, C, D, because A is at the left end, B is next, C is next, and D takes the last seat.
  3. E is directly behind B, so E is in position 2 of Row 2. F is directly behind C, so F is in position 3.
  4. G is at the left end of Row 2, so G is in position 1. The remaining person H takes position 4.
  5. D is in position 4 of Row 1. The person directly behind D is H.
  6. Check: G is behind A, E behind B, F behind C, H behind D. All clues hold.

Answer: (d) H

Example 3

Eight persons sit in two rows of four, facing each other. Row 1 (K, L, M, N from the left of each person) faces south. Row 2 (W, X, Y, Z in some order) faces north. Y sits opposite L. Z sits at the left end of Row 2. W sits immediately to the right of Y. Who sits opposite the person immediately to the right of L? Options: (a) W (b) X (c) Y (d) Z

Show the solution
  1. Row 1 faces south, so its left is east. K is at the east end and N is at the west end.
  2. Row 2 faces north, so its left is west. Positions in Row 2 from its own left (west) to right (east) are 1, 2, 3, 4.
  3. The opposite pairs are: K with position 4, L with position 3, M with position 2, N with position 1.
  4. Y is opposite L, so Y is in position 3. Z is at the left end, so Z is in position 1.
  5. W is immediately to the right of Y, so W is in position 4. The remaining X is in position 2.
  6. The person immediately to the right of L (in Row 1's own left-to-right order K, L, M, N) is M.
  7. M is opposite position 2, which is X.

Answer: (b) X

Exam tips

  • Write the facing direction of each row before anything else. Most wrong answers in this topic come from a wrong mirror.
  • Draw the diagram once, neatly, and keep it on the rough-work area for all questions that share the same set of clues.
  • Underline words like immediate, opposite, behind, end and middle. Each one changes which seats are possible.
  • Test the options against the clues. This often removes two options without completing the full grid.
  • If a question set takes more than three minutes without progress, move on. Negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer, so return only if time remains.

Practice questions from Seating Arrangements

Double Row Seating Arrangement: frequently asked questions

What is a double row seating arrangement?

It is a reasoning set-up where people sit in two parallel rows. The rows may face each other or face the same direction. You use clues about left, right, opposite and behind to find who sits where.

How do I know who is opposite whom when the rows face each other?

Use each person's own left and right. The left end of one row is opposite the right end of the other row. The second seat from the left in one row is opposite the second seat from the right in the other.

Is left and right the same for both rows if they face the same direction?

Yes. If both rows face the same way, left in one row is the same side as left in the other. Position k from the left in the front row has position k from the left in the back row directly behind it.

How much time should I spend on one double row question set?

Aim for about two to three minutes per set of clues. If you cannot place the first few people in that time, skip it. Wrong answers carry a penalty of 0.25 marks in Quantitative Aptitude.