CA Foundation · Quantitative Aptitude · Seating Arrangements

While solving a seating arrangement puzzle with several clues, which approach is generally the most effective first step?

The best first step is to use the clue that fixes a person definitely, such as an extreme end or an opposite seat. This gives a fixed reference point, so the relative clues can be placed with few cases and less chance of error.

AStart with the clue that fixes a person at a definite position, such as an end seat or a seat directly opposite another personCorrect
BStart with the longest clue, even if it only gives relative positions
CStart with any clue and guess positions, correcting them at the end
DIgnore the direction the people face and fix it only after the diagram is complete

Explanation

Definite clues fix at least one person, which gives a reference point. Relative clues can then be added to the diagram with fewer possibilities. Starting with a long relative clue or guessing creates many cases, and ignoring the facing direction leads to left/right errors.

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