UPSC CSAT Simplified: How to solve ‘Sitting Arrangement’ questions?

Let us say there are 10 friends namely: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J who went to watch a cricket match and are sitting in one single row as shown in the figure given below:

Image Courtesy: Mudit Gupta

All 10 friends are facing towards the cricket stadium. In such a scenario, let us first try and understand a few position-based concepts.

Let us consider Person E who is facing towards the cricket stadium. If we try to imagine ourselves sitting in place of E with our face towards the stadium, we can say that Person F is sitting towards our right and Person D is sitting towards our left.

UPSC uses certain terminologies for this:

1. F is 1st Right to E.

2. D is 1st Left to E.

3. F is ‘Immediate Right’ of E.

4. D is ‘Immediate Left’ of E.

5. F is adjacent to E towards the right.

6. D is adjacent to E towards the left.

Even though the literal meaning of all the above statements is the same, UPSC uses these words interchangeably in the CSAT examination. We need to be acquainted with these terminologies.

Question 1

Let us consider the following question: Who is sitting 3rd to the right of F?

To solve such questions, you have to follow this process:

Step 1:

Imagine yourself sitting at F with your face towards the stadium.

Step 2:

Determine your right and left.

Image Courtesy: Mudit Gupta

Step 3:

Once we have determined the right and the left direction, we need to jump thrice towards the right-hand side of F.

Step 4:

The first jump towards the right takes us to G, the second jump towards the right takes us to H, and the third jump towards the right takes us to I. So, I is 3rd to the right of F.

Question 2

Let us consider one more question: Who is sitting 4th to the left of E?

Again, we have to follow the same process as mentioned above.

Image Courtesy: Mudit Gupta

Once we have determined the left direction to E (as shown in the figure above), we have to jump 4 times to the left of E. So, jumping 4 times we get A is 4th to the left of E.

Question 3

After having understood this concept, there is another type of question that is usually asked by UPSC in the CSAT paper and that is: What is the position of G with respect to C?

In such questions aspirants often get confused about whether they have to focus upon C or G. Let me tell you a simple trick to answer such questions without mistake. Your first focus should be upon whatever is written after ‘with respect to’. In the question asked, we have to find the position of G with respect to C, so your first focus should be C.

Remember, ‘with respect to’ is the most important phrase here.

Now, to solve this question, imagine yourself sitting at the position of C (because it is written after ‘with respect to’ and as per our technique, whatever is written after ‘with respect to’ should be our first point of focus.)

Image Courtesy: Mudit Gupta

After sitting on C, now you have to focus on G. Where is G? Looking closely, you will observe that G is to the right of C. To reach G from C, you have to jump 4 times to the right of C and hence, G is 4th to the right of C.

So, to answer: What is the position of G with respect to C?

Answer: 4th Right of C

Check your progress:

Using the above concepts answer the following question:

What is the position of E with respect to I?

Previous Article in the UPSC CSAT Simplified series:

How to approach Reading Comprehensions?

How to approach ‘Cubes and Dice’ questions?

How to approach ‘Calendar’ questions? (Part 1)

6 Tips to score 66.67 and qualify Prelims 2024 CSAT paper

How to approach ‘Calendar’ questions? (Part 2)

Tips on Reading Comprehension passages

UPSC CSAT Simplified: How to approach the Clock Problem? (Part 1)