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Floor / Box Arrangement

Introduction

The Floor / Box Arrangement puzzle tests your ability to logically place people, objects, or boxes on vertically ordered positions such as floors of a building or stacked boxes.

These puzzles appear frequently in SBI PO, IBPS Clerk, SSC, and CAT exams and require careful interpretation of clues like “above”, “below”, or “immediately above/below” to determine the correct order from top to bottom.

Pattern: Floor / Box Arrangement

Pattern

People or boxes are placed on different vertical levels, numbered from bottom to top (1 = lowest, n = highest).

  • Floor Numbering: The 1st floor (or bottom box) is the lowest; the topmost is the highest.
  • Above / Below: “Above” means a higher floor number, and “Below” means a lower one.
  • Immediate Adjacency: “Immediately above” or “immediately below” means no floor in between.
  • Comparative Clues: Relations like “X lives above Y” or “A box is below B” are used to derive the sequence.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

Seven people - A, B, C, D, E, F, and G - live on seven different floors of a building (numbered 1 to 7, where 1 is the lowest and 7 is the highest). D lives above A but below F. C lives on the top floor. E lives immediately above A. G and B live on the lowest two floors. Who lives on the 4th floor?

Options:
A) A    B) E    C) F    D) D

Solution

  1. Step 1: Fix known floor

    C lives on the 7th (top) floor.

  2. Step 2: Decode relation “D above A but below F”

    This gives the vertical order F > D > A.

  3. Step 3: Apply adjacency clue

    E immediately above A → E = A + 1.

  4. Step 4: Apply the new constraint

    G and B occupy the lowest two floors (Floors 1 and 2), so A must be higher than them.

  5. Step 5: Combine all relations

    From top to bottom: C (7), F (6), D (5), E (4), A (3), B (2), G (1).

  6. Final Answer:

    E → Option B

  7. Quick Check:

    C top ✅ D above A but below F ✅ E immediately above A ✅ G & B on bottom two floors ✅

Quick Variations

1. Single-variable puzzles (only floor/height position).

2. Double-variable puzzles (floor + color or name + city).

3. Use of “immediately above/below” and “two floors above/below” combinations.

4. Hybrid puzzles mixing floor and direction or blood relation logic.

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1: Begin with fixed clues like “X lives on the top floor”.
  • Step 2: Decode above-below chains first (e.g., F > D > A).
  • Step 3: Add adjacency pairs (“immediately above/below”) next.
  • Step 4: Use elimination for remaining positions and verify all clues together.

Summary

Summary

  • Always visualize vertical order - bottom to top.
  • “Above” → higher number, “Below” → lower number.
  • Combine relational and adjacency clues systematically.
  • Check for all conditions before finalizing the arrangement.

Example to remember:
If D is above A but below F, and E is immediately above A → F (6) > D (5) > E (4) > A (3).

Practice

(1/5)
1. Seven boxes - A, B, C, D, E, F, and G - are kept one above another, not necessarily in the same order. A is above C but below E. F is just below D. G is above E but not at the top. Which box is exactly between E and C?
easy
A. A
B. B
C. F
D. D

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode relative positions

    A above C but below E → E > A > C.

  2. Step 2: F-D adjacency

    F is just below D → D > F (adjacent pair).

  3. Step 3: G's position

    G is above E but not at the top → so there is at least one box above E and G is not the topmost box.

  4. Step 4: Determine middle between E and C

    From E > A > C, the box exactly between E and C is A.

  5. Final Answer:

    A → Option A

  6. Quick Check:

    Arrangement respects G above E, E > A > C, and D > F adjacency ✅
Hint: Chain '>' relations for 'above' and '<' for 'below' to visualize ordering quickly.
Common Mistakes: Overlooking 'just below' adjacency when filling remaining positions.
2. Six people - P, Q, R, S, T, and U - live on six different floors of a building. Q lives on an even-numbered floor above R. P lives on an odd-numbered floor above Q. S lives immediately below T. Who lives on the top floor?
easy
A. S
B. Q
C. P
D. R

Solution

  1. Step 1: Derive order relations

    Q is above R and on an even floor → Q > R; P is on an odd floor above Q → P > Q > R.

  2. Step 2: S-T adjacency

    S immediately below T → T > S (adjacent pair).

  3. Step 3: Identify topmost

    No clue places anyone above P, and P is described as above Q and R; therefore P occupies the top floor.

  4. Final Answer:

    P → Option C

  5. Quick Check:

    P > Q > R satisfied and T > S adjacency unaffected ✅
Hint: If a person is described as 'above' others with no one above them, they are topmost.
Common Mistakes: Assuming even/odd floors without checking relative ordering.
3. Eight boxes - M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, and T - are stacked vertically (1 = bottom, 8 = top). T is at the top. N is below M but above S. Q is immediately below O. R is not at any extreme position. Which box is at the bottom?
easy
A. S
B. Q
C. R
D. N

Solution

  1. Step 1: Fix the top

    T = 8 (given).

  2. Step 2: M-N-S relation

    N is below M but above S → M > N > S (consecutive or with gaps).

  3. Step 3: O-Q adjacency

    Q is immediately below O → O > Q (adjacent pair).

  4. Step 4: R not at extremes

    Place R somewhere in middle floors (not 1 or 8).

  5. Step 5: Determine bottom

    Given M > N > S and T top with O/Q adjacent and R non-extreme, the only consistent bottom box is S.

  6. Final Answer:

    S → Option A

  7. Quick Check:

    T top ✅ M > N > S ordering preserved ✅ O > Q adjacency preserved ✅
Hint: Eliminate top/bottom positions early, then fit adjacency blocks and non-extreme constraints.
Common Mistakes: Assigning 'not at extreme' items too early before fitting other blocks.
4. Seven floors are numbered 1 to 7 (1 = lowest, 7 = highest). A lives on the 2nd floor. B lives immediately above A. C lives on the top floor. D lives two floors below C. E lives immediately below D. Who lives on the 4th floor?
medium
A. B
B. E
C. D
D. F

Solution

  1. Step 1: Fix the top floor

    C = 7 (given).

  2. Step 2: Place D two floors below C

    D = 7 - 2 = 5.

  3. Step 3: Place E immediately below D

    E = D - 1 = 4.

  4. Step 4: Place A and B

    A = 2 (given) → B immediately above A = 3; remaining person F occupies floor 1.

  5. Final Answer:

    E → Option B

  6. Quick Check:

    C7 ✅ D5 (two below C) ✅ E4 (immediately below D) ✅ A2 and B3 as given ✅
Hint: Place top/bottom fixed positions first, then apply relative offsets and immediate relations.
Common Mistakes: Overlapping two people on same floor when combining clues without reassigning remaining floors.
5. Six persons - A, B, C, D, E, and F - live on different floors of a six-floor building (1 = lowest, 6 = highest). B lives on the 2nd floor. A lives immediately above C. E lives above A. D lives immediately below E. Who lives on the 5th floor?
medium
A. A
B. E
C. C
D. D

Solution

  1. Step 1: Fix B

    B = 2 (given).

  2. Step 2: A immediately above C

    A = C + 1 (adjacent pair).

  3. Step 3: E above A and D immediately below E

    To satisfy E above A with D immediately below E, place E = 6, D = 5.

  4. Step 4: Fit remaining A and C

    Assign A = 4 and C = 3 (A immediately above C). F occupies floor 1.

  5. Final Answer:

    D → Option D

  6. Quick Check:

    B2 ✅ C3 & A4 adjacency ✅ E6 above A ✅ D5 immediately below E ✅
Hint: If E must be above A and someone must be immediately below E, consider placing E at the highest available floor to avoid conflicts.
Common Mistakes: Placing adjacency pairs without leaving space for required 'above' persons.

Mock Test

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