chapter

Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles Practice Questions for GATE CS

Solve 104+ Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles practice questions for GATE CS with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

Try a question

Answer it here to see how it works. Nothing is recorded until you sign in.

Question 1

Level 1: Warm-up

In a row of students, M is standing 6th from the left end. N is standing 4 places to the right of M. What is N's position from the left end?

Question 2

Level 1: Warm-up

Five students P, Q, R, S, T have distinct heights. It is known that P is taller than Q, R is taller than S, T is taller than P, and R is taller than T. What is the minimum number of students who are definitely shorter than T?

Question 3

Level 1: Warm-up

In a row of students, A is 8th from the left end and 12th from the right end. Which of the following total counts is IMPOSSIBLE for this row?

Question 4

Level 1: Warm-up

Four students P, Q, R, S have distinct heights. It is known that P is shorter than Q, R is taller than S, and Q is shorter than S. Which of the following statements MUST be true?

Question 5

Level 1: Warm-up

In a row of students, M is 8th from the left end. N is standing to the right of M with at most 5 students between them. What is the maximum possible position of N from the left end?

Question 6

Level 1: Warm-up

In a straight line of 30 students, Ravi stands 12th from the left end. How many students are standing to the right of Ravi?

Question 7

Level 1: Warm-up

In a row of students, A is 7th from the left end and B is 9th from the right end. There are exactly 3 students between A and B. What is the minimum possible number of students in the row?

Question 8

Level 1: Warm-up

According to the rules for avoiding traps in relationship puzzles, if a statement says "P is the son of Q", what is the minimum number of children Q must have?

Question 9

Level 1: Warm-up

Points are placed at all three corners and all three mid-points of a triangle. What is the minimum number of points that lie on at least two different sides of the triangle?

Question 10

Level 1: Warm-up

In a ranking of 5 students by height, A is the shortest. B is taller than only one student. C is taller than D but is not the tallest. How many students are strictly taller than D ?

Free preview ends here

Login to view the complete practice questions and solutions

Creating an account is free. You get the rest of this chapter, step-by-step solutions, and a study plan built around the topics you are actually weak at.

Why MastersUp

Personalised first. High quality throughout.

Most platforms hand everyone the same content. Here the content moves with your performance, topic by topic.

Built around you, not around a syllabus PDF

Every answer you give moves your topic-level intelligence rate. The next question, the next revision card and tomorrow's plan all change with it.

Revision that hits your weak spots

We only revise topics you have actually attempted and are still below the safe bar on — never the same chapter on repeat.

Questions calibrated to the real exam

Each question carries a measured toughness. You are served a rung above your current level, so practice keeps stretching you.

Notes written for recall, not for volume

Full lesson cards for first study, curated short-note cards for the last mile — with derivations, traps and exam patterns marked.

One place for everything

Notes, chapter practice, previous-year questions, test series and full-length papers — all feeding one picture of your preparation.

Honest progress

No vanity streaks. Progress here means chapters mastered and accuracy that held up on harder questions.

Unlock the whole course

Full notes and short notes, the complete question bank with worked solutions, mock tests, full-length papers, and an adaptive plan that rebuilds itself as you improve.

View all plans Start free

Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles Practice Questions for GATE CS

Solve 104+ Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles practice questions for GATE CS with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

Chapter Roadmap: Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles

Chapter Roadmap

Relationships, Ordering & Arrangement Puzzles

Topic 1 Family & Blood Relationships

Topic 2 Spatial & Geometric Arrangements

Topic 3 Ordering, Ranking & Sequences

Topic 4 Grid Shading & Constraints

How to use: Start with Topic 1 to build your foundation. Each subsequent topic builds on these skills. Speed comes from systematic approach, not memorization.

Family and Blood Relationships

Foundation Topic

Family and Blood Relationships

Decode complex family connections to determine how people are related.

The fundamental family structure and generational levels
Relationship terminology (paternal, maternal, in-laws)
Building family tree diagrams systematically
Inferring indirect relationships from given information
Avoiding common traps in relationship puzzles

Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (10 Problems)

Question 1 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a row of students, M is standing 6th from the left end. N is standing 4 places to the right of M. What is N's position from the left end?

A.
9
B.
10
C.
11
D.
8

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: "Places to the right" means you add to the position. This is a direct translation from language to math.

Step 1: M's position from left = 6.

Step 2: N is 4 places to the right of M.

Step 3: N's position from left = M's position + 4

= 6 + 4

= 10.

Note: We add 4 directly because "4 places to the right" means moving 4 positions forward, not counting the spaces between.

Answer: 10

Question 2 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

Five students P, Q, R, S, T have distinct heights. It is known that P is taller than Q, R is taller than S, T is taller than P, and R is taller than T. What is the minimum number of students who are definitely shorter than T?

A.
1
B.
2
C.
3
D.
4

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: Convert the verbal comparisons to inequalities and determine who is definitely shorter than T.

Step 1: Translate the given information:

P is taller than Q → P > Q
R is taller than S → R > S
T is taller than P → T > P
R is taller than T → R > T

Step 2: Chain the inequalities:

From T > P and P > Q, we get T > P > Q.

From R > T, we get R > T > P > Q.

We also know R > S, but S's relationship to T, P, Q is unknown.

Step 3: Determine who is definitely shorter than T:

P is shorter than T (T > P) ✓
Q is shorter than T (T > P > Q) ✓
S's relationship to T is unknown (only R > S and R > T are known)
R is taller than T (R > T) ✗

Step 4: Count the students definitely shorter than T: P and Q → 2 students.

Answer: 2

Question 3 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a row of students, A is 8th from the left end and 12th from the right end. Which of the following total counts is IMPOSSIBLE for this row?

A.
19
B.
18
C.
20
D.
17

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: The total number of people in a row is determined by the formula $N = L + R - 1$ , where $L$ is position from left and $R$ is position from right.

Step 1: Given $L = 8$ and $R = 12$ .

Step 2: Apply the formula:

$N = L + R - 1 = 8 + 12 - 1 = 19$ .

Step 3: The only possible total is 19. Any other value is impossible.

Step 4: Check the options:

19: Possible (correct total)
18: Impossible
20: Impossible
17: Impossible

Since the question asks which is IMPOSSIBLE, and options B, C, D are all impossible, we need to select one. The answer is 18 (option B).

Answer: 18

Question 4 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

Four students P, Q, R, S have distinct heights. It is known that P is shorter than Q, R is taller than S, and Q is shorter than S. Which of the following statements MUST be true?

A.
R is the tallest
B.
P is the tallest
C.
Q is taller than S
D.
S is the shortest

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: Convert the verbal comparisons into inequalities and chain them to find the complete order.

Step 1: Translate the given information:

P is shorter than Q → $P < Q$
R is taller than S → $S < R$
Q is shorter than S → $Q < S$

Step 2: Chain the inequalities:

From $P < Q$ and $Q < S$ , we get $P < Q < S$ .

From $S < R$ , we extend: $P < Q < S < R$ .

Step 3: Determine the complete order from shortest to tallest:

P, Q, S, R

Step 4: Check each option:

"R is the tallest" → TRUE (R is last in the order)
"P is the tallest" → FALSE (P is shortest)
"Q is taller than S" → FALSE (Q < S)
"S is the shortest" → FALSE (P is shortest)

Answer: R is the tallest

Question 5 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a row of students, M is 8th from the left end. N is standing to the right of M with at most 5 students between them. What is the maximum possible position of N from the left end?

A.
12
B.
13
C.
14
D.
15

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: "At most 5 students between" means the maximum gap is 5, which determines N's maximum position.

Step 1: M is at position 8 from the left.

Step 2: N is to the right of M with at most 5 students between them.

Step 3: If there are exactly 5 students between M and N, then:

N's position = M's position + 5 (students between) + 1 (N itself)

N's position = 8 + 5 + 1 = 14

Step 4: This is the maximum position because "at most 5" means 5 is the upper bound.

Answer: 14

Question 6 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a straight line of 30 students, Ravi stands 12th from the left end. How many students are standing to the right of Ravi?

A.
17
B.
18
C.
19
D.
12

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: If you know the total number and a person's position from one end, you can find how many are on the other side by simple subtraction. Step 1: Total students = 30. Step 2: Ravi's position from left = 12th. Step 3: Students to the right of Ravi = Total - Ravi's position from left = 30 - 12 = 18. Note: We do not subtract 1 here because we are counting students to the right of Ravi, not including Ravi himself. Answer: 18

Question 7 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a row of students, A is 7th from the left end and B is 9th from the right end. There are exactly 3 students between A and B. What is the minimum possible number of students in the row?

A.
11
B.
13
C.
16
D.
19

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: When two people's positions from opposite ends are given with a "between" count, there are two cases: they don't overlap, or they overlap.

Step 1: A is 7th from left, B is 9th from right, 3 students between them.

Step 2: Case 1 — A and B do not overlap (A is to the left of B):

Total = (Position of A from left) + (Position of B from right) + (Students between)

Total = 7 + 9 + 3 = 19

Step 3: Case 2 — A and B overlap (A is to the right of B):

Total = (Position of A from left) + (Position of B from right) - (Students between) - 2

Total = 7 + 9 - 3 - 2 = 11

The $- 2$ accounts for A and B being counted twice in the overlap.

Step 4: The minimum possible total is 11.

Answer: 11

Question 8 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

According to the rules for avoiding traps in relationship puzzles, if a statement says "P is the son of Q", what is the minimum number of children Q must have?

A.
0
B.
1
C.
2
D.
3

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: This is a logical minimum question. The trap is assuming "is the son" implies "is the only son".

Step 1: Analyze the statement "P is the son of Q".

Step 2: This confirms that at least one male child (P) exists.

Step 3: The statement does not use the word "only", so there could be more children, but there must be at least P.

Step 4: The minimum number of children Q must have is exactly 1 (P himself).

Answer: B

Question 9 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

Points are placed at all three corners and all three mid-points of a triangle. What is the minimum number of points that lie on at least two different sides of the triangle?

A.
2
B.
3
C.
4
D.
6

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: A corner is the intersection of two sides, so it belongs to both sides. A mid-point lies on exactly one side.

Step 1: Identify the six points — three corners (C1, C2, C3) and three mid-points (M1, M2, M3).

Step 2: Determine how many sides each point belongs to:

Each corner is on exactly 2 sides (the two sides that meet at that corner).
Each mid-point is on exactly 1 side (the side it divides).

Step 3: Count points on at least two sides:

Corners: 3 points, each on 2 sides → all 3 qualify.
Mid-points: 3 points, each on 1 side → none qualify.

Step 4: Total = 3 points.

Answer: 3

Question 10 · Analytical Aptitude MCQ

In a ranking of 5 students by height, $A$ is the shortest. $B$ is taller than only one student. $C$ is taller than $D$ but is not the tallest. How many students are strictly taller than $D$ ?

A.
1
B.
2
C.
3
D.
4

Correct Answer:

Step-by-Step Solution

Key idea: Anchor the extremes first, then arrange the remaining elements.

Step 1: $A$ is the shortest, so $A$ is at position 1.

Step 2: $B$ is taller than only one student, so $B$ is at position 2.

Step 3: The remaining positions are 3, 4, 5 for $C, D, E$ .

Step 4: $C$ is taller than $D$ , and $C$ is not the tallest (not 5). Thus, $E$ must be 5th, $C$ is 4th, and $D$ is 3rd.

Step 5: Students taller than $D$ (position 3) are those at positions 4 and 5. There are 2 such students.

Answer: 2

Try a question

Login to view the complete practice questions and solutions

Personalised first. High quality throughout.

Built around you, not around a syllabus PDF

Revision that hits your weak spots

Questions calibrated to the real exam

Notes written for recall, not for volume

One place for everything

Honest progress

Unlock the whole course

Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles Practice Questions for GATE CS

Chapter Roadmap: Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles

Chapter Roadmap

Family and Blood Relationships

Family and Blood Relationships

Relationships, Ordering and Arrangement Puzzles: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (10 Problems)

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

Step-by-Step Solution

More practice questions in this unit