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Double Row / Variable Puzzle

Reasoning Ability · Puzzles & Arrangements

Useful for: IBPS Banking

Overview

Double-row puzzles seat people in two facing rows; directions are read from each person’s own viewpoint.

Key points

People in row 1 (facing south) and row 2 (facing north) face each other.
For a person facing south, his right is the solver’s left.
"Faces" links positions directly across.
Variable puzzles add attributes (age, city, profession).
Use end positions and "faces" clues first.

Explanation

Mark each person’s facing direction with an arrow.
Write cases separately when a clue has two options.
Count "second to the left" from the person’s own viewpoint.
Fill attribute columns only after positions are fixed.

Step by step

Set up the frame (table, rows, steps).
Apply definite clues, then branch.
Verify every clue before answering.

Examples

A person at the extreme left of row 1 (facing south) faces the person at the extreme right of row 2 (facing north), as each sees it.
P faces Q; R sits immediately to P’s right (P facing south) → R is to P’s left as seen by the solver.
If S is second to the left of T in row 2 (facing north), S sits two places to T’s left as the solver sees it.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Using the solver’s left for people facing south.
Trap: Ignoring "faces" links.
Trap: Fixing attributes too early.

Quick revision

Arrow for facing.
South-facing reverses sides.
Faces = directly across.

Practice MCQs

In a double row, row 1 faces south and row 2 faces north. People in the two rows —
1. face away
2. face east
3. face the same way
4. face each other
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Answer: (d) face each other. Facing each other.
For a person facing south, his right is the solver’s —
1. left
2. front
3. back
4. right
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Answer: (a) left. Mirror view.
"A faces B" means A and B are —
1. directly across
2. next to each other
3. at the ends
4. in the same row
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Answer: (a) directly across. Across.
Variable puzzles add —
1. only floors
2. attributes like age or city
3. no extra data
4. only directions
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Answer: (b) attributes like age or city. Extra attributes.
A good starting clue is —
1. a vague clue
2. the last clue
3. an end position or a "faces" clue
4. a negative clue
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Answer: (c) an end position or a "faces" clue. Fixes positions.
For a person facing north, his right is the solver’s —
1. top
2. bottom
3. right
4. left
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Answer: (c) right. Same as viewer.
In a row of 5 facing north, the person at the extreme left is at position —
1. cannot say
2. 1 from the left
3. 5 from the left
4. 3
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Answer: (b) 1 from the left. Position 1.
Using a table with attributes as columns helps —
1. nothing
2. track variables
3. confuse
4. waste time
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Answer: (b) track variables. Organisation.
If P sits second to the right of Q who faces south, P is on the solver’s —
1. opposite Q
2. same seat
3. right of Q
4. left of Q
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Answer: (d) left of Q. Right of a south-facing person is the solver’s left.