In seating arrangement questions, you have to arrange a group of persons fulfilling certain conditions. This is also written as sitting arrangement or sitting arrangement reasoning in some references.

Formula's For Seating Arrangements

General Guidelines 

1. Understand the entire question and statements quickly and correctly 

2. Determine the usefulness of each information and classify them accordingly into 

• Definite Information 
• Comparative information 
• Negative Information 

3. Identify the statements that give definite information. 

For instance let us take three statements and evaluate them 

 Statement (a): Ajay is to the left of Bhanu. 

The data in the statement is basic but not definite as the statement only says that Ajay is to the left of Bhanu. But, it does not specify where Ajay is located from Bhanu. 

-Statement (b): Ajay is second to the left of Bhanu. 

The data in the statement is definite as it clearly states that Ajay is placed second to the left of  Bhanu.  

-Statement (c):Tanmay is between Ramesh who plays football and Pankaj in order of seating in a row. 

It can be understood as ‘Tanmay is between Ramesh and Pankaj. So, they may be seated as RTP or PTR (so, the data is not definite) and ‘Ramesh plays football’. 

1. Search for the connecting information. 

2. Figure out the seating arrangement by clearly identifying the directions 

Linear Arrangement 

If they are facing North,

1. B,C,D, E are right of A but only B is immediate right of A. 

2. D,C,B,A are left of E but only D is the immediate left of E. 

3. A is the immediate left of B while E is the immediate right of D. 

If they are facing South, 

1. B,C,D, E are left of A but only B is immediate left of A. 

2. D,C,B,A are right of E but only D is the immediate right of E. 

3. A is the immediate right of B while E is the immediate left of D. 

Arrangement Puzzle 

Tips for how to solve Arrangement Puzzle 

Focus on Family-tree first: You can’t successfully start placing people in the seating arrangement if you don’t know the family tree. Usually people in the seating arrangement are referred to as: wife of C, son of D. So it is better if you know who is who and then start with the seating arrangement. To do this, read all conditions in the question carefully from the beginning and ignore all statement about who is sitting where. 

Find starting points: Starting Points help in identifying the position of specific persons. Generally, the question begins with negative information which doesn’t highlight the exact position. Remember, statements starting with “Neither/Nor” can only reveal relative positions and can never be a starting point. You must read all the statements carefully to be able to arrive at the starting point. 

Find connecting dots: Connecting dots are small pieces of information which help in the further arrangement based on the position of people already seated. 

Solve questions purely on blood relations first: If you are unable to solve the final seating arrangement but have already drawn the family tree, the answer the relevant questions. Don’t leave the entire block just because you couldn’t solve it completely. 

ARRANGEMENTS 

Seating arrangement is arranging people in their perspective position based on the data specified in the given question. Arrangements can be made in any form like row, circle, triangle, square, rectangle etc. The position can be inferred by the direction and that directions deter- mine the types of seating arrangement 

1. Linear Arrangement 

2. Circular Arrangement 

3. Rectangular / Square Arrangement 

4. Hexagonal Arrangement 

In order to solve seating arrangement questions, first of all diagram should be made. By doing so questions are easily and quickly solved.