Seating Arrangements and Puzzles: A Drawing-First Approach

Seating arrangements are among the most time-consuming reasoning questions, but a clear method makes them manageable. The secret is to draw first and think second.

Two main types

Type	Setup
Linear	people in a row, facing north or south
Circular	people around a table, facing the centre or outwards

Step-by-step approach

1. Read all the clues.
2. Draw the arrangement with empty slots.
3. Place the definite information first, such as "A sits at the extreme left".
4. Add conditional clues one at a time.
5. Use elimination for who cannot sit where.
6. Check that all clues are satisfied.

Linear arrangements

• If people face north, their left is west and their right is east.
• If they face south, left and right are reversed.
• "Immediate left" means directly adjacent on the left.
• "Between" means somewhere in the middle, with others possibly in between.

Circular arrangements

• Facing the centre: a person's left is towards the clockwise direction, and their right is anticlockwise.
• Facing outwards: left and right swap.
• Opposite means directly across the table. With 8 people, the opposite of position 1 is position 5.

Pay attention to whether everyone faces the same way or some face outwards.

Example

Five people (A to E) sit in a row facing north. C sits at the extreme right, and A sits to the immediate left of B. Begin by placing C at the far right end, then keep A and B together as a pair, and use the remaining clues to place D and E.

Puzzle-type questions

Some sets ask about floors, days, months or boxes. The method is the same:

1. Draw a table with slots for each item.
2. Put fixed information in first.
3. Use "either/or" possibilities and narrow them.

Common traps

• Mixing left and right when people face different directions.
• Ignoring a clue because it seems minor.
• Guessing too early. Keep options open.

Tips

• Use small letters and neat drawings.
• Cross out impossible positions.
• If stuck, try a second case and see which one works.

Practice

These improve fastest with timed practice, one set at a time.

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