Hello Aspirants!
Do you find difficult to solve the puzzle questions during the exam but can easily solve them at home?
There come situations when we can not put the A and B in the correct order while solving the puzzle questions, even if we are following the instructions. To overcome such situations, we have come up with some important tips to solve the puzzle questions in competitive exams.
Puzzle is one of the important part of reasoning section which covered huge weightage (around 60-65% of total number of questions asked in reasoning) in government job recruitment exams.
Puzzle section in reasoning is quite easy compared to other sections. If one acquires good solving skill of puzzle questions, it is not difficult to get high score in the reasoning.
Let’s have a look at the important tricks and tips to solve the Puzzle questions in competitive exams.
Important Tips to solve Puzzle Questions in Competitive Exam
We all aware of the famous saying that “Practice makes man perfect”. This saying is also true for the puzzle section in reasoning. While practicing the puzzle questions, you should take care of some important things.
Have a look at the at the important tips while solving Puzzle questions:
Take a quick look at the puzzle question.
Start with a brief reading of the question and analyze which type of puzzle it is? Check out that in which category the puzzle falls whether it is easy or hard having the mix type of variables.
Now start reading the question word by word and collect all the information. Write down all the data in tabular form or in an easy format. Highlight the negative statements.
Draw all the possibilities, if there are more than 1 possibility. Follow the instructions and remove the possibilities which do not follow the information provided in the question.
While cancelling the possibilities, there will be left only 1 possibility as a solution which follows all the given instructions.
You will find direct information, secondary information and negative information in the puzzle.
Be careful with each information as it may be the tricky one. Just follow the instructions and you will reach the correct answer.
Following the above tips, we are going to share some examples so that you can understand the logic and steps to solve the puzzle questions with better accuracy and speed.
Types of Puzzle Questions Asked in Bank, SSC and Other Exams
The puzzles questions asked in competitive exams like IBPS, SSC, UPSC etc. are based on the seating arrangement (Linear, circular and rectangle), Floor, blood relation, weekdays etc.
The puzzles questions of different difficulty level having 2-4 variables or blood relation/ occupation etc. can be asked in the government exams. The types of puzzle can be termed as following:
Simple problems of categorization
Arrangement problems (Circular, liner, double line up, rectangular Based)
Comparison Problems
Blood Relations
Conditional selection (Scheduling, Grouping, Selection Based)
Miscellaneous problems (Analytical
Here, we are sharing few examples of various type of puzzle questions asked in the exam.
Check It out here:
Example-1: Linear Seating Arrangement
P, Q, R, S and T are sitting on a bench. P is sitting next to Q, R is sitting next to S, S is not sitting with T who is on the left end of the bench. R is on the second position from the right. P is to the right of Q and T. P and C are sitting together.
Q.- In which position P is sitting?
1) Between Q and S
2) Between Q and R
3) Between T and S
4) Between R and T
Answer- (2) Between Q and R
Following the above instructions, the setting arrangement will be as given below-
Example-2: Circular Seating Arrangement
A, B, C, D E, F, G and H are sitting around the circle and are facing the centre as given below:
A is second to the right of E who is the neighbour of C and G.
D is not the neighbour of A.
G is the neighbour of F.
B is not between
Q.1 Which two of the following are not neighbours?
a) CG
b) FG
c) CA
d) BH
Q.2 Which one is immediate right to the G?
a) A
b) F
c) C
d) E
Q.3 What is the position of D?
a) Between F and G
b) Second to the right of A
c) To the immediate right of H
d) Data inadequate
Answer-
1) A
2) D
3) C
4) C
The candidates will sit in the arrangement as given below after follwing the above instructions.
Example 3- Floor Puzzle
In a 7-storied building, having floors numbered 1 to . P, Q, R, S, T, and U each live on a different floor. The ground floor is numbered 1st, the floor above it is 2nd and so on. One of the floors in the building is vacant.
1) No floor below the fifth floor is vacant and no odd numbered floor is vacant.
2) P lives on the fifth floor.
3) Only S lives between T and U.
4) T does not live in an odd-numbered floor.
5) T does not live on a floor immediately above or immediately below R's floor.
6) Q does not live on the bottom-most floor.
Q1. Who lives on the top most floor?
a) R
b) S
c) Q
d) U
e) None of these
Q2. On which of the following floors does S live?
a) Floor 1
b) Floor 3
c) Floor 5
d) Floor 4
Q3. Which of the following floors is vacant?
a) Floor 7
b) Floor 4
c) Floor 2
d) Floor 6
Q4. Who lives two floors above R?
a) U
b) T
c) Q
d) S
e) None of these
Answer-
| Floor |
Person |
| 7 |
B |
| 6 |
Vacant |
| 5 |
A |
| 4 |
E |
| 3 |
D |
| 2 |
F |
| 1 |
C |
Here, we have discussed the important tips and examples of puzzle questions asked in the government jobs and competitive exams. We have tried to give you all the information which will help you to solve these puzzle-based questions quickly.
If you have any query or suggestions, feel free to share in the comment box below.
All the Best!!
