Puzzle Reasoning Tricks: Floor, Day, Month and Box Puzzles with Solved Questions for SSC

Puzzle reasoning is a high-scoring topic in SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS reasoning. A short passage gives 3 to 6 conditions about persons, floors, days, months or colours, and then 1 to 3 questions are asked. The puzzles look tricky, but a simple table method solves almost all of them in 60 to 90 seconds. These puzzle reasoning tricks for SSC explain the types, the step-by-step method and solved examples.

Common Types of Puzzles in SSC Exams

The Table Method in 5 Steps

1. Read all the conditions once and underline the persons and the things to be fitted.
2. Draw a small table or a list of numbered places (floors 1 to 5, days Monday to Saturday).
3. Fill in the definite information first, such as "A lives on the top floor".
4. Use the relative conditions (above, below, immediately after) to place the other persons one by one.
5. Use elimination for the last person or place, and then read the question.

Solved Examples

Example 1 (floor puzzle). Five persons A, B, C, D and E live on five floors of a building. The floors are numbered 1 to 5, and 1 is the lowest. B lives on floor 3. A lives immediately above B. E lives on the top floor. C lives below D. Who lives on floor 2?
B is on 3, A is on 4 and E is on 5. C and D take floors 1 and 2, and C is below D, so C is on 1 and D is on 2. The answer is D.

Example 2 (day-based puzzle). Six persons P, Q, R, S, T and U have their exams on six different days from Monday to Saturday. Q has the exam on Tuesday. R has the exam two days after Q. S has the exam on Monday. P has the exam on the day after R. T has the exam on the day after P. On which day does U have the exam?
Q is on Tuesday, R is on Thursday, S is on Monday, P is on Friday and T is on Saturday. The only day left is Wednesday, so U is on Wednesday.

Example 3 (colour puzzle). Four friends A, B, C and D like four different colours: red, blue, green and yellow. B likes blue. C likes neither red nor green. A does not like red. Who likes red?
B has blue. C cannot have red, green or blue, so C has yellow. A cannot have red, so A has green. The red colour is left for D.

Example 4 (box puzzle). Five boxes P, Q, R, S and T are kept one above the other. R is at the bottom. S is immediately above R. T is at the top. Q is above P. Which box is in the middle?
From the bottom: R, S, then P and Q (Q is above P, so P is third and Q is fourth), and T at the top. The middle box is P.

Tips to Solve Puzzles Faster

• Start from the statement that gives a fixed position (top floor, first day, bottom box).
• Words like "immediately" and "exactly" fix the position, while "above" or "after" only give an order.
• Write short forms (A>B for A above B) and avoid long sentences on the rough sheet.
• If two cases are possible, keep both for a few seconds and cancel the wrong one when the next condition comes.
• Do not use the option to guess before the table is complete.

Common Mistakes

• Taking "above" as "immediately above".
• Counting floors from the top when the question says that floor 1 is the lowest.
• Leaving the last person without checking all the conditions.
• Spending more than two minutes on one puzzle.

Quick Tips

• Fill the fixed information first and the relative information after that.
• Make a small table, not a long paragraph of notes.
• Use elimination for the last place or person.
• Check the final answer against every condition once.

Quick Revision Points

• Puzzle reasoning is solved with a table of places and persons.
• Definite statements come first and relative statements come second.
• Immediately above means the very next floor.
• Always check the last condition after the table is complete.
• Do not spend more than 90 seconds on one puzzle.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Five persons live on floors 1 to 5. A lives on floor 5. C lives immediately below A. B lives on floor 2. D lives above B. Who lives on floor 3?
   Answer: D (D is above B, so D is on floor 3 and E is on floor 1)
2. Five meetings are held from Monday to Friday. X is on Wednesday, Y is two days before X and Z is a day after X. On which day is Y?
   Answer: Monday
3. R, S and T are a doctor, a teacher and a pilot. R is not a doctor or a teacher. T is not a doctor. Who is the doctor?
   Answer: S
4. Four persons were born in January, February, March and April. A was born in March. B was born one month before A. C was born after A. Who was born in January?
   Answer: D
5. Five boxes P, Q, R, S and T are kept one above the other. R is at the bottom, S is immediately above R, T is at the top and Q is above P. Which box is at the bottom?
   Answer: R
6. A is older than B. C is younger than B. D is older than A. Who is the youngest?
   Answer: C
7. Ravi visits a library on Tuesday. Sita visits two days after Ravi. Mohan visits one day before Sita. On which day does Mohan visit?
   Answer: Wednesday
8. There are four floors. M lives on floor 2, O lives on floor 1 and N lives on the top floor above M. On which floor does P live?
   Answer: Floor 3
9. Red, green and blue boxes are in a row. Green is not at the end and red is to the left of green. Which box is at the right end?
   Answer: Blue
10. What is the first step in solving a puzzle?
    Answer: Read all the conditions and fill the definite (fixed) information first in a table

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Reasoning notes page and the next topic Calendar Reasoning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is puzzle reasoning?

It is a reasoning question in which several conditions about persons and things are given, and you place them correctly to answer the questions.

How do I solve puzzle questions quickly?

Make a table, fill the fixed information first, use the relative conditions for the other places and use elimination for the last one.

What are the types of puzzles in SSC exams?

Floor puzzles, day and month puzzles, box puzzles, colour or profession puzzles and comparison puzzles.

What is the difference between above and immediately above?

Above means anywhere higher, and immediately above means the very next higher place.

How much time should I take for one puzzle?

About 60 to 90 seconds for a puzzle with two questions.

Should I skip a puzzle in the exam?

Skip it if you do not get a fixed point in the first 30 seconds, and return to it at the end.

Are puzzles asked in SSC CGL Tier 1?

Yes. Puzzle and arrangement questions come in the reasoning section, but the number changes from year to year.

Which table should I draw for a day-based puzzle?

Write the days in a row and place the names below the days.

What if two arrangements are possible?

Keep both and cancel the wrong one when the next condition gives the final clue.

How can I practise puzzles?

Solve 5 puzzles daily from practice papers and write the table for each of them.

What are common mistakes in puzzles?

Mixing up above and below, and not using all the conditions.

Is puzzle reasoning the same as seating arrangement?

No. A seating arrangement is a type of puzzle in which persons sit in a row or a circle, while puzzles use floors, days, months and colours as well.