SSC Ranking and Order Questions with Answers and Tricks

Ranking and Order is a simple and scoring reasoning topic in SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS and GD. The questions ask about the position of a person in a row, the total number of persons or the number of persons between two people. Almost all of them can be solved with one formula and a quick diagram. This practice paper gives you 30 ranking and order questions with answers and short explanations.

Practice Paper at a Glance

What Is Ranking and Order? Basic Concept in Simple Words

In ranking questions, persons are arranged in a row, a queue or a class ranking. You are given the position of a person from one end (left, right, top or bottom) and asked about the position from the other end, the total number of persons or the number of persons between two persons.

• Rank from top and rank from bottom are counted from opposite ends.
• Left and right positions work the same way in a row of people.
• Order questions compare persons by height, weight, age or marks and ask who is the tallest, oldest or youngest.

Formulas and Shortcut Tricks for SSC Ranking and Order

• Total persons = (Rank from top) + (Rank from bottom) - 1. The same formula works for left and right.
• Rank from the other end = Total + 1 - (Rank from the first end).
• Persons between two positions p and q (both from the same end) = |p - q| - 1.
• When one position is from the left and the other from the right: first convert both to the same end. Persons between = Total - (left position + right position).
• Interchange of positions: the new position of A equals the old position of B counted from the same end.
• Shifting right by n places: the new position from left = old position + n, and from right = old position from right - n.
• Last but n = (n + 1)th from the end.
• Order questions: write the symbols (>, <) between names, join the statements and then answer.

Set 1: Position from Both Ends and Total Number (Q1–Q10)

Q1. Rahul ranks 7th from the top and 28th from the bottom in a class. How many students are there in the class?
Answer: 34
Trick: Total = 7 + 28 - 1 = 34.

Q2. In a row of 40 persons, Ravi is 15th from the left. What is his position from the right?
Answer: 26th
Solution: Position from right = 40 + 1 - 15 = 26.

Q3. Seema ranks 10th from the top in a class of 35 students. What is her rank from the bottom?
Answer: 26th
Solution: Rank from bottom = 35 + 1 - 10 = 26.

Q4. In a row of 40 persons, A is 12th from the left and B is 18th from the right. How many persons are between A and B?
Answer: 10
Solution: B from the left = 40 + 1 - 18 = 23. Persons between = 23 - 12 - 1 = 10.

Q5. In a row of boys, Ajay is 13th from the left and 23rd from the right. How many boys are there in the row?
Answer: 35
Solution: Total = 13 + 23 - 1 = 35.

Q6. In a class of 60, Meena is 12th from the top and Rita is 15th from the bottom. How many students are between them?
Answer: 33
Solution: Rita from the top = 60 + 1 - 15 = 46. Students between = 46 - 12 - 1 = 33.

Q7. In a queue, A is 5th from the front and 11th from the back. How many persons are in the queue?
Answer: 15
Solution: Total = 5 + 11 - 1 = 15.

Q8. A is 20th from the left in a row of 50. What is his position from the right?
Answer: 31st
Solution: Position from right = 50 + 1 - 20 = 31.

Q9. In a class of 30, Kamal is 5th from the top and Vimal is 4th from the bottom. How many students are between them?
Answer: 21
Solution: Vimal from the top = 30 + 1 - 4 = 27. Between = 27 - 5 - 1 = 21.

Q10. Lalit is 25th from the top. Hari is 12 ranks above Lalit. What is Hari's rank from the top?
Answer: 13th
Solution: Hari's rank = 25 - 12 = 13th.

Set 2: Interchange, Shifting and Persons in Between (Q11–Q20)

Q11. In a row of 31 persons, A is 8th from the left and B is 12th from the right. If they interchange their positions, what will be the new position of A from the left?
Answer: 20th
Trick: B from the left = 31 + 1 - 12 = 20. A takes B's position, so A is 20th from the left.

Q12. In a queue, Mohan is 8th from the front and Sohan is 7th from the back. There are 12 persons between them. How many persons are in the queue?
Answer: 27
Solution: Mohan is at 8. The persons between are 9 to 20. Sohan is at 21. Total = 21 + 7 - 1 = 27.

Q13. Arun ranks 18th from the top and 35th from the bottom. How many students are in the class?
Answer: 52
Solution: Total = 18 + 35 - 1 = 52.

Q14. A is 6 places to the left of B. If B is 10th from the left, what is the position of A from the left?
Answer: 4th
Solution: A's position = 10 - 6 = 4th from the left.

Q15. In a row of 45 children, Sam is 10th from the left and Tim is 20th from the right. How many children are between them?
Answer: 15
Solution: Tim from the left = 45 + 1 - 20 = 26. Between = 26 - 10 - 1 = 15.

Q16. Ritu is 17th from the top and 24th from the bottom. How many students are there in the class?
Answer: 40
Solution: Total = 17 + 24 - 1 = 40.

Q17. Kiran is 8th from the left in a row of 50 pupils. If he shifts 5 places to the right, what is his position from the right?
Answer: 38th
Trick: New position from the left = 13. From the right = 50 + 1 - 13 = 38.

Q18. In a row of 12 persons, A is 4th from the left. He changes places with the person who is 5th from the right. What is the new position of A from the left?
Answer: 8th
Solution: 5th from the right = 12 + 1 - 5 = 8th from the left. A moves to the 8th place.

Q19. In a row of 25 people, how many persons are between the 5th from the left and the 7th from the right?
Answer: 13
Solution: 7th from the right = 25 + 1 - 7 = 19th from the left. Between = 19 - 5 - 1 = 13.

Q20. In a class of 50, Bala is 15th from the top and Ali is 7 places below Bala. What is Ali's rank from the bottom?
Answer: 29th
Solution: Ali from the top = 22. From the bottom = 50 + 1 - 22 = 29.

Set 3: Comparison Order and Mixed Questions (Q21–Q30)

Q21. A is taller than B, B is taller than C and D is shorter than C. Who is the shortest?
Answer: D
Solution: Order: A > B > C > D. D is the shortest.

Q22. P is older than Q, Q is older than R, S is older than P and T is younger than R. Who is the oldest?
Answer: S
Solution: Order: S > P > Q > R > T. S is the oldest and T is the youngest.

Q23. A is heavier than B but lighter than C. D is heavier than C. E is lighter than B. Who is the second heaviest?
Answer: C
Solution: Order: D > C > A > B > E. C is second heaviest.

Q24. In a race, E finished before A, A before B, D after A, and C after D but before B. Who finished third?
Answer: D
Solution: Order: E, A, D, C, B. D finished third.

Q25. Anil ranks 5th from the top among 6 persons. What is his rank from the bottom?
Answer: 2nd
Solution: Rank from bottom = 6 + 1 - 5 = 2nd.

Q26. In a row, Sam is 7th from the left and Tom is 12th from the right. If they interchange, Sam becomes 18th from the left. How many persons are in the row?
Answer: 29
Trick: Tom was 18th from the left. Total = 18 + 12 - 1 = 29.

Q27. In a class of 45, Neha is 20th from the top and Poonam is 5 places above Neha. What is Poonam's rank from the bottom?
Answer: 31st
Solution: Poonam from the top = 15. From the bottom = 45 + 1 - 15 = 31.

Q28. In a class of 52, what is the rank from the top of the student who is 4th from the bottom?
Answer: 49th
Solution: Rank from the top = 52 + 1 - 4 = 49.

Q29. In a row of 20, A is 6th from the left and B is 9th from the right. How many persons are between them?
Answer: 5
Solution: B from the left = 12. Between = 12 - 6 - 1 = 5.

Q30. In a queue of 30 persons, how many persons are between the 8th from the front and the 8th from the back?
Answer: 14
Solution: 8th from the back = 23rd from the front. Between = 23 - 8 - 1 = 14.

Common Mistakes in Ranking and Order

• Using Total = top + bottom without subtracting 1.
• Forgetting to convert both positions to the same end before counting persons in between.
• Counting the persons themselves as part of the persons between them.
• Confusing left and right when the question says that persons face a certain direction.
• Not drawing a row diagram for interchange questions.
• Mixing "above" and "below" in rank questions (above means a better rank).

How to Practice These 30 Questions

1. Learn the three formulas: total, other-end position and persons in between.
2. Draw a small row diagram for every question.
3. Solve Set 1 in 5 minutes, Set 2 in 10 minutes and Set 3 in 10 minutes.
4. Use the check: total persons should be greater than both positions.
5. Revise your mistakes after one day.

Related Topics to Study Next

• Direction and Distance Questions
• SSC Seating Arrangement Questions
• Venn Diagram Questions
• SSC Previous Year Papers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the formula for the total number of persons in ranking?

Total = rank from top + rank from bottom - 1. The same formula works for positions from left and right.

How do I find the rank from the other end?

Rank from the other end = Total + 1 - the given rank.

How do I find the number of persons between two people?

If both positions are from the same end, persons between = difference of the positions - 1. If they are from opposite ends, use Total - (sum of the two positions).

How do I solve interchange questions?

The new position of the first person is the old position of the second person (measured from the same end). Use this with the total to find the other positions.

What does "last but one" mean?

"Last but one" means the 2nd from the end. In general, "last but n" means the (n + 1)th from the end.

How many ranking questions come in SSC exams?

Usually one or two ranking and order questions come in each shift of SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS.

What is the difference between "above" and "below" in rank?

Above means a better (smaller) rank number from the top and below means a worse (larger) rank number from the top.

How do I solve order questions about height, age or weight?

Write each statement as a chain using > or <, join the chains and read off the answers for tallest, oldest or lightest.

Should I draw a diagram for ranking questions?

Yes. A small row with numbers helps you avoid mistakes in counting persons in between and in interchange questions.

How should I prepare ranking and order for SSC exams?

Learn the three formulas, practise one set daily with a timer, draw diagrams and solve mixed reasoning sets.