# Seating Arrangement — Linear and Circular, Step by Step

Source: https://skills101.in/learn/reasoning/seating-arrangement — Skills101 free tutorial (Logical Reasoning). Updated 2026-11-09.

Seating puzzles give 5–8 clues about where people sit. They take time, but they follow a fixed method — and one puzzle usually gives you 3–5 marks.

## The method (works for every seating puzzle)

1. **Draw the seats** first (a row or a circle).
2. Place the **definite** clues ("A sits at an end", "B is opposite C").
3. Then clues that **link two people** ("D sits second to the right of A").
4. If a clue has two possibilities, **draw both** and continue each until one breaks.
5. Leave "negative" clues ("E does not sit next to F") for checking at the end.

## 1. Linear seating (a row)

![Five people P Q R S T in a row facing north. R is in the middle; R's left is towards P and R's right towards T](https://skills101.in/learn-img/reasoning/linear-seating.svg)

- Facing **north** (away from you as you look at the paper): their left = **your** left.
- Facing **south** (towards you): their left = **your right**. Flip it.

### Example 1
*Five friends A, B, C, D, E sit in a row facing north. C is in the middle. A is to the immediate left of C. B sits at the right end. E is not at an end. Find the order.*

- Seats 1–5 (left to right). C = seat 3. A = seat 2. B = seat 5.
- E is not at an end → E = seat 4. D = seat 1.
- Order: **D A C E B**.

### Example 2 — "second to the right"
In the answer above: who is second to the right of A? A is seat 2 → seat 4 = **E**.

## 2. Circular seating (a round table)

![Six people A to F around a round table facing the centre. Going clockwise from A: B, C, D, E, F. A's left is B, A's right is F, and D is opposite A](https://skills101.in/learn-img/reasoning/circular-seating.svg)

> **Facing the centre: LEFT = clockwise, RIGHT = anticlockwise.**
> (If they face **outside**, it flips.)

With 6 people, the person **opposite** is 3 seats away. With 8 people, 4 seats away.

### Example 3
*Six people P, Q, R, S, T, U sit around a round table facing the centre. P is opposite S. Q is to the immediate left of P. T sits between S and U. U is not next to Q. Who is opposite Q?*

Number the seats 1–6 **clockwise**.

1. Put **P at seat 1**. P is opposite S → **S at seat 4**.
2. Q is immediately left of P. Left = clockwise → **Q at seat 2**.
3. Free seats: 3, 5, 6. T is between S and U, so T sits next to S → T is at 3 or 5.
   - If T = 3, U must be on T's other side = seat 2. But Q is there ✗.
   - So **T = 5** and **U = 6**. Check: U is next to seats 5 and 1, not Q ✓.
4. The last person, **R, takes seat 3**.

Clockwise order: P, Q, R, S, T, U. Opposite Q (seat 2) is seat 5 → **T**.

> When a clue allows two places, try both — one of them breaks another clue, exactly as in step 3.

### Example 4
*Eight friends sit around a round table facing the centre. A sits opposite E. B is second to the left of A. C is to the immediate right of E. D is opposite B. Who is to the immediate left of E?*

- 8 seats; A at seat 1, E at seat 5 (opposite).
- Left = clockwise. B is second to the left of A → seat 3.
- D opposite B → seat 7.
- C immediately right of E (anticlockwise) → seat 4.
- Immediate left of E (clockwise) → seat 6 → whoever is left (F, G or H) — not fixed by these clues.

So the clues fix A, B, C, D, E but not who sits at seat 6. In an exam the answer would be **"cannot be determined"** unless one more clue is given. Reading what is *not* fixed is as important as what is.

## Common mistakes

- Using your own left and right for people facing south or facing outwards.
- Forgetting that around a table, "left" for people facing the centre is **clockwise**.
- Fixing a doubtful clue too early instead of drawing both cases.

## Quick recap

- Draw seats → sure clues → linking clues → branch on doubtful clues → check negatives.
- Row facing north: their left = your left. Facing south: flip.
- Round table facing centre: left = clockwise. Opposite = n/2 seats away.
- "Cannot be determined" is a real answer when the clues don't fix someone.


Practice quiz and free certificate: https://skills101.in/learn/reasoning/seating-arrangement