Puzzle Test
Puzzle Test section comprises problems put in the form of puzzles involving certain number of items, be it persons or things. The candidate is required to analyse the given information, condense it in a suitable form and answer the questions asked.
In this type of test, the questions are based upon the given data belonging to different groups or possessing different qualities. These problems can be easily solved by constructing a proper table or chart.
Read the question thoroughly .After reading the question, you will get the general idea on the question which has been asked
Analyse the usefulness of each of the information and classify all the information into (P) Actual information (Q) Useful secondary information and finally (R) Negative information.
Have a look on below examples
Read the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow.
There are six places P, Q, R, S, T and U. There are exactly two district parks, two shopping malls and two amusement parks. (IBPS PO 2011)
P is not a district park.
Q and T are not shopping malls.
S is not an amusement park.
P and S are not shopping malls.
P and Q are not alike.
(1) Which two cities are amusement parks?
(a) P and Q
(b) T and P
(c) R and S
(d) Q and U
(e) P and S
(2) Which two cities are shopping malls?
a) P and C
(b) Q and U
(c) R and U
d) Q and T
(e) P and S
(3) Which two cities are district parks?
(a) P and Q
(b) R and P
(c) Q and S
(d) P and U
(e) None of these
(4) Which two cities are neither shopping malls nor district parks?
(a) P and Q
(b) P and T
(c) U and R
(d) Q and S
(e) None of these
Solution and Explanations
Step1_ Read the question and note it down in your rough paper in below box
| P | Q | R | S | T | U |
Shopping Mall |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amusement park |
|
|
|
|
|
|
District park |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step2_In the above-mentioned example, we see that first and last sentences have useful secondary information whereas all the remaining has negative information. By studying the second, third, fourth and fifth sentences we put × mark.
We can observe that above table gives some definite information about P and S. P is neither a shoppingmall nor a district park. It is, therefore, an amusement park. In the same way, S is neither shopping mall nor amusement park so it must be a district park. We can mark at the appropriate places.
| P | Q | R | S | T | U |
Shopping Mall | X | X |
| X | X |
|
Amusement park | ✓ |
|
| X |
|
|
District park | X |
|
| ✓ |
|
|
Step3_Finally we come to useful secondary information and negative information, for instance P and Q are not alike. This means that Q is not an amusement park. As Q is not a shopping mall, so it must be a district park. Hence, the table will look like this:
| P | Q | R | S | T | U |
Shopping Mall | X | X |
| X | X |
|
Amusement park | ✓ | X |
| X |
|
|
District park | X | ✓ |
| ✓ |
|
|
Step4_Now in the question it is given that there are exactly two district parks, two shopping malls and two amusement parks. We know the two district parks i.e. Q & S, so we put a × sign on others and then T has to be amusement park. Then we have the two amusement parks i.e. P and T, so we put a × sign on others. The table will look like this:
| P | Q | R | S | T | U |
Shopping Mall | X | X |
| X | X |
|
Amusement park | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | X |
District park | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X |
Now U and R have to be Shopping Malls. Hence, our final table is as below:
| P | Q | R | S | T | U |
Shopping Mall | X | X | ✓ | X | X | ✓ |
Amusement park | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | X |
District park | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X |
On the basis of above table, the answers can be drawn.
1. (b) P & T
2. (c) R & U
3. (c) Q & S
4. (b) P & T
Now you would have observed that if you are able to create some relations by fetching the given information from questions, you can easily score 5 out of 5. Remember one more point correct classification can get you 5 out of 5 but if you make single mistake it will cost you 5 negative marks also. So read questions carefully and also practice some classifications questions as well.
Questions
Level – I
1 .In a school, there were five teachers.
A and B were teaching Hindi and English.
C and D were teaching English and Geography.
D and A were teaching Mathematics and Hindi
E and B were teaching History and French.
Who among the teachers was teaching maximum number of subjects ?
Option :
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E
2 .In a school, there were five teachers.
A and B were teaching Hindi and English.
C and D were teaching English and Geography.
D and A were teaching Mathematics and Hindi
E and B were teaching History and French.
Which of the following pairs was teaching both Geography and Hindi ?
Option :
A. A and B
B. B and C
C. C and A
D. D and B
3 .In a school, there were five teachers.
A and B were teaching Hindi and English.
C and D were teaching English and Geography.
D and A were teaching Mathematics and Hindi
E and B were teaching History and French.
More than two teachers were teaching which subject ?
Option :
A. History
B. Hindi
C. French
D. Geography
E. Methematics
4 .In a school, there were five teachers.
A and B were teaching Hindi and English.
C and D were teaching English and Geography.
D and A were teaching Mathematics and Hindi
E and B were teaching History and French.
D, B and A were teaching which of the following subjects ?
Option :
A. English only
B. Hindi and English
C. Hindi only
D. English and Geography
E. Mathematics and Hindi
5 .In a school, there were five teachers.
A and B were teaching Hindi and English.
C and D were teaching English and Geography.
D and A were teaching Mathematics and Hindi
E and B were teaching History and French.
Who among the teachers was teaching less than two subjects ?
Option :
A. A
B. B
C. D
D. Data inadequate
E. There is no such teachers
6 .Madhu and Shobha are good in Dramatics and Computer Science.
Anjali and Madhu are good in Computer Science and Physics.
Anjali, Poonam and Nisha are good in Physics and Mathematics.
Poonam and Shobha are good in History and Dramatics.
Who is good in Computer Science, History and Dramatics ?
Option :
A. Anjali
B. Madhu
C. Shobha
D. Nisha
7 .Madhu and Shobha are good in Dramatics and Computer Science.
Anjali and Madhu are good in Computer Science and Physics.
Anjali, Poonam and Nisha are good in Physics and Mathematics.
Poonam and Shobha are good in History and Dramatics.
Who is good in Physics, Dramatics and Computer Science ?
Option :
A. Shobha
B. Poonam
C. Madhu
D. Anjali
8 .Madhu and Shobha are good in Dramatics and Computer Science.
Anjali and Madhu are good in Computer Science and Physics.
Anjali, Poonam and Nisha are good in Physics and Mathematics.
Poonam and Shobha are good in History and Dramatics.
Who is the good in Physics, History and Dramatics ?
Option :
A. Poonam
B. Shobha
C. Madhu
D. Anjali
9 .Madhu and Shobha are good in Dramatics and Computer Science.
Anjali and Madhu are good in Computer Science and Physics.
Anjali, Poonam and Nisha are good in Physics and Mathematics.
Poonam and Shobha are good in History and Dramatics.
Who is good in History, Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics ?
Option :
A. Poonam
B. Nisha
C. Madhu
D. Anjali
10 .Madhu and Shobha are good in Dramatics and Computer Science.
Anjali and Madhu are good in Computer Science and Physics.
Anjali, Poonam and Nisha are good in Physics and Mathematics.
Poonam and Shobha are good in History and Dramatics.
Who is good in Physics, History and Mathematics but not in Computer Science ?
Option :
A. Madhu
B. Poonam
C. Nisha
D. Anjali
Answers
Level-I
1 .B
2 .E
3 .B
4 .C
5 .E
6 .C
7 .C
8 .A
9 .D
10 C
L
Level- II
lDirections (Q. No. 1-5): Study the given information carefully and answer the questions that follow :
A, B, C, D, E, F and G are sitting on a wall and all of them are facing east.
(ii) C is on the immediate right of D.
(iii) B is at an extreme end and has E as his neighbour.
(iv) G is between E and F.
(v) D is sitting third from the south end.
1. Who is sitting to the right of E?
(A) A
(B) C
(C) D
(D) F
2. Which of the following pairs of people are sitting at the extreme ends?
(A) CA
(B) AE
(C) CD
(D) FB
3. Name the person who should change place with C such that he gets the third place from the north end.
(A) E
(B) F
(C) G
(D) D
4. Immediately between which of the following pairs of people is D sitting?
(A) AC
(B) AF
(C) CE
(D) CF
5. Which of the conditions (i) to (v) given above is not required to find out the place in which A is sitting?
(A) (i)
(B) (ii)
(C) (iii)
(D) All are required
- There are seven books one each on Psychology, Hindi, English, Sociology, Economics, Education and Accountancy, lying on a table one above the other.
- Sociology is on the top of all the books.
- Accountancy is immediately below Education which is immediately below Sociology.
- Economics is immediately above Psychology but not in the middle.
- Hindi is immediately below Psychology.
6. If Sociology and English, Accountancy and Hindi and Education and Psychology interchange their positions, which book will be between Psychology and Sociology ?
Option :
A. Accountancy
B. Psychology
C. Hindi
D. Economics
E. None of these
7. In a shop, the items were arranged in a shelf consisting of six rows.
Biscuits are arranged above the tins of chocolates but below the rows of packets of chips, cakes are at the bottom and the bottles of peppermints are below the chocolates.
The topmost row had the display of jam bottles.
Where exactly are the bottles of peppermints ? Mention the place from the top.
Option :
A. 2nd
B. 3rd
C. 4th
D. 5th
8. In a pile of reading material, there are novels, story-books, dramas and comics.
Every novel has a drama next to it, every story-book has a comic next to it and there is no story-book next to novel.
If there be a novel at the top and the number of books be 40, the order of the books in the pile is :
Option :
A. nscd
B. ndsc
C. csdn
D. dncs
- Seven books are placed one above the other in a particualr way.
- History book is placed exactly above Civics book.
- Geography book is fourth from the bottom and English book is fifth from the top.
- There are two books in between Civics and Economics books.
9. How many books are there between Civics and Science books ?
To answer this question, which other extra information is required, if any, from the following ?
Option :
A. There are two books between Geography and Science books.
B. There are two books between Mathematics and Geography books.
C. There is one book between English and Science books.
D. The Civics book is before two books above Economics book.
E. No other information is required.
- Seven books are placed one above the other in a particualr way.
- History book is placed exactly above Civics book.
- Geography book is fourth from the bottom and English book is fifth from the top.
- There are two books in between Civics and Economics books.
10. Out of the following, which three books are kept above English books ?
To answer this question, which of the other informations, if any, is required ?
Option :
A. The Economics book is between English and Science books.
B. There are two books between English and History books.
C. The Geography book is above English book.
D. The Science book is placed at the top.
E. No other information is required.
Directions (11-15): Read the following information carefully and answer the questions given below it—
Six exams Maths, science, History, Economics, English and Hindi are to be scheduled starting from 2nd March and ending on 8th march wit Sunday being an off day, not
necessarily in the same order. Each of the exam has different time duration: 40 mins, 50 mins, 60 mins, 75 mins, 90 mins and 100 mins, again not necessarily in the same order.
8th march is not sunday and an exam of 40 mins is scheduled on that day. Maths exam is for less than 60 mins and is scheduled immediately before English exam. There are two exams scheduled between Hindi exam which is for 100 mins and History exam which is for 60 mins. English exam is before Sunday and there are two days between sunday and maths exam. Economics exam which is for 75 mins is not scheduled on 2ndmarch. The exam schedules on saturday is of 100 mins.
11. How many exams are scheduled before sunday?
(1) Two (2) One
(3) Five (4) Three
(5) None of these
12. Which of the following combinations of exam – Day – Time Duration is correct ?
(1) English – Wednesday – 75 mins (2) Maths – Thursday – 50 mins
(3) History – Thursday – 60 mins (4) Hindi – Tuesday – 100 mins
(5) None is correct
13. What is the time duration of science exam?
(l) 90 mins (2) 75 mins
(3) 50 mins (4) 40 mins
(5) None of these
14. On which day is Economics exam scheduled?
(1) Monday (2) Saturday
(3) Tuesday (4) Friday
(5) Cannot be determined
15. Which day is sunday?
(1) 3rd march (2) 2nd march
(3) 5th march (4) 6th march
(5) Cannot be determined
Answers-
Level-II
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. D
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. C
10. E
Solutions (11-15):
Date | Day | Exam | Time Duration |
2nd March | Wednesday | History | 60 mins |
3rd March | Thursday | Maths | 50 mins |
4th March | Friday | English | 90 mins |
5th March | Saturday | Hindi | 100 mins |
6th March | Sunday | Off | Off |
7th March | Monday | Economics | 75 mins |
8th March | Tuesday | Science | 40 mins |
11. (5)
12. (2)
13. (4)
14. (1)
15. (4)
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