Seating arrangement questions ask you to place people in a specified order using a set of clues. The most common formats are circular, linear, square, and parallel-row arrangements. A clear diagram is the fastest path to a correct answer.

Linear arrangements

People sit in one row, usually facing north or south. When everyone faces north, left and right are read from the observer's view. When everyone faces south, left and right are reversed from the observer's view.

Circular arrangements

People sit around a circle. Fix one person at the top of the diagram to remove rotation, then place everyone else relative to that person. When people face the center, their left is clockwise and their right is anticlockwise. When they face outside, the directions reverse.

Square arrangements

People may sit at corners or at the middle of each side of a square. First mark all available positions. A person at a corner has two immediate neighbors, while a person at the middle of a side is often opposite the middle position on the other side.

Parallel-row arrangements

Two rows face each other. Draw both rows and label their facing directions before placing anyone. The person directly opposite is in the same column, and left-right directions depend on which way each row faces.

Reading key clues

• Immediate left or right: the adjacent seat in that direction.
• Second to the left or right: leave one seat between the two people.
• Between: a person has one named person on each side.
• Opposite: the person directly facing another person.
• Not adjacent: neighboring seats are not allowed.

A reliable solving method

1. Draw the layout and clearly mark every seat and facing direction.
2. Place fixed positions and direct relationships first.
3. Use blocks for clues such as “A sits immediately to the left of B.”
4. Keep uncertain positions open until another clue resolves them.
5. Use elimination for the remaining seats and check every clue.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to reverse left and right for people facing south or outside.
• Confusing opposite with immediately next to.
• Assuming a circular starting point matters after one person is fixed.
• Ignoring the difference between corners and side positions in a square.
• Answering before verifying all the conditions.

Quick revision summary

• Always draw the arrangement before placing names.
• Mark facing direction before interpreting left and right.
• Start with fixed or restrictive clues.
• Verify the completed layout against every clue.