Tricks to Solve Order & Ranking Questions for RBI Grade B Exam

The RBI Grade B exam tests many areas of reasoning. One of them is Order & Ranking. They carry a weightage of 3 to 5 questions. This topic looks simple at first glance. But many students lose marks here because of silly mistakes in calculation or misunderstanding the question. These questions are not memory-based. They test your logical placement and comparison skills. The good thing is, with the right tricks, this topic becomes one of the most scoring areas in the reasoning section. In this blog, we will discuss what order & ranking questions are, why they are asked, common types, and the best tricks to solve them quickly.

ALSO READ: How to Score Maximum Marks in Cloze Test

What are Order & Ranking Questions?

Order & Ranking questions are a type of logical reasoning problem. You will be given positions of people, objects, or events in a line, row, or arrangement. And you have to find their rank, position, or order based on given clues. Sometimes, total number of persons is given. And sometimes you’ll have to calculate it.

Therefore, candidates often get confused with left–right positions or middle–end calculations when students first attempt order & ranking questions. These questions require careful reading and step-by-step solving. 

The RBI asks them to test your ability to organize data and make comparisons quickly. The good news? These questions become very easy to answer after mastering the formulas and shortcuts.

Example: A is 12th from the left in a row of 40 students. What is A’s position from the right?

Solution: 40 – 12 + 1 = 29th from right.

Why Are They Important in RBI Grade B Exam?

Order & Ranking questions are important because:

• They are asked in almost every banking exam.
• They are short and scoring with formulas.
• They test both logical thinking and speed.
• They help boost confidence in the reasoning section.

In short, this is not a topic you can skip. With practice, you can secure 3–5 marks directly from order & ranking in just a few minutes.

Common Types of Order & Ranking Questions

Order & Ranking questions in RBI Grade B follow predictable patterns. You can save time and avoid confusion if you can find the type of question quickly.

Some common types are:

1. Finding position from left/right
2. Finding position from opposite side
3. Finding total number of persons
4. Comparing ranks of two persons
5. Finding the middle position
6. Mixed type with puzzles

Every type follows a small trick or formula. If you practice these separately, you’ll never get stuck in the exam.

Tricks to Solve Order & Ranking Questions

Most students lose marks in order & ranking because they don’t use formulas and try solving step by step every time. That wastes time. The better way is to remember a few direct tricks and apply them immediately.

Now, let us focus on the tricks!

1. Use the Formula for Opposite Side If position from left is given and you want position from right:

Formula = Total – Left + 1.

2. Finding Total Number of Persons

If a student’s rank from left and right is given:

Formula = Left + Right – 1.

3. Check Middle Position: Middle = (Total + 1) ÷ 2.
4. Compare Two Persons: If ranks of two persons are given, subtract and check the difference.
5. Always Draw a Line: For complex cases, draw a line and mark positions. It prevents silly mistakes.
6. Be Careful with “Between”: “Between” means exclude both ends. Don’t confuse with “from.”
7. Say No to Guesswork: These questions have exact answers. Don’t mark until you are sure.
8. Practice to Increase Your Speed: Order & Ranking is a time-saving topic if you solve with speed.

ALSO READ: How to Score Maximum Marks in Cloze Test & Ratio & Proportion Concepts and Shortcuts for RBI Grade B Exam

Types of Questions Asked in Phase 1 Exam

Order & Ranking is one important topic asked in the Reasoning section of the RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam. These questions will test your logical thinking skills in understanding the overall order of a set of people and their rank from any of the sides.

To make it simple, sample the below example of an Order & Ranking question:

Ques Reena’s rank is 21st from the top and 15th from the bottom in the class. How many students are there in the class?

(a) 29

(b) 36

(c) 27

(d) 35

(e) None of these

Please be mindful that this is an extremely simple question and once you have already practised a number of questions on this topic, this question should not take more than 5-7 seconds to solve. Once you have done enough practice, you will be able to come up with your own shortcuts & tricks. A lot of practice will also help you face different types of questions with different difficulty levels. When you come across a problem related to Order & Ranking, read the question carefully making a mental note of what all information has been provided and what is the question trying to ask. If there is no logical link between the two, you can simply mark the option, “Cannot be determined”.

Let’s have a look at the different kinds of Order & Ranking questions which can be asked:

When the Position of the same person from both sides is given or the Total Number of people is given

In this case, you can use the following formulae:

• Total number of persons = Sum of positions of the same person from both sides i.e. left and right side – 1
• Position of a person from opposite side = (Total no. of persons – Position of same person from the given side) +1

When the person’s position is given from one side and the number of people standing on the other side is given

• Total no. of persons = No. of persons after or before the given person in a row + Position of the same person from the other side
• No. of persons after or before the given person in a row = Total no. of persons – Position of the same person from the other side

When the below info is given:

• Positions of two persons are given from opposite ends
• Total number of persons

There may be two cases in this kind of situation

1. If there is no overlapping: i.e. the sum of positions of the two persons from opposite ends will be less than the total number of persons. Use the formula: No. of students between two different persons = Total no. of students – (Sum of positions of two different persons from opposite sides)
2. When there is some overlapping: i.e., the sum of positions of the two

persons from opposite ends will be more than the total number of persons. Use the formula: No. of students between two different persons = (Sum of positions of two different persons from opposite sides) – Total no. of students – 2

When the positions of different persons from any one side are given

If in a given row, positions of 2 persons from any side are given and the total number of persons has to be calculated, it becomes a case of ‘cannot be determined’ or ‘data inadequate’ or ‘can’t say’. This is so because the number of persons between those 2 persons is not known. In other words, we don’t know whether there is an overlapping or not.

When the positions of 2 persons are given and after their positions get interchanged, the position of 1st person is given from the side where his previous position was

• To find the total no. of persons => Find the person whose position from both sides is known from the given info. Add both his positions from opposite ends and subtract 1.
• To find the number of persons between them => Find the difference in the positions of the person whose position from the same side before and after interchanging; subtract 1 from this difference
• To find the new position of a person from the same side after the interchange => Position of that person from the same side before interchanging + )+(Position of the other person from the other side after interchanging – Position of the other person from the other side before interchanging)

When positions of 2 different persons are given from the opposites sides of a row and a third person is sitting exactly in the middle of the 2 persons

There can be 2 scenarios here

• When the position of the 3rd person is given from either end of the row, find the position of the 3rd person from both sides and then you can easily add those positions and subtract 1 from it to get the total number of persons in that row.
• When the position of the 3rd person is given from either of the 2 persons, add the positions of the 2 different persons, add the 3rd person’s position from either of the persons twice and finally subtract 1 to get the total number of persons sitting in that row.

When the minimum number of persons in a row is asked

In this case, use the formula: Minimum no. of persons = Sum of positions of the 2 persons from both sides – Persons between them – 2

When you start practising the questions of Ordering & Ranking we suggest you to use the formulas from this article. Referring to these formulas multiple times will help you remember them. Also, while practising give it a thought on the logic of these formulae. Once you get the logic behind these formulae, it will be easy for you to face any question of a new pattern in the actual exam. When practising via Mock Tests, we suggest you not to refer to these formulae.

Directions 1-2: Answer the questions based on the information given below.

Seven persons, P through V have different heights. R is taller than only V. P is taller than U but shorter than T. Q is taller than T. Q is not the tallest person. Common solution:

R is taller than only V. P is taller than U but shorter than T. Q is taller than T. Q is not the tallest person.

The final arrangement is as follows: S > Q > T > P > U > R > V

Question 1: Who is the 3rd tallest person?

1. Q
2. S
3. T
4. Cannot be determined
5. None of these Answer: c Solution:

T is the 3rd tallest person. Hence, option c.

Question 2: Who is the 3rd shortest person?

1. S
2. U
3. P
4. Either (a) or (b)
5. None of these

Answer: b

Solution:

U is the 3rd shortest person. Hence, option b.

Directions 3-5: Answer the questions based on the information given below.

Seven persons, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V have different ages. Each of them has different weight (in kg).

V is older than only R, who is the 2nd heaviest person. Q is heavier than U, who is heavier than the 2nd oldest person. U is older than P and S. T is older than U but not the oldest person. The oldest and the heaviest persons are different. T is not the 2nd lightest person. S is lighter than T. V is heavier than S but not the heaviest person.

Common solution:

V is older than only R, who is the 2nd heaviest person, i.e. R is the youngest person.

Q is heavier than U, who is heavier than the 2nd oldest person. U is older than P and S.

T is older than U but not the oldest person, i.e. Q is the oldest person. The oldest and the heaviest persons are different.

T is not the 2nd lightest person.

S is lighter than T, i.e. T must be the 3rd lightest person.

V is heavier than S but not the heaviest person, i.e. P is the heaviest person.

The final ranking arrangement on the basis of ages is as follows: Q > T > U > P/S > S/P > V > R

The final ranking arrangement on the basis of weight is as follows:

P > R > Q > U > T > V > S

Question 3: If the weight of 3rd youngest person is 56kg, then, what can be the possible weight of U?

1. 59kg
2. 45kg
3. 60kg
4. Cannot be determined
5. None of these

Answer: d Solution:

Either S or P is the 3rd youngest person. Hence, option d.

Question 4: How many persons are younger than Q?

1. 5
2. 4
3. 6
4. 3

• None of these

Answer: c

Solution:

Six persons are younger than Q. Hence, option c.

Question 5: How many persons are heavier than T?

1. 3
2. 2
3. 4
4. Cannot be determined
5. 5

Answer: c Solution:

4 persons are heavier than T. Hence, option c.

Directions 6-7: Answer the following questions based on the information given below:

Six persons, P, Q, R, S, T and U have different heights. P is taller than at least three persons. S is taller than only T. Q is taller than R but not than U. P is not taller than Q.

Question 6: If the height of U is 132cm and the height of R is 110cm then what could be the possible height of Q?

1. 178cm
2. 116cm
3. 136cm
4. Cannot be determined
5. None of these Answer: b Solution:

P is taller than at least three persons. S is taller than only T. Q is taller than R but not than U. P is not taller than Q. So, there can be only one possibility,

U > Q > P > R > S > T (132cm) (110cm)

Hence, option b.

Question 7: Who among the following is the tallest?

1. Q
2. P
3. U
4. S
5. None of these Answer: c Solution:

P is taller than at least three persons. S is taller than only T. Q is taller than R but not than U. P is not taller than Q. So, there can be only one possibility,

U >  Q > P >   R >   S >   T

Hence, option c.

Directions 8-9: Answer the following questions based on the information given below:

Six poles P, Q, R, S, T and U have different heights. Pole Q is taller than at least three poles. Pole T is taller than only one pole. Pole R is taller than pole P and pole S but not the 2nd tallest. Neither pole P nor pole S is the shortest.

Common Solution:

Now, Pole Q is taller than at least three poles. Pole T is taller than only one pole. Pole R is taller than pole P and pole S but not the 2nd tallest. Neither pole P nor pole S is the tallest. So, there are two possibilities,

• R > P/S > Q > S/P > T > U
  • R > Q > P/S > S/P > T > U

Question 8: If pole P is 166cm tall and pole S is 187cm tall then how many poles are shorter than pole Q?

1. Three
   1. Four
   1. Six
   1. Cannot be determined
   1. None of these

Answer: d

Solution:

Either three or four poles are shorter than pole Q. Hence, option d.

Question 9: Which of the poles is shortest?

1. R
2. P
3. S
4. U
5. None of these Answer: d Solution:

Pole U is the shortest. Hence, option d.

Time Management Tips

Keep these tips in mind while solving order & ranking in RBI Grade B:

• Spend less than 40 seconds per question.
• Apply formulas instead of re-counting.
• Draw quick diagrams for clarity.
• If stuck, skip and return later.
• Accuracy matters more than speed here.

Final Words

To conclude, order and Ranking questions carry a weightage of about 3 to 5 marks in RBI Grade B Phase 1 as per previous years’ exam analysis. So, you need to read the question very carefully, apply the right formula to answer it correctly. You should also practice to avoid the tiny mistakes mentioned above. Don’t forget that “Between” and “From” are the most confusing parts. So, pay them extra heed. You can easily answer such questions after regular practice of mock tests. You will not only save time but also score full marks in order & ranking questions after mastering the tricks discussed above. It’s time to start the practice, right now!

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