Ranking Missing Character

Ranking Test

In this type of questions, generally the ranks of a person both from the top and from the bottom are mentioned and the total number of persons is asked. However, sometimes this question is put in the form of a puzzle of interchanging seats by two persons.

Example:

1. Joseph ranks seventh from the top and twenty-sixth from the bottom in a class. How many students are there in the class?

            (a) 31                                        (b) 32

            (c) 33                                        (d) 34

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (b)

            Explanation: Clearly, the whole class consists of:

            (i) 6 students who have ranks higher than Joseph;

            (ii) Joseph; and

            (iii) 25 students who have ranks lower than Joseph, i.e., \[\left( 6+1+25 \right)=32\] students.

2. Daniel is fourteenth from the right end in a row of 40 boys. What is his position from the left end?

            (a) 24th                                     (b) 25th

            (c) 26th                                     (d) 27th

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

            Explanation: Clearly, number of boys towards the left of Daniel \[=\left( 40-14 \right)=26.\]

            So, Daniel is 27th from the left end. Hence, the answer is (d).

3. In a row of boys facing the North, A is sixteenth from the left end and C is sixteenth from the right end. B, who is fourth to the right of A, is fifth to the left of C in the row. How many boys are there in the row?

            (a) 39                                        (b) 40

            (c) 41                                        (d) 42

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (b)

            Explanation: Clearly, according to the given conditions, there are 15 boys to the left of A, as well as to the right of C. Also, B lies between A and C such that there are 3 boys between A and B; and 4 boys between B and C.

So number of boys in the row \[=\text{ }\left( 15+1+3+1+4+1+15 \right)=40\]     

            Hence, the answer is (b).

4. In a row of girls, Shilpi is fifth from the left and Sukriti is sixth from the right. When they exchange their positions, then Shilpi becomes thirteenth from the left. What will be Sukriti’s position from the right?

            (a) 7th                                       (b) 11th

            (c) 14th                                     (d) 18th

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (c)

Explanation: Shilpi’s new position is 13th from left. But it is the same as Sukriti’s earlier position which is 6th from the right.

            Thus; the row consists of \[\left( 12+1+5 \right)=18\] girls.

            Now, Preeti’s new position is Kamya’s earlier position which is 5th from the left

            Number of girls to the right of Preeti \[=\left( 18-5 \right)=13.\]

            So, Sukriti’s new position is 4th from the right.

            Hence, the answer is (c).

5. In a row of boys, Jeevan is seventh from the start and eleventh from the end. In another row of boys, Vikas is tenth from the start and twelfth from the end. How many boys are there in both the rows together?

            (a) 36                                        (b) 37

            (c) 39                                        (d) 38

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

            Explanation: Clearly, total number of boys in both the rows

            = (Number of boys in Jeevan’s row) + (Number of boys in Vikas’ row)

\[=\text{ }\left( 6+1+10 \right)\text{ }+\text{ }\left( 9+1+11 \right)\text{ }=\text{ }\left( 17+21 \right)=38\]

6. In a class of 60, where girls are twice that of boys, Kamal ranked seventeenth from the top. If there             are 9 girls ahead of Kamal, how many boys are after him in the rank?

            (a) 3                                          (b) 7

            (c) 12                                        (d) 23

            (e) None of these

Ans.     (c)

            Explanation: Let the number of boys be x. Then, number of girls \[=2x\]

            \[x+2x=60\text{ }or\text{ }3x=60\text{ }or\text{ }x=20\]

            So, number of boys = 20 and number of girls = 40

            Number of students behind Kamal in rank \[=\left( 60-17 \right)=43\]           

            Number of girls ahead of Kamal in rank = 9

            Number of girls behind Kamal in rank \[=\left( 40-9 \right)=31\]

            Number of boys behind Kamal in rank \[=\left( 43-31 \right)=12.\]