Circular Seating Arrangement questions with solutions

1. Question 1Easy
   Eight friends - A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H - are seated around a circular table, all facing the centre. D sits to the immediate left of A. C sits third to the left of A. B sits second to the left of C. E sits directly opposite C. G sits between D and C. F is an immediate neighbour of C.

   Who sits directly opposite A?

   • A.B
   • B.C
   • C.E
   • D.FCorrect
   • E.H
   Show solution

   Fixing A and working clockwise, the seats run A, D, G, C, F, B, H, E. That order comes out as follows: D is immediately to A's left, and for someone facing the centre the left is the clockwise direction, so D is one seat clockwise of A. C is three seats clockwise of A, which leaves exactly one seat between D and C, and G takes it. B is two seats clockwise of C, and E is opposite C, which is four seats away. F must neighbour C, and the only free seat adjacent to C is the one between G and B. H takes the last seat. With eight seats, the person opposite is four seats away in either direction. Four seats clockwise from A passes D, G and C and lands on F.

2. Question 2Easy
   Six friends L, M, N, O, X and Y sit around a circular table facing the centre. L sits opposite M. N sits opposite O. X sits opposite Y. N sits immediately clockwise of L, and X sits immediately clockwise of N.

   Which of the following pairs sits opposite each other?

   • A.L and N
   • B.N and OCorrect
   • C.X and M
   • D.L and O
   • E.M and Y
   Show solution

   The three opposite pairs are L-M, N-O and X-Y. Of the options, only N and O form one of these pairs.

3. Question 3Moderate
   Eight friends - A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H - are seated around a circular table, all facing the centre. D sits to the immediate left of A. C sits third to the left of A. B sits second to the left of C. E sits directly opposite C. G sits between D and C. F is an immediate neighbour of C.

   Which of the following pairs are the immediate neighbours of H?

   • A.B and ECorrect
   • B.B and F
   • C.E and A
   • D.F and B
   • E.A and D
   Show solution

   Fixing A and working clockwise, the seats run A, D, G, C, F, B, H, E. That order comes out as follows: D is immediately to A's left, and for someone facing the centre the left is the clockwise direction, so D is one seat clockwise of A. C is three seats clockwise of A, which leaves exactly one seat between D and C, and G takes it. B is two seats clockwise of C, and E is opposite C, which is four seats away. F must neighbour C, and the only free seat adjacent to C is the one between G and B. H takes the last seat. H sits between B and E, so those two are its neighbours. Note that H is the only person whose seat is never fixed by a clue directly; it is settled by elimination once the other seven are placed, which is often how the last person in a circular puzzle is found.

4. Question 4Moderate
   Six friends L, M, N, O, X and Y sit around a circular table facing the centre. L sits opposite M. N sits opposite O. X sits opposite Y. N sits immediately clockwise of L, and X sits immediately clockwise of N.

   Who sits opposite X?

   • A.L
   • B.M
   • C.N
   • D.O
   • E.YCorrect
   Show solution

   Fix L at seat 1. N is immediately clockwise (seat 2) and X is next (seat 3). In a six-seat circle the opposite seat is three away, so M is seat 4, O is seat 5 and Y is seat 6. X, at seat 3, sits opposite seat 6, which is Y.

5. Question 5Moderate
   Six friends L, M, N, O, X and Y sit around a circular table facing the centre. L sits opposite M. N sits opposite O. X sits opposite Y. N sits immediately clockwise of L, and X sits immediately clockwise of N.

   Who sits immediately clockwise of X?

   • A.L
   • B.MCorrect
   • C.N
   • D.O
   • E.Y
   Show solution

   With the clockwise order L, N, X, M, O, Y, the seat immediately clockwise of X (seat 3) is seat 4, which is M.

6. Question 6Moderate
   Six friends A, B, C, D, E and F sit around a circular table facing the centre. A sits opposite B. C sits opposite F. E sits opposite D. C sits immediately clockwise of A, and E sits immediately clockwise of C.

   Who sits opposite C?

   • A.A
   • B.B
   • C.D
   • D.E
   • E.FCorrect
   Show solution

   Fix A at seat 1. C is immediately clockwise, so C is seat 2, and E is seat 3. In a six-seat circle the person opposite is three seats away, so seat 1 (A) faces seat 4, seat 2 (C) faces seat 5, and seat 3 (E) faces seat 6. Given the opposite pairs, B is seat 4, F is seat 5 and D is seat 6. So C sits opposite F.

These are 6 of 11 circular seating arrangement questions in the bank. Attempt the rest with instant feedback in the practice drills, or under a clock in the mock tests.