Ranking and order refer to a person’s position or rank in relation to other people in the group. People and things are ranked in relation to each other to determine where they stand in relation to other people and things. To solve a ranking and order logic reasoning question, a person must determine the position or rank of a person from left to right or top to bottom of a row or class or a total number of persons, depending on the given information.

Candidates may also be asked to estimate the person’s floor based on the information provided. Various types of questions are asked in competitive examinations. 

Ranking and order reasoning

People or objects can be arranged in ascending or descending order based on various factors, such as their height, weight, merit, position, and so forth. People and objects in a line or queue and the challenges of the time sequence test, which asks candidates to identify a specific day based on the given conditions.

The ranking and order reasoning section includes various questions, including sequential order or arrangement, position test, time sequence test, etc. Most competitive exams include ranking and order reasoning problems of varying types.

1. Based on Rankings

• Candidates must determine a person’s position or rank to use this type of ranking and order reasoning. There are several types of ranking-based questions.

• To solve this type of ranking and order reasoning, candidates are asked to identify a person’s position or rank in relation to another person from the left or right end of a list.

• Candidates must ascertain the number of individuals in a line or class to perform well on this type of ranking and order reasoning.

2. Comparison based

• A candidate must compare various quantities to determine the correct order in ranking and order reasoning.

Tricks to solve ranking and order reasoning questions

• Both positions and ranks can come from anywhere along the row, but only one side can have a position.

• Candidates can use the following formula to determine the total number of people in a particular row or column: Rank from left to right – 1 = Total Person.

• The number of people between two people is equal to the sum of the positions of two different people on opposite sides of the question.

• When answering overlapping questions, multiply the total number of people by 2 to get the number of people between two people.

• Overlapping occurs when the total number of people is greater than the sum of the people’s positions at either end.

Some of the important ranking and order questions and answers are listed below.

• There are 60 bikes in a row, and car A is positioned 32nd from the right end. To what extent does it extend to the left?

Position from left end = (Total number of bikes + 1) – Position from the right end

Position from left end = (60 + 1) – 32 = 61 – 32 = 29.

Hence, the position of bike A from the left end is 29.

• There were 50 cards in a row, and staffy chose the 27th one from the left. In what order will the cards on the right be arranged in relation to each other?

 Total number of cards = Position of the card from right + Position of the card from left – 1

50 = Position of staffy’s card from right + 27 – 1

Position of staffy’s card from right = 50 – 27 + 1 = 24.

Hence, the position of the card from the right end is 24.

• Rama and nelu are in a line of people. In the row, nelu sits 12th on the left, and Rama sits 18th. Sahil is now 25th in line if they switch places. This row is composed of what number of people?

Total person = Position from Left + Position from right – 1

Position of nelu from Left = 25 (after interchanging)

Position of nelu from Right = 18 (position of nelu from right end is same as Rama after interchanging) – 1

Total person = 25 + 18 – 1 = 42

Hence, there are 42 people in the row.

Conclusion

Ranking reasoning necessitates the arrangement or ranking of a set number of individuals or objects according to each attribute’s increasing or decreasing importance. Height, weight, performance (in a game, exam, etc.), age, the position in the row, etc., are all examples of this attribute.

Ascending or descending order can be based on various factors, such as weight, merit, position, and so on, as well as a test that asks candidates to identify a specific day based on the given conditions, a line, or queue of people and objects.