Solve Matrix Arrangement Questions

Every student who takes the logical reasoning test will ask the question: What is the easiest way to solve matrix arrangement questions? These are the most common types of questions available in preparation for an admission exam and are present in every aptitude test-based admissions exam. Only a handful of the many different forms of organisation issues include linear, circular, and table- or matrix-based complicated arrangement problems. This article explains how to use tables and matrices to solve difficult issues. The sole distinction between complex and linear arrangement issues is that complex arrangement problems include more dimensions. Let us understand through some solved examples of matrix arrangement questions. 

Solved Example of Matrix Arrangement Questions

Question: Each village, A, B, C, D, and E, has its own name. Two of these have a post office, three have schools, and three can be reached by car. This is how it works: Two have more than 5000 people, two have more than 2000 people, and one has less than 2000. Two of these villages have electricity and other facilities such as schools, roads, etc. It has a school, but there is no post office or road to get there. Every village with more than 5000 people has a school. This is how it works: Most people live in one of two villages with between 2000 and 5000 people. Only one of them has a post office and can be reached by road. A can be reached by car. A, D, and E are where people live. In D, there is a school, which can be reached by road. In E, there is a school, but it can’t be reached by road.

Understanding Ways to Solve the Question

Unlike linear arrangement problems, which have clear information, the above illustration shows three distinct features rather than just one. These extra features only add to the complexity of the issues and do not provide a solution. The answer to these questions is simple, and there are two ways to get it.

• Matrix method

• Table method

Let’s start with the matrix approach.

This method works by drawing a table and reserving the first column for objects or people whose properties are specified in the problem. The remainder of the columns is used to list the object’s various attributes. Below is the solution to our question solved using the easiest way to tackle matrix arrangement questions.

The next step is to begin reading and recording direct information associated with the object in the problem by using ‘+’ for yes and * for no. Let’s get started with the above-mentioned data.

Solution

It has been made very clear that

• A can be reached by car.

• B has more than 5000 people.

• D has a school and can be reached by road, but it doesn’t have a post office.

• Even though E has a school, it isn’t very easy to get to by car.

Place the + and * signs in the places shown.

This is the stage at which we must determine how the bold points we made above relate to other information in the problem. It has been stated that the village of over 5000 people has a school, implying that B has a school. This also implies that D or E has a population of more than 5000 people, implying that there are three schools in total. This is how we know which village has the highest population. A school exists in one village with a population of fewer than 2000 people, but there is no post office or road to get there. Because D is accessible by road, it cannot be the one with a population of less than 2000 in this case. As a result, E is the one with a population of fewer than 2000 people. The same is true for A and C. They don’t even have schools. Let us now incorporate this new information into our matrix.

As you can see, we have completed nearly half of the matrix and can clearly see that both A and C are villages with populations between 2000 and 5000. And only one of them is serviced by a post office and has access to a road. Because A is accessible via road, it is required to have a post office. Additionally, three villages have road access; two of them have been established, leaving one, which should be B, because only one village with a population of 2000 to 5000 people has a post office and is accessible by road; thus, C cannot be the one, implying that B also has a post office. Additionally, two of these villages have electricity in addition to certain other amenities such as schools and road access, making B and D the only viable options. As a result, the required matrix is as follows:

Conclusion 

Matrix arrangement questions are omnipresent in every competitive exam. This way of solving a matrix is the easiest way to solve matrix arrangement questions in your competitive exams to reduce your time. We hope that the solved examples have helped to understand how to use the table method to resolve them.