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Ranking and Order Questions with Solutions

Ranking questions all hang off one small formula connecting rank from the top, rank from the bottom, and the total count — once that’s automatic, these become quick points. Here’s the concept, four fully worked examples, and a few to try yourself.

The concept, quickly

  • The key formula: if a person’s rank from the top is T and their rank from the bottom is B, in a group of N people total, then T + B = N + 1. Given any two of T, B, N, this gives you the third.
  • "Rank from the top" and "rank from the start" usually mean the same thing — but check the wording carefully, since "top" can mean different things depending on whether the ranking is by marks, height, or finishing order.
  • For relative-position clues ("A is 3 ranks above B", "there are 5 people between X and Y"), convert each clue into a number line of positions, the same way as Seating Arrangement, and resolve step by step.
  • "Above" in rank means a BETTER (smaller/earlier) position number — being 5 ranks above someone ranked 20th means being ranked 15th, not 25th.

Worked examples

1. In a class, Rohan ranks 12th from the top and 18th from the bottom. How many students are there in the class?

Solution

  1. Using T + B = N + 1: 12 + 18 = N + 1.
  2. N = 12 + 18 − 1 = 29.

Answer: 29 students

2. In a row of students, Priya is 8th from the left and 15th from the right. How many students are in the row?

Solution

  1. Using the same formula: N = 8 + 15 − 1 = 22.

Answer: 22 students

3. In a class of 40 students, Arjun ranks 15th from the top. What is his rank from the bottom?

Solution

  1. Rearranging T + B = N + 1 to solve for B: B = N − T + 1.
  2. B = 40 − 15 + 1 = 26.

Answer: 26th from the bottom

4. A is 5 ranks above B in a class of 35 students, and B’s rank from the bottom is 20th. Find A’s rank from the top.

Solution

  1. First find B’s rank from the top: B = N − (rank from bottom) + 1 = 35 − 20 + 1 = 16th.
  2. A is 5 ranks above B, meaning A’s rank number is 5 less (a better position): 16 − 5 = 11.

Answer: 11th from the top

Try these yourself

Apply the T + B = N + 1 formula the same way, then check against the answer.

1. In a class, Simran ranks 9th from the top and 23rd from the bottom. How many students are in the class?

Answer: 31 students

2. In a row of 50 people, Karan is 19th from the left. What is his position from the right?

Answer: 32nd from the right

3. In a queue, Meena is 7 positions ahead of Suresh. If Suresh is 25th from the front, find Meena’s position from the front.

Answer: 18th from the front

Where this comes up

Ranking and Order is a regular topic in the Reasoning/General Intelligence section of every exam Pariksha Saathi covers — SSC CGL, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Clerk.

Practice more Ranking and Order questions

This page covers the concept and a handful of worked examples. Pariksha Saathi has full topic-wise practice sets for Ranking and Order (and every other Reasoning/Quant/English topic) with instant scoring and explanations — free, no account required.

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