Reasoning

Floor-Based Puzzles: Practice Questions with Answers

11 practice questions on Floor-Based Puzzles, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.

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1. Q.1

   Five people live on five floors numbered 1 to 5 from the bottom. A lives on floor 2. B lives exactly 2 floors above A. C lives on the floor immediately below B. Which floor does C live on?

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   Answer: Floor 3

   Solution:

   1. A = 2. B = A + 2 = 4 (exactly 2 floors above).
   2. C = B − 1 = 3 (immediately below B).

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2. Q.2

   Five friends A, B, C, D and E live on five different floors of a building, numbered 1 (bottom) to 5 (top). A lives on floor 1. B lives immediately above A. D lives on floor 4. E lives immediately above D. Who lives on floor 3?

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   Answer: C

   Solution:

   1. A = 1. B = immediately above A = 2. D = 4 (given). E = immediately above D = 5.
   2. The only floor left, 3, must be C.

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3. Q.3

   Four friends W, X, Y and Z live on four floors numbered 1 (bottom) to 4 (top). W lives on a floor higher than X but lower than Y. Z lives on the topmost floor. If X lives on floor 1, on which floor does W live?

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   Answer: Floor 2

   Solution:

   1. Z = 4 (topmost). X = 1 (given).
   2. W and Y must take the remaining floors, 2 and 3, with W lower than Y — so W = 2, Y = 3.

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4. Q.4

   Four people P, Q, R and S live on four different floors, numbered 1 (bottom) to 4 (top). Q lives immediately above P. S lives on the topmost floor. R lives immediately below S. Which floor does P live on?

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   Answer: Floor 1

   Solution:

   1. S = 4 (topmost). R = immediately below S = 3.
   2. Only floors 1 and 2 remain for P and Q, with Q immediately above P — so P = 1, Q = 2.

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5. Q.5

   Five people A, B, C and D, plus one vacant floor, occupy six floors of a building numbered 1 (bottom) to 6 (top) — one person per floor, except the vacant one. A lives on floor 2. B lives immediately above A. Floor 4 is vacant. C lives immediately above the vacant floor. D lives on the topmost floor. Who lives immediately below D?

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   Answer: C

   Solution:

   1. A = 2. B = immediately above A = 3. Floor 4 = vacant. C = immediately above the vacant floor = 5. D = 6 (topmost).
   2. The floor immediately below D (floor 6) is floor 5, which is C’s floor.

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6. Q.6

   Five people P, Q, R, S and T live on five floors numbered 1 (bottom) to 5 (top). T lives on floor 4. Q lives immediately above T. P lives immediately below T. S lives immediately above R. On which floors do S and R live?

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   Answer: R on floor 1, S on floor 2

   Solution:

   1. T = 4. Q = immediately above T = 5. P = immediately below T = 3.
   2. Only floors 1 and 2 remain, for R and S, with S immediately above R — so R = 1, S = 2.

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7. Q.7

   Four people live on four floors numbered 1 (bottom) to 4 (top). A lives exactly 2 floors above B. B lives on floor 1. Which floor does A live on?

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   Answer: Floor 3

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8. Q.8

   Five people live on five floors numbered 1 to 5 from the bottom. V lives on floor 3. W lives exactly 2 floors below V. Which floor does W live on?

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   Answer: Floor 1

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9. Q.9

   Five friends live on five floors numbered 1 to 5 from the bottom. M lives on floor 3. N lives immediately above M. O lives immediately below M. Which floors do N and O live on?

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   Answer: N on floor 4, O on floor 2

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10. Q.10

    Five people live on five floors numbered 1 to 5 from the bottom. P lives on floor 5. Q lives immediately below P. R lives on floor 1. S lives immediately above R. Which floor does T (the fifth person) live on?

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    Answer: Floor 3

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11. Q.11

    Four people occupy four floors numbered 1 (bottom) to 4 (top), one of which is vacant. A lives on floor 1. Floor 3 is vacant. B lives immediately above the vacant floor. Which floor does B live on?

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    Answer: Floor 4

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