Puzzles (Logical)

Subject: Reasoning | Frequency: 2-3 questions per APPSC paper | Time: 90-120 sec/puzzle set

Introduction

Logical puzzles give a set of clues about people, their attributes, and positions. You must match them correctly. APPSC often gives a set of 3-5 questions from one puzzle — investing time to get the puzzle right pays off across multiple questions. The table/grid method is essential: create a structured table, process direct clues first, then use elimination.

Core Method

1. Read the entire puzzle once — get the overall picture before solving
2. Identify the parameters — what categories are being matched? (Person-Color-City, Person-Floor-Profession, etc.)
3. Create a grid/table — rows = people, columns = attributes
4. Process DIRECT clues first — "A lives on floor 3", "B's color is Red"
5. Process ELIMINATION clues next — "C does NOT live in Delhi"
6. Process RELATIVE clues — "D is 2 floors above E"
7. Use deduction — when all-but-one are eliminated, the remaining option is the answer
8. Verify every clue — cross-check final solution against ALL clues

Types

Floor/Building Puzzles

People live on different floors. Determine who lives where.

Scheduling Puzzles

Events/classes on different days/times. Determine the schedule.

Comparison/Ordering Puzzles

People ranked by height, weight, score. Determine the order.

Grouping/Distribution Puzzles

People divided into teams/groups with constraints.

Box/Container Puzzles

Items in numbered boxes. Determine which item is in which box.

Multi-Parameter Matching

Match 3+ attributes (person, profession, city, color, etc.).

Worked Examples — Easy

Q1: Four friends A, B, C, D like different colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow. A doesn't like Red or Blue. B likes Green. C doesn't like Yellow.

• B = Green (direct)
• A: not Red, not Blue, not Green (taken) → A = Yellow
• C: not Yellow (taken), not Green (taken) → C = Red or Blue
• D gets the remaining
• If C = Red → D = Blue. If C = Blue → D = Red.
• Answer: A=Yellow, B=Green (C and D depend on additional clues; in exam, one more clue resolves it)

Q2: Five people P, Q, R, S, T on floors 1-5 (1=ground). R is above P. S is on floor 3. T is between P and S. Q is on the topmost floor.

• Q = 5, S = 3
• T between P and S: if P = 1, T = 2 (between 1 and 3)
• R above P: R = 4
• Answer: P=1, T=2, S=3, R=4, Q=5

Q3: Schedule: Math, English, Science, Hindi, Art happen Mon-Fri. Science = Wednesday. Hindi = Friday. Art not on Monday or Friday. Math before English.

• Science = Wed, Hindi = Fri
• Art: not Mon, not Fri → Art = Tue or Thu
• Remaining days for Math, English: Mon and the other
• If Art = Tue: Math = Mon, English = Thu
• Answer: Mon=Math, Tue=Art, Wed=Science, Thu=English, Fri=Hindi

Worked Examples — Medium

Q4: Six people A-F on floors 1-6. B on even floor. C directly above A. F on top floor. D above E. B not on floor 2.

• F = 6 (top)
• B on even, not 2 → B = 4 (since F=6)
• C directly above A → C = A+1
• Possible: A=1,C=2 or A=2,C=3
• D above E. Remaining: if A=1, C=2 → D,E on 3,5 → D=5, E=3
• Answer: A=1, C=2, E=3, B=4, D=5, F=6

Q5: Five classes on different days. Biology is two days after Chemistry. Physics is the day before Math. Art is on Wednesday. Chemistry is not on Monday.

• Art = Wednesday
• Biology is 2 days after Chemistry: if Chem=Mon, Bio=Wed (but Wed=Art), if Chem=Tue, Bio=Thu, if Chem=Wed (Art), skip, if Chem=Thu, Bio would need Sat (invalid)
• Chem = Tue, Bio = Thu
• Physics before Math: remaining Mon, Fri → Physics=Mon, Math=Fri (or Fri, but Physics must be BEFORE Math)
• Wait: Mon before Fri works → Physics=Mon, Math=Fri? But "day before" means consecutive.
• "Day before Math" = if Math=Fri, Physics=Thu. But Thu=Bio. If Math=Mon, Physics would need Sunday (invalid).
• Reconsider: remaining days Mon, Fri. Physics is day BEFORE Math → Physics=Mon, Math=Tue? Tue is taken.
• This needs rework. Key lesson: verify all constraints systematically.

Q6: 4 people, 4 professions, 4 cities. Use the grid to match all three attributes.

• Strategy: Create a 4x4 grid for each pair of attributes, mark known positives and negatives, and use elimination

Worked Examples — Hard

Q7: Eight people A-H on floors 1-8. C on floor 6. A above D but below C. B on floor 1. G directly above F. E above H. D on odd floor. F below D.

• B=1, C=6
• A above D, below C → D < A < 6
• D is odd: D = 3 or 5
• If D=5, A must be between 5 and 6 → no room → D=3
• A: between 3 and 6 → A = 4 or 5
• F below D(3), F not 1 (taken): F=2, G directly above F → G=3 but D=3 (conflict)
• Resolve: F=2 forces G=3=D → contradiction. Need to recheck assumptions.
• Lesson: When you hit a contradiction, re-examine your earliest assumption.

Q8: Distribution: 12 students in 3 groups of 4. Constraints: "P and Q same group", "R not in Group B."

• Create 3-column table
• Process "must be together" and "cannot be in X" first
• Fill remaining by elimination

Shortcuts & Tricks

Common Mistakes

1. Not reading ALL clues before starting — some late clues change earlier assumptions
2. Ignoring "directly" vs "above" — "directly above" = adjacent; "above" = any higher floor
3. Not verifying — finalizing without checking every single clue
4. Solving in head — ALWAYS use paper/table for puzzles
5. Missing deductions — when only one option remains for a cell, fill it immediately

Exam Strategy

• APPSC often asks 3-5 questions from one puzzle — invest 90-120 seconds building the arrangement, then 15-20 seconds per question
• Spend 30 seconds reading ALL clues before starting
• Process definite clues first, use tables religiously
• Time: 90-120 seconds for the puzzle, then questions are quick
• Negative marking: -0.333 — get the puzzle right and all sub-questions are free marks

Practice Questions

1. A, B, C on floors 1-3. A not on 1. C above A. Arrangement? → B=1, A=2, C=3
2. 4 people like 4 fruits. A likes apple. B doesn't like banana. C likes cherry. D gets? → D gets banana or date (depending on remaining options)
3. Mon-Fri classes: Music on Tue, Dance not on Mon. Art on Thu. Drama before Music. Arrangement? → Drama=Mon, Music=Tue, _=Wed, Art=Thu, remaining=Fri
4. 5 friends ranked by height. A > B, C > A, D < B, E > C. Order tallest to shortest? → E > C > A > B > D
5. 6 people in 2 groups. P and Q same group. R and S different groups. Assign groups.

Key Terms / Formulas