LOGICAL REASONING

Ranking & Ordering — UPSC CSAT Previous Year Questions

Practice UPSC CSAT previous year questions from 2011–2026 classified underRanking & Ordering. Review the original question, four options, correct answer and explanation for every PYQ.

15Total PYQs
2011–2026Years
1Subtopics

Ranking & Ordering

15 questions • 2011–2026

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Question 1
UPSC CSAT 2026Ranking & Position

P, Q, R, S and T are ranked 1 to 5 (not necessarily in that order). The rank of P is 4, the rank of Q is not 5, the rank of R is 1, the rank of S is not 2, the rank of T is not 3. Then which of the following is/are correct? I. If the rank of S is 3, then that of T is 2. II. If the rank of Q is 3, then that of T is 5. Select the answer using the code given below.

AI only
BII only
CBoth I and II
DNeither I nor II
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerD
Explanation

If S=3, Q and T occupy 2 and 5; since Q≠5, T=5, not 2. If Q=3, S and T occupy 2 and 5; since S≠2, T=2, not 5. Both statements are false. Hence D.

Question 2
UPSC CSAT 2023Ranking & Position

Consider: 1. A is older than B. 2. C and D are of the same age. 3. E is the youngest. 4. F is younger than D. 5. F is older than A. How many statements are required to determine the oldest person/persons?

AOnly two
BOnly three
COnly four
DAll five
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerD
Explanation

All five statements are needed to establish the full ordering and identify C and D as oldest.

Question 3
UPSC CSAT 2023Ranking & Position

The letters of the word “INCOMPREHENSIBILITIES” are arranged alphabetically in reverse order. How many positions of the letter/letters will remain unchanged?

A
BOne
CTwo
DThree
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerC
Explanation

Comparing original and reverse-alphabetical positions leaves two unchanged.

Question 4
UPSC CSAT 2022Ranking & Position

Three persons A, B and C are standing in a queue not necessarily in the same order. There are 4 persons between A and B, and 7 persons between B and C. If there are 11 persons ahead of C and 13 behind A, what could be the minimum number of persons in the queue?

A22
B28
C32
D38
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerA
Explanation

Since C has 11 ahead, C is 12th. B is 8 positions away, and A is 5 positions away from B. The arrangement that minimizes the queue places A as early as the constraints allow, giving 22 persons.

Question 5
UPSC CSAT 2020Ranking & Position

A is 16th from the left end in a row of boys and V is 18th from the right end. Q is 11th from A towards the right and 3rd from V towards the right end. How many boys are there in the row?

A40
B41
C42
DCannot be determined due to insufficient data
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerB
Explanation

A is position 16 and Q is 27 from the left. Since Q is 3rd from V toward the right, V is 24th from the left; with V 18th from the right, total boys = 24+18−1 = 41.

Question 6
UPSC CSAT 2016Ranking & Position

In a class of 60 students, where the number of girls is twice that of boys, Kamal, a boy, ranked seventeenth from the top. If there are 9 girls ahead of Kamal, the number of boys in rank after him is:

A13
B12
C7
D3
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerB
Explanation

There are 20 boys and 40 girls. Among the 16 students ahead of Kamal, 9 are girls, so 7 are boys. Thus boys after Kamal =20−7−1=12.

Question 7
UPSC CSAT 2015Ranking & Position

If A runs less fast than B, and B runs as fast but not faster than C; then, as compared to A, C runs

Aslower than A
Bfaster than A
Cwith same speed as A
DGiven data is not sufficient to determine
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerB
Explanation

A is slower than B, while C is at least as fast as B; therefore C must be faster than A.

Question 8
UPSC CSAT 2015Ranking & Position

Usha runs faster than Kamala, Priti runs slower than Swati, Swati runs slower than Kamala. Who is the slowest runner?

AKamala
BPriti
CSwati
DUsha
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerB
Explanation

The order is Usha > Kamala > Swati > Priti, so Priti is the slowest.

Question 9
UPSC CSAT 2014Ranking & Position

There are seven persons up on a ladder, A, B, C, D, E, F and G (not in that order). A is further up than E but is lower than C. B is in the middle. G is between A and B. E is between B and F. If F is between E and D, the person on the bottom step of the ladder will be

AB
BF
CD
DE
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerC
Explanation

Applying the stated ordering constraints places D at the bottom of the ladder.

Question 10
UPSC CSAT 2014Ranking & Position

Consider that: 1. A is taller than B. 2. C is taller than A. 3. D is taller than C. 4. E is the tallest of all. If they are made to sit in the above order of their height, who will occupy the mid position?

AA
BB
CC
DD
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerC
Explanation

The height order is E > D > C > A > B, so C occupies the middle position.

Question 11
UPSC CSAT 2014Ranking & Position

In a row ‘A’ is in the 11th position from the left and ‘B’ is in the 10th position from the right. If ‘A’ and ‘B’ interchange, then ‘A’ becomes 18th from the left. How many persons are there in the row other than ‘A’ and ‘B’?

A27
B26
C25
D24
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerC
Explanation

After interchange, A is at position 18, so B originally was 18th from the left. With B 10th from the right, total positions = 18+10−1 = 27; excluding A and B leaves 25.

Question 12
UPSC CSAT 2012Ranking & Position

Examine the following statements: 1. Either A and B are of the same age or A is older than B. 2. Either C and D are of the same age or D is older than C. 3. B is older than C. Which one of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above statements?

AA is older than B
BB and D are of the same age
CD is older than C
DA is older than C
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerD
Explanation

A is at least as old as B, and B is older than C; hence A is older than C. The relationships between A and D are otherwise insufficient.

Question 13
UPSC CSAT 2012Ranking & Position

Gita is prettier than Sita but not as pretty as Rita. Then,

ASita is not as pretty as Gita.
BSita is prettier than Rita.
CRita is not as pretty as Gita.
DGita is prettier than Rita.
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerA
Explanation

Rita > Gita > Sita. Therefore Sita is not as pretty as Gita.

Question 14
UPSC CSAT 2012Ranking & Position

Examine the following statements: 1. Rama scored more than Rani. 2. Rani scored less than Ratna. 3. Ratna scored more than Rama. 4. Padma scored more than Rama but less than Ratna. Who scored the highest?

ARama
BPadma
CRani
DRatna
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerD
Explanation

Ratna is above Rama and Rani, and Padma is below Ratna. Hence Ratna is highest.

Question 15
UPSC CSAT 2011Ranking & Position

In a queue, Mr. X is fourteenth from the front and Mr. Y is seventeenth from the end, while Mr. Z is exactly in between Mr. X and Mr. Y. If Mr. X is ahead of Mr. Y and there are 48 persons in the queue, how many persons are there between Mr. X and Mr. Z?

A6
B7
C8
D9
View Answer & Explanation+
Correct AnswerC
Explanation

Y is 48−17+1 = 32nd from the front. Z is midway between positions 14 and 32, so Z is 23rd. Persons between X and Z = 23−14−1 = 8.

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