Puzzles (Floor, Box, Day & Multi-Variable)

Master this topic with zero to advance depth.

Introduction to Puzzles

Puzzles form the heavyweight core of Reasoning in Banking and High-level SSC exams. A puzzle is essentially a matrix of variables that are scrambled. Your objective is not to 'solve' the puzzle all at once, but to systematically map constraints into a Grid or Table, eliminating impossibilities until only the true arrangement remains.

The Grid Approach & Possibility Method

Attempting to solve Mains-level puzzles in your head or in a single table will lead to immediate failure because of interconnecting variables.

Step 1: Identify the 'Base Variable'. (e.g., Days of the week, Floor Numbers, or Months). Always fix this in the leftmost column.
Step 2: Draw at least TWO parallel columns for possibilities. (Case 1 and Case 2).
Step 3: Scan the entire passage first. Fill in the absolute definite clues first.
Step 4: Deal with the 'Negative Clues' (e.g., A does not like Red) by placing a small cross (x) next to the cell.

Example:

Q: Seven people live on a 7-floor building. 'P lives on an even-numbered floor. There are two floors between P and Q.'

Solution: Exam Attack: Do not just read this. Draw a 7-1 grid. Base positions for P are 2, 4, 6. Immediately draw 3 parallel columns.
Case 1: P is at 2. So Q is at 5.
Case 2: P is at 4. So Q can be at 1 or 7 (Spawns Case 2a and 2b).
Case 3: P is at 6. So Q is at 3.

Standard Models of Puzzles

1. Floor & Flat Puzzles: Floors are stacked vertically (1 to n). Flats are positioned horizontally (Flat 1, Flat 2). If A lives in Flat 1 of Floor 3, and B lives immediately below A, B must be in Flat 1 of Floor 2.

2. Box Puzzles: Unlike floors where numbers are fixed, boxes are floating until you anchor them. E.g., 'Three boxes are between Box A and Box B' simply gives you a block of 5 boxes (A _ _ _ B).

3. Scheduling (Day/Month/Year): Fix the chronological order as your base. Note the number of days in months (30 vs 31) as hints often exploit this ('A attends webinar in a month having 30 days').

4. Designation & Salary: Fix the hierarchy from CEO (top) to Clerk (bottom). Treat this exactly like a Floor puzzle.