Ordering and Comparison: Tallest, Heaviest, Ranks from Statements
Ordering and Comparison: Tallest, Heaviest, Ranks from Statements
Comparison questions give statements like "A is taller than B but shorter than C" and ask for the tallest, the middle person or a position. Write the people on one line from greatest to least and add each clue in turn. If a clue cannot be placed, the answer may be "cannot be determined".
1. Method Box
| Clue form | Write |
|---|---|
| A is taller than B | A > B |
| A is taller than B but shorter than C | C > A > B |
| A is between B and C | B > A > C or C > A > B (check other clues) |
| Neither the tallest nor the shortest | Somewhere in the middle |
| A is second from the top | Fix A at position 2 |
Build one chain; if two people cannot be compared, any question needing that comparison is "cannot be determined"
Middle of five = third from either end
✗ A > B and C > B, so A is the tallest | ✓ A and C are not compared; the tallest cannot be determined
✗ "Between N and M" means N comes first | ✓ It only says the person lies between them in order; use the other clues to fix the direction
हिंदी नोट: तुलना वाले प्रश्नों में सभी को एक रेखा में सबसे बड़े से सबसे छोटे तक लिखिए। जिन दो की तुलना नहीं हुई, उनके बारे में उत्तर "निर्धारित नहीं किया जा सकता" होता है।
Exam Pointer: Verified NTPC pattern: five people compared by height to find the tallest (January 2017 CBT-2). Incomplete-information, numeric and race-order questions had no verified NTPC shift and are tagged syllabus-based.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Tallest, shortest and the middle person
[PYQ: NTPC CBT-2 19-Jan-2017 Shift-3]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. A is taller than B, B is taller than C, and D is taller than A. Who is the tallest?
D > A > B > C.
Answer: D
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Among P, Q, R, S and T, P is taller than Q but shorter than R. S is shorter than Q, and T is taller than R. Who is the third tallest?
R > P > Q, S below Q, T above R: T > R > P > Q > S. The third is P.
Answer: P
Pattern 2: Incomplete information
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. A is heavier than B, and C is heavier than B. Who is the heaviest?
A and C are never compared, so either could be heaviest.
Answer: Cannot be determined
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. In a test, M scored more than N, O scored less than N, P scored more than M, and Q scored more than N but less than M. Who scored second highest?
P > M, then Q between M and N, then O below N: P > M > Q > N > O. Second is M.
Answer: M
Pattern 3: Numeric clues with an order
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. A earns more than B but less than C, and D earns more than C. Who earns the second highest amount?
D > C > A > B, so C.
Answer: C
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Five boxes have different weights; the heaviest weighs 72 kg and the lightest 50 kg. A is heavier than B and C; D is heavier than A; E is lighter than C; B is heavier than C. Who is third heaviest, and which two boxes weigh 72 kg and 50 kg?
D > A > B > C > E. Third heaviest is B. The heaviest, D, is 72 kg and the lightest, E, is 50 kg.
Answer: B; D 72 kg, E 50 kg
Pattern 4: Races and ranks from statements
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. In a race, A finished before B but after C, and D finished after B. Who finished last?
C, A, B, D.
Answer: D
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. In a class, U ranks first. S ranks just below U. R ranks lower than S but higher than P, P ranks higher than Q, and T ranks lowest. Who is third from the top, and what is Q's rank from the bottom?
U, S, R, P, Q, T. Third is R; Q is 2nd from the bottom.
Answer: R; 2nd
60-Second Revision
- Put everyone on one line, greatest to least.
- "Taller than B but shorter than C" gives C > A > B.
- Uncompared people mean "cannot be determined".
- Middle of five is third from either end.
Next Step: Ranking done. Practise row and order questions in the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; write everyone on one line from greatest to least and most of them settle in one pass.