Circular and Square-Table Seating
Circular and Square-Table Seating
Around a circle there are no ends, so the first person you place only fixes a reference point. The key fact is direction: for a person facing the centre, the left is clockwise and the right is anticlockwise; facing outward reverses both. Square tables are circles of eight with corner and side seats.
1. Direction Rules
| Facing | Left is | Right is |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | Clockwise | Anticlockwise |
| Outside (away from the centre) | Anticlockwise | Clockwise |
In a circle of n equally spaced people, the person directly opposite is n/2 places away
If the a-th and b-th people are opposite, n = 2 × |a − b|
Square table of 8: corners and side-middles alternate; opposite seats are 4 places apart
✗ Facing the centre, "to the left" is anticlockwise | ✓ Facing the centre, left is clockwise
✗ In a circle of 6, A and D are opposite, so 3 people sit between them | ✓ 2 people sit between them on each side
हिंदी नोट: वृत्त में केंद्र की ओर मुख हो तो बायाँ दक्षिणावर्त (clockwise) और दायाँ वामावर्त होता है; बाहर की ओर मुख हो तो उल्टा। वर्गाकार मेज़ पर 8 लोग हों तो कोने और भुजा के मध्य के स्थान बारी-बारी आते हैं।
Exam Pointer: Verified NTPC pattern: seven people around a circular table facing the centre (June 2025 Graduate CBT-1, June 2026 UG CBT-1). Outward-facing, square-table and counting-around-a-circle questions had no verified NTPC shift and are tagged syllabus-based.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Circle, everyone facing the centre
[PYQ: NTPC UG CBT-1 15-Jun-2026 Shift-3 | NTPC Graduate CBT-1 5-Jun-2025 Shift-2]
Six friends A to F sit around a circular table facing the centre. A sits opposite D. B sits to the immediate left of A. E sits second to the right of B. C is not an immediate neighbour of B.
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Who sits to the immediate right of D?
Number the seats 1 to 6 clockwise with A in seat 1. D is opposite, in seat 4. Left is clockwise, so B is in seat 2. Right is anticlockwise, so second to the right of B is seat 6: E. Seats 3 and 5 remain; seat 3 is next to B, so C is in 5 and F in 3. D's right is anticlockwise: seat 3, F.
Answer: F
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Using the same arrangement, who sits opposite B, and who sits between C and A?
Clockwise from seat 1: A, B, F, D, C, E. Opposite B (seat 2) is seat 5: C. Between C (seat 5) and A (seat 1) is E (seat 6).
Answer: C; E
Pattern 2: Circle with some facing outside
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
Six people P to U sit around a circle. Q and S face away from the centre; the others face the centre. Q sits to the immediate left of P. S sits opposite P. R sits to the immediate right of Q. T sits second to the left of R.
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Who sits opposite R?
Seats 1 to 6 clockwise with P in 1. P faces the centre, so its left is clockwise: Q in 2. S is opposite P: seat 4. Q faces outward, so its right is clockwise: R in 3. R faces the centre, so second to its left is seat 5: T. U takes seat 6, opposite R.
Answer: U
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Using the same arrangement, who sits to the immediate right of S, and who sits to the immediate left of U?
S (seat 4) faces outward, so its right is clockwise: seat 5, T. U (seat 6) faces the centre, so its left is clockwise: seat 1, P.
Answer: T; P
Pattern 3: Square table with corner and side seats
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
Eight people A to H sit around a square table facing the centre: four at the corners and four at the middles of the sides. A sits at a corner, and E sits opposite A. C sits second to the left of A. G sits to the immediate right of E. B sits at a corner. H sits opposite G. D sits next to A.
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Who sits to the immediate left of B?
Number the seats 1 to 8 clockwise from A's corner (odd seats are corners). E is in 5, C in 3 (two clockwise from A), and G in 4 (one anticlockwise from E). H is opposite G: seat 8. D is next to A: seat 2. B takes the corner seat 7 and F seat 6. B's left is clockwise: seat 8, H.
Answer: H
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Using the same arrangement, who sit at the middles of the sides, and who sits between C and E?
The even seats 2, 4, 6 and 8 hold D, G, F and H. Between C (seat 3) and E (seat 5) is G.
Answer: D, G, F, H; G
Pattern 4: Counting around a circle
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Eight people sit equally spaced around a circle and A sits opposite B. How many people sit between them on each side?
Opposite means 4 places apart, so 3 people sit between them on each side.
Answer: 3 on each side
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. People sit equally spaced around a circle, numbered in order. The 6th person sits directly opposite the 17th. How many people are in the circle?
Opposite people are n/2 places apart, so n/2 = 17 − 6 = 11 and n = 22.
Answer: 22
60-Second Revision
- Facing the centre: left clockwise, right anticlockwise; outward reverses it.
- Place the first person anywhere; fix others from them.
- Opposite = n/2 places apart; n = 2 × gap.
- Square table: corners and side seats alternate.
Next Step: Seating Arrangement done. Solve one seating puzzle a day in the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; draw the seats before reading the second clue.