CAT 2025 Slot 1 · DILR · Question 13

CAT 2025 Slot 1 previous year question on Arrangement Based Puzzes, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Arrangement Based PuzzesLOGICAL REASONING - High LevelMultiple choiceMedium

Set 3: Seven Chairs Around a Round Table — this question belongs to a set. Read the full set with all 4 questions →

A round table has seven chairs around it. The chairs are numbered 1 through 7 in a clockwise direction. Four friends, Aslam, Bashir, Chhavi, and Davies, sit on four of the chairs. In the starting position, Aslam and Chhavi are sitting next to each other, while for Bashir as well as Davies, there are empty chairs on either side of the chairs that are sitting on.

The friends take turns moving either clockwise or counterclockwise from their chair. The friend who has to move in a turn occupies the first empty chair in whichever direction (s)he chooses to move. Aslam moves first (Turn 1), followed by Bashir, Chhavi, and Davies (Turns 2, 3, and 4, respectively). Then Aslam moves again followed by Bashir, and Chhavi (Turns 5, 6, and 7, respectively).

The following information is known.

The four friends occupy adjacent chairs only at the end of Turn 2 and Turn 6.

Davies occupies Chair 2 after Turn 1 and Chair 4 after Turn 5, and Chhavi occupies Chair 7 after Turn 2.

Which of the chairs are occupied at the end of Turn 6?
  1. A
    Chairs numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4
  2. B
    Chairs numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5
  3. C
    Chairs numbered 1, 2, 6, and 7
  4. D
    Chairs numbered 4, 5, 6, and 7
Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option D

At the end of Turn 3 the friends sit on Chairs 1 (Aslam), 2 (Davies), 3 (Bashir) and 6 (Chhavi).

Davies moves in Turn 4, and clue 2 puts him on Chair 4 after Turn 5 — but his only move before then is this one, so he must reach Chair 4 now.

Moving clockwise from Chair 2 he passes the occupied Chair 3 and lands on Chair 4, as required.

The occupied chairs are then 1, 3, 4 and 6.

Aslam moves in Turn 5, either clockwise to Chair 2 or counterclockwise to Chair 7.

Bashir then moves in Turn 6, and clue 1 requires all four to be adjacent afterwards.

If Aslam went to Chair 2, Bashir's options from Chair 3 are Chair 5 or Chair 1, giving \{2,4,5,6\} or \{1,2,4,6\} — neither is a run of four.

If Aslam went to Chair 7, Bashir moving clockwise from Chair 3 passes the occupied Chair 4 and lands on Chair 5.

That leaves Chairs 4, 5, 6 and 7 occupied — four consecutive chairs, as required.

The answer is the fourth option.

Shortcut. Clue 2 forces Davies to Chair 4 on his single available turn, which fixes the board before Turn 5. After that only two Aslam moves exist, and just one of them leaves Bashir able to close the block.

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