CAT 2025 Slot 1 · DILR · Question 14

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 following BEST describes the friends sitting on chairs adjacent to the one occupied by Bashir at the end of Turn 7?
  1. A
    Aslam and Chhavi
  2. B
    Chhavi only
  3. C
    Davies only
  4. D
    Chhavi and Davies
Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option C

At the end of Turn 6 the friends are on Chairs 4 (Davies), 5 (Bashir), 6 (Chhavi) and 7 (Aslam).

Only Chhavi moves in Turn 7, and Bashir stays on Chair 5.

The chairs adjacent to Bashir are Chair 4 and Chair 6.

Chair 4 holds Davies, who does not move again.

Chair 6 is Chhavi's own chair, and she is about to leave it.

Moving clockwise from Chair 6 she passes the occupied Chair 7 and lands on Chair 1; moving counterclockwise she passes the occupied Chairs 5 and 4 and lands on Chair 3.

Both moves are allowed, since neither recreates a block of four, but either way Chhavi vacates Chair 6.

So Bashir's only neighbour is Davies, and the answer is "Davies only" — the third option.

Shortcut. Chhavi cannot stay put, so the seat on one side of Bashir empties whatever she chooses. That makes the answer independent of her direction, which is why the question can be answered even though her move is not determined.

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