CAT 2025 Slot 3 · DILR · Question 1

CAT 2025 Slot 3 previous year question on Arrangement Based Puzzes, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Arrangement Based PuzzesLOGICAL REASONING - High LevelMultiple choiceMedium

Set 1: Passing the Buck — this question belongs to a set. Read the full set with all 4 questions →

Seven children, Aarav, Bina, Chirag, Diya, Eshan, Farhan, and Gaurav, are sitting in a circle facing inside (not necessarily in the same order) and playing a game of 'Passing the Buck'.

The game is played over 10 rounds. In each round, the child holding the Buck must pass it directly to a child sitting in one of the following positions:

• Immediately to the left;

• Immediate to the right;

• Second to the left; or

• Second to the right.

The game starts with Bina passing the Buck and ends with Chirag receiving the Buck. The table below provides some information about the pass types and the child receiving the Buck. Some information is missing and labelled as '?'.

Round	Pass Type	Received by
1	Immediately to the left	Aarav
2	Second to the right	?
3	Immediately to the right	Diya
4	?	?
5	?	Aarav
6	Second to the left	?
7	Immediately to the left	Gaurav
8	Immediately to the left	?
9	?	Farhan
10	?	Chirag

Who is sitting immediately to the right of Bina?

A
Aarav
B
Eshan
C
Farhan
D
Chirag

Pick an option, then check.

Answer & solution

Answer: Option B

Number the seats around the circle so that moving one seat to the left adds 1 and one seat to the right subtracts 1 (positions taken mod 7). Put Bina at 0.

Round 1: Bina passes immediately left to Aarav, so Aarav = 1.

Round 2: Aarav passes second to the right, to seat 1 − 2 = −1 (seat 6).

Round 3: seat 6 passes immediately right, to seat 5, who is Diya.

Round 6: Aarav (1) passes second to the left, to seat 3.

Round 7: seat 3 passes immediately left, to seat 4, who is Gaurav.

Round 8: Gaurav (4) passes immediately left, to seat 5 – Diya again.

Round 9: Diya (5) passes to Farhan, who must be within two seats: seat 3 or seat 6 (seats 4 and 0 are Gaurav and Bina).

Round 10: Farhan passes to Chirag. The only empty seats are 2, 3 and 6. If Farhan were at 6, Chirag would have to be at 4, 5, 0 or 1 – all taken. So Farhan = 3 and Chirag = 2, leaving Eshan at 6.

Order going left from Bina: Bina (0), Aarav (1), Chirag (2), Farhan (3), Gaurav (4), Diya (5), Eshan (6).

Immediately to the right of Bina is seat −1 = 6, Eshan.

Shortcut: Round 10 decides it – Farhan must have an empty seat next to or two away from him for Chirag, which only happens at seat 3.

Hence, the answer is option 2.

CAT 2025 Slot 3 · DILR · Question 1

More Arrangement Based Puzzes questions