Order and Ranking Cheat Sheet
31 Oct 2026
Quick answer
A quick revision cheat sheet on order and ranking for SSC, Banking, Railway and state exams. It covers the total-from-both-ends formula, how to convert a rank from one end to the other, how to handle "between" problems, and the common traps, with worked examples you can revise in a minute.
Order and Ranking Cheat Sheet
Quick Revision
Order and ranking questions place people in a row and ask about their positions or the size of the group. A couple of small formulas solve almost all of them.
1. The Total Formula
When one person's rank is given from both ends:
Total people = (rank from top) + (rank from bottom) − 1The − 1 is because that one person is counted twice.
Example
Ravi is 7th from the left and 9th from the right.
Total = 7 + 9 − 1 = 15 people2. Converting a Rank
If you know the total and a rank from one end:
Rank from the other end = Total − rank from one end + 1Example
In a row of 40, a person is 12th from the left.
From the right = 40 − 12 + 1 = 29th3. "Between" Problems
The number of people between two positions is:
Between = (difference of the two positions) − 1If positions are 7th and 15th, the people between them = 15 − 7 − 1 = 7.
4. Common Traps
- "Rank 7th from the top" means 6 people are above, not 7.
- When ranks are counted from the same end, you cannot find the total from them.
- Watch for "at least / at most" wording, which can allow a range of totals.
5. Exam Quick Tips
- Ranks from both ends:
Total = top + bottom − 1. - Switch ends with
Total − rank + 1. - People between two seats:
difference − 1. - Two ranks from the same end are not enough to find the total.
Keep revising with the rest of the Reasoning section:
How this was made: Drafted with AI assistance; spot-checked by the editor on 31 October 2026.