Study the following information and answer the question given below: Fourteen…
2021
Study the following information and answer the question given below: Fourteen persons viz. A, B, C, D, P, Q, R, S, K, L, M, N, Y and Z sit in two parallel rows (but not necessarily in the same order) in such a way that seven persons sit in each row. A, B, P, Q, K, L and Y sit in row 1 and face north while C, D, R, S, M, N and Z sit in row 2 and face south. The persons in row 1 sit exactly opposite to the persons in row 2. Y sits diagonally opposite to Z. One person sits between Z and R. P faces R and sits immediate right of A. The number of persons who sit between Y and A is the same as the number of persons who sit to the right of M. B sits second to the right of the one who faces R. Three persons sit between B and Q. C sits diagonally opposite to Q. C and D are immediate neighbours. N faces K. Four among the following five are alike in a certain way and hence form a group; who among the following does not belong to that group?
- A.
Z
- B.
C
- C.
Q
- D.
R
- E.
Y
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In an 'odd one out' (alike-group) question, four of the five listed members share one common property derived from the final seating, and exactly one breaks it. The method is: first fix the complete arrangement from the constraints, then test the five named persons against a single positional rule (where they sit, whom they face, who their neighbours are) until one property separates four from the fifth.
Building the arrangement
Two parallel rows of seven. Row 1 (A, B, P, Q, K, L, Y) faces north; Row 2 (C, D, R, S, M, N, Z) faces south; each Row 1 seat is exactly opposite a Row 2 seat.
"Diagonally opposite" fixes the corners: Y is diagonally opposite Z, and C is diagonally opposite Q. So one such pair occupies the far-left corner of one row with the far-right corner of the other.
P faces R (same column), and P sits immediate right of A, so A, P are adjacent with R directly across from P.
"One person between Z and R" places R two seats from the Z end; with P opposite R this anchors the left block.
B sits second to the right of the person who faces R (that person is P), and three persons sit between B and Q, which fixes Q at one corner and B four seats away.
The count between Y and A equals the count to the right of M; C and D are immediate neighbours; N faces K. Imposing all of these leaves exactly one consistent seating.
Final seating
Reading each row left to right (columns 1 to 7):
Column | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Row 1 (North) | Q | A | P | K | B | L | Y |
Row 2 (South) | Z | S | R | N | M | D | C |
Applying the rule to the five names
Test each listed person by where they sit in their row:
Q sits at an extreme end of its row (column 1).
Y sits at an extreme end of its row (column 7).
Z sits at an extreme end of its row (column 1).
C sits at an extreme end of its row (column 7).
R sits in the interior of its row (column 3), with a neighbour on either side.
Cross-check and result
Four of the five — Q, Y, Z and C — are corner/end seats, each having only one same-row neighbour. The remaining name sits in the middle of its row with two same-row neighbours, so it is the one that does not share the 'sits at an end of the row' property. Hence the person who does not belong to the group is R.