Ranking for SSC & Railway Exams

By : Sachin Awasthi

Updated : Oct 29, 2020, 18:30

When it comes to the competitive exams, ranking questions play a very significant role in easily fetching your score and increasing your credibility. They are not so hard to crack and, at the same time, very interesting as well. 

Ranking is not a term associated with marks alone. It shows the relationship between a set of attributes or data. It also denotes arrangements, positions, and places. This topic is usually accompanied by an examination point of view by other topics like position and order. SSC questions on ranking are usually asked to determine the exact ranking of a particular subject matter given the other options and conditions.

You can come across ranking questions for SSC exams in various other competitive tests also. These include SSC CGL, CHSL, Steno, CPO, RRB NTPC, ALP, Group D, etc. Let’s jump into the ranking notes for the SSC exam to learn in detail.

Important Ranking Topics

On taking a closer look at the ranking topics for SSC exams, you can see the different types and patterns of ranking questions that are mostly asked for the examinations.

Topic

Formula

Example

Find the total number of persons in a row.

(Sum of the position of the person from the left side as well as right side-1)

In a row, the position of X from the left is 29 and from the right is 24. Find the total number of persons seated in the row.

Answer: 29+24-1

               52

Identify the position of a person from the sides.

When the position of a person from either side and the total number of persons are known

(Total number of person- the position from given side+1)

In a row of 13 persons, S is seated 7th from the left side. Find the position of S from the right side.

Answer: 13-7+1

                7

Number of persons in between

Where the given sum of the position of both persons from the opposite side is less than the total number of persons

(Total number of persons-sum of the position of both persons from the opposite side)

In a row of say 50 persons, P is positioned 12 from the left of the row and Q is 17th from the right of the row. How many persons are seated in between P and Q?

Answer:50-(12+17)

               50-29

             =21

 

Number of persons in between

Where the given sum of the position of both persons from the opposite side is more than the total number of persons

Sum of the position of both persons from the opposite sides-Total number of persons-2)

In a row of say 50 persons, E is positioned 21 from the left of the row and F is 36th from the right of the row. How many persons are seated in between E and F?

Answer:(21+36)-50-2

               =57-50-2

               =5

Insufficient data

If only the position of two different persons are mentioned from two different directions and no further details are mentioned, it is taken as a situation of 'cannot be determined' or 'insufficient data.'

Find the number of soldiers if J is positioned 17th from the left of the row and K from 23 from the right of the row.

Answer: Cannot be determined

Ranking Tricks for SSC Exams

  • Always try drawing the figures as per questions. Sometimes it can be horizontal rows or vertical queues.
  • There are different types of ranking questions; keep in mind formulas for easy calculations.
  • Read the questions carefully at least twice.
  • Attend ranking online tests for SSC exams and practice

Importance of Ranking Questions in SSC Exams

  • Helps improve your performance in examinations.
  • Look into your way of dealing with a problem or situation.
  • Measures the general intelligence and skillset of a candidate.
  • A tool to assess matching of the candidate profile with the job profile.

Most Recommended Books for Ranking

Title

Author

Publisher

“A modern approach to verbal and non-verbal reasoning”

Dr R.S.Aggarwal

S.Chand

“A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal, Non-Verbal and Analytical”

B.S.Sijwali and Indu.Sijwali

Arihant

"Multi-Dimensional Reasoning"

Dr.Lal Kumar and Mishra

Pukar’s

“Reasoning books for competitive examinations”

Nishit K Sinha

Pearson

“Analytical Reasoning”

M.K.Pandey

SBC

Why prepare ranking with BYJU'S Exam Prep?

Boost up your exam preparation process with BYJU'S Exam Prep. We are a platform exclusively for the examination preparation purpose. From central level examination to admission preparation test we help you groom the best way you can to achieve your dreams. Ranking based SSC questions are a common set appearing in the reasoning session of any exams. With our features like courses, test series, live classes, mock tests and previous question papers we assist you to excel in the topic of Ranking. There is also a ranking syllabus for SSC exams available on our website. Upgrade to your learning process with us. Register today itself at Byjusexamprep. Want hassle-free learning? Switch to Online Classroom Program plan.

Hoping that this session has benefitted you in learning about the new concepts on ranking. Using the ranking formula for SSC exam, as seen in the above table will help you score accurate answers. It is constant practise that makes a man perfect. Putting yourself into a frequent ranking practice set the SSC exam or getting your hands into ranking questions, and answers pdf for the SSC exams will give you a thorough understanding of the topics. If you want any further clarification, always feel free to reach us at our website or using the app.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How many questions can be expected from the Ranking topic?

Answer: A minimum of one and a maximum of three questions can be expected from this topic.

  • How much time is required to solve a ranking based question?

Answer: From 30-45 seconds per question will be required to answer a ranking question in general.

  • Is ranking based questions and order/position based questions similar?

Answer: Yes, they all come together under the same topic and are not much different from one another.

  • Does the ranking based question appear in the SSC exam alone?

Answer: No, they appear in almost every competitive exam.