Analytical Ability on Group Puzzle

Example: [IBA MBA, 2008-2009]

IBA is to select a panel of judges for a quiz contest from a pool of IBA students. The pool
consists of the following three BBA graduates—A, B & C; three MBA graduates--- P, Q & R; and
three EMBA students X,Y and Z. Each panel must be formed according to the following
conditions:
 A panel can have three, four, five or six members
 At least one member of each panel must be an EMBA graduate
 Neither BBA nor MBA graduates can make up more than half the number of members
on a panel
 X cannot be on a panel with B, with C, or with Z
 R cannot be on a panel with B or with Y

Question 01:
How many different acceptable five-member panels can be formed if both X & R must be
selected as members?
a) 0 b) 1 c) 2 d) 3 e) 4

Question 02:
If R & X are both selected as members of a four-member panel, which of the following must
also be selected as a member of that panel?
a) A b) B c) P d) Q e) Z

Question 03:
Which of the following is a properly constituted panel?
a) A,B,P,R b) B,C, P,Q c) C,P,X,Y d) P,Q,R,Z e) P,Q,X,Y

Question 04:
If A,C, Q &R are all selected as members of a five-member panel, which of the following must
be selected as the fifth member of that panel?
a) B b) P c) X d) Y e) Z
Question 05:
If both X and Y are to be members of a three-member panel, then which of the following can be
the third member of that panel?
a) B b) C c) P d) R e) Z

Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)

shortcut solution step by step:
Here a panel can have 3/4/5/6 members. Let’s symbolize this as ‘Panel≥ 3’
At least one member of each panel must be an EMBA student. So, EMBA Students ≥ 1
Neither BBA nor MBA students can consist of half of the panel. So MBA Students < ½ of the
Panel and BBA Students < ½ of the Panel
X can’t be on a panel with B, with C or with Z. Symbolizing it as X≠ B or C or Z
R ≠ B or Y

Question 01:
If X is selected then B, C & Z can’t be selected
Also, If R is selected then B and Y can’t be selected.
So, except X & R there remains only A, P & Q. So, only one five member team is possible to
construct and that is X,A,P,Q,R. So, correct answer is B.

Question 02:
If R & X are both, then B, C, Y and Z have to be eliminated. So there remain three students: A, P
& Q. But if we take P & Q for the remaining two places, it will break the given condition as in
that case total number of BBA students will be more than half of the panel size (3 students out
of 4). So, A must have to be selected and from P & Q only one can be selected. So choice A is
the correct answer.

Question 03:
Choice A is incorrect as it contains no EMBA student.
Choice B is also incorrect as it has no EMBA student.
Choice C is also incorrect as X and C can’t be on the same team.
Choice D is also incorrect as in this choice total MBA students is > ½ of the panel
So, E is the only choice and correct one.

Question 04:
If A,C, Q &R are all selected as members of a five-member panel, then B and Y can’t be selected.
Also, as C is selected, X can’t be in the panel also. Therefore Z must be selected as Z is the only
EMBA student remaining! So, E is the correct answer.

Question 05:
If both X and Y are to be members of a three-member panel, then B, C, Z and R can’t be on that
panel. So there remains only three students : A, P & Q. From the answers, C is the only choice

Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)

Problem 01: [IBA MBA 2004-2005]
A group of eight people is made up of three teams. Team I consists of two women M and N.
Team II consists of three men O, P & Q and Team III consists of three children R, S and T. Each of
the people must be on one and only one of three categories formed according to the following
conditions:
 Each category must have members from either two or three teams
 Each team must have at least one child
 M and R can’t be on the same team
 P & Q can’t be on the same team
 O & S must be on the same team

1. If O is on the same team as P, which of the following pairs must be on a team together?
A) M and S B) M and T C) N and Q D) N and S E) Q and R

2. If M is on the same team as S, which of the following could be true?

A) O is on a team with only other member
B) Q is on the same team as S
C) T is on the same team as O
D) N is on a team with only other member
E) N is on the same team as P

3. If two women are on a team together, which of the following must be on a team with only
one other member?
A) O B) P C) Q D) R E) T

4. If two of men are on a team together, which of the following must be on a team that has
three members?
A) M B) N C) P D) Q E) S

5. If one man is on each team, any of the following pairs could be together on a team EXCEPT?
A) M & N B) M & Q C) N & O D) N & Q E) V & T

Problem 02: [IBA MBA, 2004-2005]

A mail order company sells packages of jam, each containing three jars of jam. The available
flavors are grape, orange, strawberry, peach and mango. Each jar contains exactly one flavor of
jam. Each package must conform to the following rules :

Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)

 Each package must contain either two or three different flavors of jam.
 A package containing any orange jam must also contain at least one jar of grape.
 A package containing any grape jam must also contain at least one jar of orange.
 Peach jam and mango jam cannot be packed in the same package.
 A package containing any strawberry jam must also contain at least one jar of mango but a
package containing mango jam need not contain strawberry jam.

6. Which of the following is an acceptable package?

A) Three jars of peach
B) Three jars of orange
C) One jar of peach, one jar of strawberry and one jar of orange
D) One jar of orange, one jar of strawberry and one jar of grape
E) Two jars of strawberry and one jar of mango

7. An acceptable package CANNOT contain which of the following combinations of jams?

A) Grape & Peach
B) Peach & Mango
C) Orange & Peach
D) Orange & Grape
E) Strawberry & Mango

8. Which of the following could be packed with a jar of strawberry to make an acceptable
package?
A) One jar of peach and one jar of orange
B) Two jars of orange
C) One jar of grape and one jar of orange
D) Two jars of mango
E) Two jars of grape

9. A jar of which of the following must be packed with a jar of orange and a jar of peach to
make an acceptable package?
A) Grape B)Orange C) Strawberry D)Peach E)Mango

10. Which of the following pairs of jars of jam could be packed with a jar of orange to make an
acceptable package?
A) Two jars of orange
B) One jar each of grape and strawberry
Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)
 C) Two jars of strawberry
D) One jar each of orange and strawberry
E) Two jars of grape

11. Which of the following CANNOT be two of the three jars of jam in an acceptable package?
A) One jar of strawberry and one jar of peach
B) Two jars of orange
C) One jar of grape and one jar of orange
D) Two jars of grape
E) Two jars of strawberry

Problem 03: [IBA Executive MBA, 2010]

A gardener is planning to plant seven trees- F,G,H,J,R,S and U on two lawns of IBA. Three are to
be planted on the south lawn and four on the north lawn. Four of the trees—F,G,H and J are
medicinal and three—R, S and U are forest. The gardener will satisfy the following requirements
in planning the plantation:
 Each lawn will have at most two forest trees planted on it.
 G cannot be on the same lawn as U
 H cannot be on the same lawn as R

12. If S and U are placed on the south lawn, each of the following must be placed on the north
lawn EXCEPT?
A) F B) G C) H D) J E) R

13. Which of the following groups could be planted on the North lawn?
A) F,G,H & U B) F,S,H & U C) R,G,H & U D) J,G,R & U E) J,R,S & U

14. If S & R are planted on the South lawn, which of the following must also be planted on the
South lawn?
A) F B) G C) H D) J E) U

15. If U & R are placed on the North lawn, which of the following groups must be placed on the
South Lawn?
A) F, G & H B) F,S & J C) G,H & S D) H,G & U E) H, S & U

Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)

16. If G & H are planted on the South lawn, which of the following must also be placed on the
South lawn?
A) S B) G C) H D) J E) U

Problem 04: [IBA MBA, 2007-2008]

Exactly seven people are present in the game room of a club. Three of those present—F,G and
H are senior club members, two—K & M are junior club members and two—P & R are club
applicants. They decide that two of those present will play card, two will play chess and three
will play billiard. Each person present can play only one of the three games. There must be a
senior club member playing each game. G cannot play the same game that R plays. H and P
must play the same game. M cannot play billiard.
17. Which of the following is an acceptable grouping of people playing card, chess and billiard?
A) G & K, H & P, F & M & R
B) G & M, K & R, F & H & P
C) F & R, G & P, H & K & M
D) H & P, G & M, F & K & R
E) F & M, H & P, G & K & R

18. If K & R play the same game, which of the following must be true?
A) H Plays billiard
B) P plays chess
C) G plays card
D) F plays billiard
E) M plays card

19. Which of the following pairs CANNOT play the same game?
A) H and R
B) K and M
C) F and M
D) G and M
E) P and R

Answer Keys
1. B 2. C 3. D 4. E 5. E 6. E 7. B 8. D 9. A 10. E 11. A 12.C 13.B
14. B 15.C 16.A 17. D 18.D 19.B

Tanvir S@ifur’s (tanvir.anam@hotmail.com)