Ordering by age — Seating & Puzzles Aptitude Question
Ordering by age: M is older than N, O is younger than N, P is older than M, and Q is younger than O. Answer and worked solution on CodeKairo.
- Topic: Seating & Puzzles
- Section: Logical Reasoning
- Difficulty: Medium
- Time target: 60 seconds
Question
M is older than N, O is younger than N, P is older than M, and Q is younger than O. Who is the second oldest?
Options
- M
- N
- O
- P
Show the answer and the worked solution
Correct answer: A. M
Worked solution
- The chain is P > M > N > O > Q.
- The oldest is P, so the second oldest is M.
Answer: M.
The idea
Order everyone into one chain, then count from the correct end. The question asks for second, not first.
Shortcut. Only P is said to be older than M, and M is older than N, O and Q, so exactly one person sits above M: second oldest.
Common trap. "P" — answering with the oldest instead of the second oldest.