UPSC Prelims 2016 CSAT Paper II · Q34 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Direction for the following 3 (three) items : Consider the given information and answer the three items that follow. Six boxes A, B, C, D, E and F have been painted with six different colours viz., violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow and orange and arranged from left to right (not necessarily either kept or painted with the colours in the same order). Each box contains a ball of any one of the following six games: cricket, hockey, tennis, golf, football and volleyball (not necessarily in the same order). The golf ball is in violet box and is not in the box D. The box A which contains tennis ball is orange in colour and is at the extreme right. The hockey ball is neither in box D nor in box E. The box C having cricket ball is painted green. The hockey ball is neither in the box painted blue nor in the box painted yellow. The box C is fifth from right and next to box B. The box B contains volleyball. The box containing the hockey ball is between the boxes containing golf ball and volleyball.

Which one of the following boxes contains the golf ball ?

  1. (a) F
  2. (b) E ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) D
  4. (d) None of the above

Why the answer is (b)

• Box A is at the extreme right (Position 6), is orange, and contains the tennis ball.

• Box C is fifth from the right (Position 2), is green, and contains the cricket ball.

• Box C is next to Box B, so Box B is at Position 1 or 3. Since Box A is at 6, the positions are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. C is at 2. B is next to C, so B is at 1 or 3.

• The box with the hockey ball is between the boxes with the golf ball and the volleyball ball. Box B contains volleyball.

• If B is at 1, it cannot be 'between' two other boxes in a linear arrangement of 6 boxes unless we consider the sequence Golf-Hockey-Volleyball or Volleyball-Hockey-Golf. However, 'between' usually implies immediate adjacency in these puzzles or just positional order. Let's look at the constraints: Hockey is not in D or E. Hockey is not in Blue or Yellow.

• Let's determine B's position. If B is at 1, the sequence involving B (Volleyball) and Hockey must be B-H-G or G-H-B. If B is at 1, G-H-B is impossible (B is end). B-H-G would mean B(1), H(2), G(3). But C is at 2. So H cannot be at 2. Thus B cannot be at 1.

• Therefore, Box B is at Position 3. Box C is at Position 2. Box A is at Position 6.

• The hockey ball is between the golf ball and the volleyball ball (Box B). So the sequence is Golf - Hockey - Volleyball (B) or Volleyball (B) - Hockey - Golf.

• Since B is at 3, the hockey ball must be at 2 or 4. But Box C is at 2 and contains Cricket. So Hockey cannot be at 2.

• Therefore, the sequence must be Volleyball (B, Pos 3) - Hockey (Pos 4) - Golf (Pos 5). Or Golf (Pos 2) - Hockey (Pos 3) - Volleyball (Pos 4)? No, B is Volleyball. So B is one end of the 'between' pair. The box with Hockey is between Golf and Volleyball. This means the order is Golf - Hockey - Volleyball OR Volleyball - Hockey - Golf.

• Since B (Volleyball) is at 3, Hockey must be at 2 or 4. Hockey is not in C (Pos 2, Cricket). So Hockey is at 4.

• If Hockey is at 4, and it is between Golf and Volleyball (B at 3), then Golf must be at 5. The order is B(3, Volley) - H(4, Hockey) - G(5, Golf).

• So, Box E (Position 5) contains the Golf ball.

• The key option (b) E follows from this deduction.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) F
Box F is at Position 1, which is not adjacent to the Hockey ball at Position 4 in the required sequence.
(c) D
Box D is at Position 4, which contains the Hockey ball, not the Golf ball.
(d) None of the above
Box E is correctly identified as containing the Golf ball based on the positional constraints.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016, held on 7 August 2016. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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