Read the position words precisely
Order logic asks you to arrange every item once, from left to right. Position 1 is the leftmost place.
Before means anywhere to the left, not necessarily immediately beside. Next to means immediately beside, on either side unless another clue limits it.
Begin with an exact position. If Birch is in position 1, you can place it without guessing. Keep the other places open until the clues force them.
Use the edge to settle a neighbor
Arrange Amber, Birch, Coral and Dune using these clues.
- Birch is in position 1.
- Amber is next to Birch.
- Coral is before Dune.
Birch goes first. Amber must be next to it, and there is no place to its left, so Amber goes second.
Positions 3 and 4 remain. Coral must be before Dune, giving Birch, Amber, Coral, Dune. Read every clue once more to check the whole row.
Keep more than one possible schedule
A complete order is not always forced. Apply each clue, but keep every arrangement that still works. A single valid example proves “could”; a single counterexample disproves “must”.
Arrange A, B, C and D once each in four slots. A is before B. B is before D. C cannot use slot 1 or slot 4. There are exactly two valid schedules:
- A → B → C → D
- A → C → B → D
A must be first and D must be last. C takes one of the two middle slots, so the before clues force the endpoints.
C could be in slot 2 or slot 3. Keep both schedules rather than guessing one.
B cannot be in slot 4, because D must come after B.
If C is in slot 2, what must be true of B?
B must be in slot 3. Only A → C → B → D fits the extra condition. An extra clue can reduce several possibilities to one.
Complete a new row
Arrange the same four items once each. These are new clues.
- Coral is in position 2.
- Amber is before Coral.
- Dune is next to Coral.
Place the fixed item first. Then decide where the before clue leaves room, and check both sides for the next-to clue.
Try it
Which order satisfies every clue, from left to right?
- Dune, Coral, Amber, Birch
- Amber, Coral, Dune, Birch
Show the answer
Amber, Coral, Dune, Birch
Coral is second, so Amber must be first to come before it. Dune must be next to Coral; with position 1 taken, Dune goes third. Birch goes last.
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Practice Ordering logic puzzles