Decide whether the data provided in the statements are sufficient to answer.
Question: Who among A, B, C, D and E is exactly in the middle when they are arranged in ascending order of their heights?
Statements:
I. D is taller than B but shorter than E.
II. C is taller than B and E but shorter than A.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Both I and II are sufficient
Each statement is first tested on its own; the two are combined only if neither answers the question alone. The person in the middle is the 3rd of the five in order of height.
Statement I alone: B < D < E; nothing is said about A and C, so the middle person cannot be found
Statement II alone: B < C, E < C and C < A; A is the tallest and C the second tallest, but the order of B, E and D below them is not known, so the middle person cannot be found
Both together: B < D < E from I, and E < C < A from II, so B < D < E < C < A
In ascending order B, D, E, C, A, the person in the middle is E. Both statements are needed together.