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BANKERS TUTORIAL · SBI · NEWS-READING GUIDE

Reading the news: Ranks, totals and overlap

Combine ranks counted from opposite ends, calculate the number of people between positions and recognise when group overlap or uncertain relative positions prevent a unique total.

01 / 03Learn with a clear direction

2 min read Original learning material · Prepared 14 Oct 2026

This guide explains a topic and a method for reading related news. It does not report a newly announced event. Check the issuing authority for current facts.

01 / UNDERSTANDING

Reading the news

A ranking story can confuse position with quantity. Check whether ranks refer to the same person or group, and whether ties or changing list membership affect a comparison.

02 / UNDERSTANDING

The concept in context

The number between two known positions in the same direction is their difference minus one. Ties and shared ranks require explicit handling if permitted by the problem. Draw numbered slots when uncertain, especially when phrases such as ahead of, from the bottom and between appear in the same narrative.

03 / UNDERSTANDING

A worked learning case

Original educational case. An original queue places Leela seventh from the front and ninth from the back. The total is 7 + 9 − 1 = 15. If another person stands fourth from the front, there are two people between that person and Leela, occupying fifth and sixth positions. The two questions use related but different subtraction steps.

ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

Try it before you check.

Original practice: A person is 12th from the top and 18th from the bottom, with no ties. How many people are in the list?

Show the answer and reasoning

29 people.

Add the two inclusive ranks and subtract the person counted in both: 12 + 18 − 1 = 29. A quick diagram places eleven people above and seventeen below, plus the person, also giving 29. The formula depends on both ranks describing the same person in the same untied list.

Two traps to watch for.

  • Forgetting that the focal person appears in both ranks.
  • Using the one-person total formula for two unrelated people.

YOUR TOPIC-SPECIFIC LEARNING MAP

Evidence to check

  1. State whether ranks refer to one person.

  2. Draw the two inclusive counts.

  3. Check between-counts using numbered positions.

Explain the idea, apply it to a new situation, then check what changed in your reasoning.

BANKERS TUTORIAL · SOURCE NOTES

Keep the source alongside your notes.

Official links provide subject context and authoritative reference material. This guide’s explanation, scenario and question are original Bankers Tutorial learning content.

  1. sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings
  2. sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/webfiles/uploads/files_2627/09/SBI_JA-Customer_Support_Sales-IH_Pre-2026-27_Eng.pdf

For SBI preparation, check the current official notice before relying on changing dates, rules or examination requirements.

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