GATE2017 CE-1: GA-7

Question

Students applying for hostel rooms are allotted rooms in order of seniority. Students already staying in a room will move if they get a room in their preferred list. Preferences of lower ranked applicants are ignored during allocation.

Given the data below, which room will Ajit stay in ?

$$\begin{array}{|l|c|l|l|}\hline \textbf{Names} & \textbf{Student seniority} & \textbf{Current room} & \textbf{Room preference list} \\\hline \text{Amar} & \text{1}& \text{P} & \text{R, S, Q}\\\hline \text{Akbar} & \text{2}& \text{None} & \text{R, S}\\\hline \text{Anthony} & \text{3}& \text{Q} & \text{P}\\\hline \text{Ajit} & \text{4}& \text{S} & \text{Q, P, R}\\\hline  \end{array}$$

• A. $P$
• B. $Q$
• C. $R$
• D. $S$

Answer 1

Ajit has the highest seniority and so his preference has the most value. So, he should get room $Q$ but this is already taken by Anthony.

As per the passage, "Students already staying in a room will move if they get a room in their preferred list".

So, Anthony will move if he gets room $P$ which is his preference. 

Again $P$ is occupied by Amar and his preference is $R$ which as per given data is empty. So, Amar will look for room $R$ which is also tried by Akbar as first preference. Since Akbar has better seniority, he will get room $R$ and Amar will now look for his second preference $-$ room $S$ which will be empty if Ajit gets a preferred room and no one else is looking for it. So,

• Akbar takes room $R$
• Amar takes room $S$
• Anthony takes room $P$
• Ajit takes room $Q$

Correct option: B.

Comments

@Arjun sir, could Amar have highest seniority? As nothig is mention about either 1 is highest or 4.

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Preferences of lower ranked applicants are ignored during allocation.

Answer 2

$Amar$ wants any one of  $R,S$ or $Q$ room. Since $R$ is not alloted to anyone so Amar will get room $R$.

Now $Amar$ will leave room $P$ and would go to room $R$

$Name$	Amar	Akbar	Anthony	Ajit
$Room$ $Alloted$	R

 

$Anthony$ wants room $P$ and room $P$ is available now so he will be allocated room $P$ as nobody else wants that room.

Name	Amar	Akbar	Anthony	Ajit
Room Alloted	R		P

Now $Anthony$ will leave room $Q$ and would go to room $P$

 

$Ajit$ wants room $Q$ or $R$ and room $Q$ is available now so he will be allocated room $Q$ as no other senior wants that room.

$Name$	Amar	Akbar	Anthony	Ajit
$Room$ $Alloted$	R		P	Q

Now $Ajit$ will leave room $S$ and would go to room $Q$

 

At last $Akbar$ wants room $S$ and room $S$ is available now so he will be allocated room $S$.

$Name$	Amar	Akbar	Anthony	Ajit
$Room$ $Alloted$	R	S	P	Q

 

 $\therefore$ Option B. $Q$ is the correct answer.

Comments

But Akbar has better seniority than Amar so he should get room R (Akbar's first preference).