RRB ALP CBT I 17 Feb 2026 Shift 1 Paper

Concept:This is a floor arrangement puzzle solved by testing the possible positions of the fixed adjacent pairs and the given gap.Explanation:The floors are numbered $1$ to $6$ from bottom to top.Since $Z$ lives immediately below $U$, we have $U = Z + 1$.Since only three people live between $M$ and $Z$, the difference between their floor numbers is $4$.So the possible pairs for $(M, Z)$ are $(5,1)$, $(6,2)$, and $(1,5)$.But $U$ must be above $Z$, and $H$ must be above $U$.For $(M,Z) = (5,1)$, $U$ would be on floor $2$.The remaining floors for $H, L, K$ are $3, 4, 6$.The only way for $H$ to be immediately above $L$ is $H=4$, $L=3$.Then $K$ would get floor $6$, but $K$ does not live on the topmost floor. So this case is invalid.For $(M,Z) = (1,5)$, $U$ would be on floor $6$.Then no floor remains above $U$ for $H$, so this case is also invalid.For $(M,Z) = (6,2)$, $U$ is on floor $3$.The remaining floors are $1, 4, 5$.Since $H$ must be above $U$, $H$ is on floor $5$ and $L$ is immediately below on floor $4$.Thus, $K$ is on floor $1$.The final arrangement is: floor $6 \rightarrow M$, floor $5 \rightarrow H$, floor $4 \rightarrow L$, floor $3 \rightarrow U$, floor $2 \rightarrow Z$, floor $1 \rightarrow K$.Between $H$ on floor $5$ and $K$ on floor $1$, the people on floors $4$, $3$, and $2$ are $L$, $U$, and $Z$.Hence, exactly $3$ people live between $H$ and $K$.Answer:Three people live between $H$ and $K$, so the correct option is C.