If Nita is 15 ahead in rank of Mita who ranks 13th from the last, then how many students are there in the class if Nita ranks 5th in order of merit?

Question: If Nita is 15 ahead in rank of Mita who ranks 13th from the last, then how many students are there in the class if Nita ranks 5th in order of merit?

Solution:
Let the total number of students = n

Now,
Mita’s position from the last = 13th
∴ Mita’s position from the front = n - 13 + 1 = n - 12

Again,
Nita’s position from the front = 5th.

And, Nita is 15 ranks ahead of Mita.
∴ Mita’s position = Nita’s position + 15.

According to the problem,
n - 12 = 5 + 15
⇒ n - 12 = 20
⇒ n = 20 + 12
∴ n = 32

Therefore, the total number of students in the class = 32.