On-Call Scheduling

On-Call Scheduling problems involve distributing on-call duties across available staff members fairly. You need to calculate how many days each person is on-call, considering availability constraints.

10Worksheets
200+Practice Questions
IntermediateDifficulty
2-3 hoursHours to Master

Introduction to On-Call Scheduling

On-Call Scheduling problems involve distributing on-call duties across available staff members fairly. You need to calculate how many days each person is on-call, considering availability constraints.

Prerequisites

Division with remainder Fair distribution Availability constraints Integer allocation
Why This Matters: On-Call problems appear in 1-2 questions in Banking PO exams. They test fair resource allocation.

How to Solve On-Call Scheduling Problems

1

Step 1: Total on-call days = period length (e.g., 30 days)

2

Step 2: Number of available staff = n

3

Step 3: Base days per person = total_days ÷ n

4

Step 4: Remainder = total_days % n

5

Step 5: Remainder people get one extra day

6

Step 6: Answer with distribution

Pro Strategy: Distribute as evenly as possible: floor(total/n) days for everyone, then add one extra to remainder number of people.

Example Problem

Example: 30 days, 8 doctors. How many days is each on-call? Solution: Step 1: Total = 30, n = 8 Step 2: Base = 30 ÷ 8 = 3 days (since 8×3=24) Step 3: Remainder = 30 - 24 = 6 Step 4: 6 doctors get 4 days, 2 doctors get 3 days Answer: 6 doctors get 4 days, 2 get 3 days

Pro Tips & Tricks

  • Base days = floor(total / n)
  • Extra days = total % n
  • Extra days go to first (or random) n people
  • If availability constraints exist, adjust accordingly
  • Total days sum = total on-call period

Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster

For perfect division (total % n = 0): all get total/n days
Otherwise, some get ceil(total/n), some get floor(total/n)
Number getting ceil = total % n

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting remainder allocation
Assuming all get same days when total not divisible
Not considering availability constraints when specified
Misusing floor vs ceil

Exam Importance

On-Call Scheduling is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:

SSC CGL
1-2 questions
BANKING PO
1-2 questions
RAILWAYS RRB
1-2 questions
INSURANCE
1-2 questions

Ready to Master On-Call Scheduling?

Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes:

20 practice questions
Detailed solutions
Step-by-step explanations
Start Practicing Now