Reasoning
Reasoning tests verbal and non-verbal ability: series, analogies, coding–decoding, blood relations, syllogisms, seating arrangement and direction sense. Speed comes from recognising patterns and drawing small diagrams, not from guessing.
Core rules
- Letter coding: write the alphabet with positions A=1 to Z=26. For shifts, find the pattern between consecutive letters and apply it consistently to every letter.
- Blood relations: draw a family tree; use + for male and − for female; never assume gender from a name or profession. Work from the last relation backwards.
- Syllogisms: use Venn diagrams. “All A are B” does not mean “All B are A”. “Some A are B” permits overlap but not a universal conclusion.
- Series: check differences, squares, cubes, primes and alternating patterns. For direction sense, sketch north, south, east and west.
Worked example
If CAT is coded as DBU, each letter moves one step forward. DOG becomes EPH. Reasoning: C→D, A→B, T→U confirms a +1 shift; applying it to D, O and G gives E, P and H.
Traps
Assuming a doctor is male; converting “some” into “all”; ignoring the direction of a shift (forward versus backward); losing track of left and right in seating puzzles.