Logical/Analytical Ability and Reasoning
Logical/Analytical Ability and Reasoning checks pattern detection and constraint-based deduction: series, coding-decoding, blood relations, syllogism, seating, puzzles and non-verbal reasoning. The section is scored on method; random guessing rarely works beyond the easiest series.
Core rules
- Series: test differences, ratios, squares/cubes and alternating patterns.
- Coding: map letters to positions 1–26; check shifts, reversals and opposite letters.
- Blood relations: draw a family tree; mark gender only when stated.
- Syllogism: draw the minimal Venn; 'all A are B' does not convert to 'all B are A'.
- Seating: fix north/south orientation; use elimination for 'not' clues.
- Puzzles: make a grid and fill definite facts first.
Worked example
Find the next term: 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ?. Differences are 5, 7, 9, 11-increasing by 2-so the next difference is 13 and the term is 48. A second check: the terms are n² − 1 for n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, so the next is 7² − 1 = 48. Two independent patterns agreeing confirm the answer.
Traps
Reversing 'all' and 'some'; assuming a person's gender from a name; ignoring 'only', 'unless' and 'either/or'; in seating, forgetting that left and right flip when a person faces south; in non-verbal reasoning, missing rotation versus reflection.