Reasoning and General Intelligence
What this domain tests
Reasoning and General Intelligence tests pattern recognition, logical deduction and spatial or verbal arrangement. Typical items include series, coding-decoding, blood relations, directions, syllogisms, inequalities, seating arrangements and puzzles.
Core rules
- In series, check differences, ratios, alternating patterns, squares and cubes before assuming a single rule.
- Coding-decoding often uses letter positions, reversals, shifts or word-to-number mapping. Write the alphabet positions A=1 to Z=26.
- In blood relations, draw a family tree and mark gender and generation carefully. Do not assume gender from a role.
- In directions, track turns from the facing direction, not from fixed north unless stated.
- In syllogisms, accept only conclusions that must follow from the premises. A possibility is not a certainty.
- In puzzles and seating, use definite clues first and maintain multiple arrangements until a clue eliminates them.
Worked example
If CAT is coded as 3120, map letters to positions: C=3, A=1, T=20, giving 3-1-20, written as 3120. Then DOG maps to D=4, O=15, G=7, giving 4157. The reasoning is direct letter-position concatenation, not arithmetic addition. Always test the inferred rule on the given word before applying it to the target.
Traps that cost marks
Do not impose a rule that fits only one term of a series. Do not assume a person's gender in blood relations. Do not ignore the word only or all in syllogisms. Do not treat a possible seating arrangement as final. Check direction after every turn.