Reasoning and General Intelligence
Reasoning tests pattern recognition under time pressure: number and letter series, analogy, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, seating arrangement, clock, calendar, ranking and non-verbal figures.
Core tools
- Letter positions: A = 1 … Z = 26; EJOTY (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) speeds recall; reverse position = 27 − forward position.
- Series: check differences first, then ratios, squares/cubes, and alternating patterns.
- Direction: draw the path and mark turns; on paper, north is up.
- Blood relations: draw a family tree, using '+' for male and '−' for female, and never infer gender from a name.
- Syllogism: draw the minimum-overlap Venn diagram that satisfies the statements, then test the conclusion.
- Clock angle: |30H − 5.5M|, subtract from 360 if greater than 180.
Worked example
Angle between the hands at 3:30. Hour hand = 30 × 3 + 0.5 × 30 = 90 + 15 = 105°. Minute hand = 6 × 30 = 180°. Difference = 75°, which is under 180, so the answer is 75°. Reasoning: the hour hand does not stay on 3 - it has moved 30 minutes' worth, i.e. 15°.
Traps that cost marks
- Ignoring the hour hand's movement in clock questions.
- Reversing left/right when the person faces south.
- Treating 'only a few' as if some members are outside both sets.
- Counting 'between' as inclusive rather than exclusive.
- In ranking, forgetting to subtract 1 when combining positions from both ends.
Method
Write down the pattern in symbols, not prose. Verify a series rule against at least two consecutive terms.