General Reasoning and Mental Ability
What is tested
General Reasoning checks pattern detection and logical consistency: series, analogies, coding-decoding, blood relations, directions, syllogism, seating and ranking.
Core rules
- Number series: check differences, ratios, squares/cubes, alternating operations and digit sums. Write the differences before guessing.
- Coding: compare the same letter's position in the given word and code; common shifts are +1, −1, reverse alphabet or position-based.
- Blood relations: draw a small family tree; mark gender only when stated. 'Brother of my father' is uncle, not grandfather.
- Directions: fix north at the top; track net displacement with right-angle components.
- Syllogism: test only what the premises force; a possible diagram that makes a conclusion false defeats it.
Worked example
Find the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?. Differences are 4, 6, 8, 10. The differences rise by 2, so the next difference is 12. Therefore 30 + 12 = 42. Checking the pattern: n(n+1) gives 1×2=2, 2×3=6, 3×4=12, and 6×7=42, which confirms it.
Traps
Assuming a single arithmetic difference; ignoring alternating series; adding family members who are not logically implied; and in syllogism, using real-world knowledge instead of the stated premises.