General Reasoning and Logical Ability
General Reasoning and Logical Ability tests the ability to detect patterns and apply rules under time pressure. Common topics are number and letter series, analogies, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, seating arrangement and statement-conclusion.
Core rules
- In series, check differences, ratios, alternating patterns and squares or cubes.
- In coding, compare the same letter's position in two words before assuming a shift.
- In blood relations, draw a family tree and mark gender.
- In direction sense, fix north and track turns; use Pythagoras for shortest distance.
- In syllogism, test only the given statements, not real-world knowledge.
Worked example
Find the next term: 3, 8, 15, 24, ?. Differences are 5, 7, 9; the next difference is 11. So 24 + 11 = 35. Checking a second pattern, the terms are 2^2 - 1, 3^2 - 1, 4^2 - 1, 5^2 - 1, so the next is 6^2 - 1 = 35. Both routes confirm the result.
Traps
Do not stop at the first apparent pattern; test it against all terms. In direction questions, a left turn after facing south changes the facing direction, not the page direction. In syllogism, convert only what is valid: 'Some A are B' gives 'Some B are A', but 'All A are B' does not give 'All B are A'. In seating, fixed versus facing-centre arrangements change left and right.
Practice approach
Write the rule beside each solved question. For wrong answers, identify whether the error was pattern recognition, calculation or misreading.