General Intelligence and Reasoning
General Intelligence and Reasoning
This domain tests pattern detection, logical deduction and spatial arrangement. Typical items include number and letter series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogisms, seating arrangement and arithmetic reasoning.
Core rules
- In a series, check differences, ratios and alternating operations before assuming a simple pattern.
- In coding, compare the position of each letter in the alphabet and note reversals, shifts or substitutions.
- In syllogisms, accept only what necessarily follows; 'some A are B' does not mean 'all A are B'.
- In seating puzzles, fix one person first, then apply left/right and facing directions consistently.
Worked example
Find the next term: 3, 7, 15, 31. Test the rule 'multiply by 2 and add 1': 3 x 2 + 1 = 7; 7 x 2 + 1 = 15; 15 x 2 + 1 = 31. Applying the same rule gives 31 x 2 + 1 = 63. The reasoning is consistent across all terms, so 63 is safer than guessing a difference pattern.
Traps that cost marks
Blood-relation questions often hide the speaker's gender; 'my father's only son' may be the speaker or the speaker's brother depending on wording. In direction sense, distinguish turning left from moving left. In arrangement puzzles, do not swap 'immediate left' with 'left'. Avoid overcomplicating a series when a single rule explains every term.