Reasoning / Mental Ability: Pattern Recognition, Not Calculation
Reasoning tests pattern recognition rather than mathematics. Standard chapters: series (number, alphabet, mixed), analogy, classification, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, ranking, syllogism, seating arrangement, clock-calendar, mirror and water images, paper folding and figure counting.
Core methods
- Alphabet positions: memorise EJOTY (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) and CFILORUX (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24); opposite letters sum to 27 (A-Z, B-Y).
- Number series: check differences, then ratios, then squares/cubes, then alternating patterns at two positions.
- Blood relations: draw a small tree; mark male and female explicitly so gender never slips.
- Direction sense: fix north on paper and rotate only the traveller; use Pythagoras for the shortest distance.
- Syllogism: draw Venn diagrams for 'some' and 'no'; never import real-world facts.
Worked example
If FOREST is coded as GPSFTU, how is GUARD coded? Compare letter by letter: F→G, O→P, R→S, E→F, S→T, T→U. Every letter shifts one step forward. Apply the rule: G→H, U→V, A→B, R→S, D→E, giving HVBSE. If a single shift fails on a similar question, test for reversal or a position-dependent shift.
Traps
- Treating a quadratic series as arithmetic because the first difference looks irregular.
- Ranking questions: forgetting the +1 or −1 when the total is asked.
- Direction sense: rotating the page instead of the traveller.
- Syllogism: 'all A are B' does not imply 'all B are A', though 'some A are B' does imply 'some B are A'.
- Clock problems: the hour hand also moves 0.5° per minute.