Reasoning and General Intelligence
What this domain tests
Reasoning and General Intelligence tests series, analogy, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, seating arrangement, puzzles, mirror images and dice. The aim is to test pattern recognition and logical consistency under time pressure.
Core rules and concepts
- In number series, find the difference, ratio or alternating pattern before guessing.
- In coding-decoding, write the alphabet positions and test forward or backward shifts.
- In blood relations, draw a family tree and mark gender and generation.
- In direction sense, fix north and track each turn; left and right depend on the direction faced.
- In syllogism, draw minimal overlapping circles; a conclusion must be true in every possible diagram.
- In dice, opposite faces never appear together; use the standard adjacent-face elimination method.
Worked example
Find the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___. Differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, so the next difference is 12. 30 + 12 = 42. The pattern is n(n + 1): 1×2, 2×3, 3×4, 4×5, 5×6, 6×7 = 42.
Traps that cost marks
Do not assume a single arithmetic difference if the series alternates. In blood relations, do not assume gender from a name. In syllogism, avoid converting “some A are B” into “some B are A” unless the question allows it. In direction questions, re-read “left” after a turn.