Logical reasoning and general knowledge
What this domain tests
The logical reasoning and general knowledge domain checks whether you can reason from stated premises rather than from opinion. Logical items include syllogisms, conditional statements, ordering, numerical and pattern sequences, and data interpretation. General knowledge items draw on school-level history, geography, literature, art, philosophy, and major international events; they reward broad, accurate background knowledge, not trivia memorisation.
Core rules
- In a conditional “If P then Q”, only two inferences are valid: from P to Q (modus ponens), and from not-Q to not-P (modus tollens). “Not-P” does not imply “not-Q”.
- “Some A are B” does not mean “some A are not B”, nor that “all B are A”.
- In sequences, test first differences, second differences, ratios, alternating rules, and positions before guessing.
- For ordering puzzles, draw a line or table and place fixed items first; eliminate options that violate a stated constraint.
- General-knowledge answers must be dated and placed correctly: distinguish “first” from “most recent”, and author from work.
Worked example
Sequence: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?. First differences are 3, 5, 7, 9; the differences increase by 2. The next difference is 11, so the missing term is 27 + 11 = 38. Checking with second differences (2, 2, 2, 2) confirms a quadratic pattern. A common wrong answer is 40, produced by doubling or by adding 13 without checking the rule.
Traps that cost marks
Do not import real-world knowledge into a formal logic item; the premises control. Do not reverse “if” statements. In percentages, check the base. In general knowledge, beware plausible but anachronistic names and works; if two options seem true, one usually answers a different question.