Intelligence and Reasoning (Verbal and Non-Verbal)
Verbal reasoning
Analogies, odd-one-out, number and letter series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, ranking and seating, and syllogism.
Non-verbal reasoning
Figure series that rotate, reflect, or add and remove lines; mirror and water images; paper folding and cutting; embedded figures; figure counting; and matrix completion.
Techniques and traps
Number the alphabet: A = 1 through Z = 26, and the reverse position is 27 minus the forward position. In direction questions, draw the path and remember every turn is relative to the direction the person currently faces. In blood relations, sketch a small family tree and never assume gender from a name. In syllogism, only a conclusion that must be true follows; some never converts into all. In non-verbal items, a mirror image reverses left and right, a water image reverses top and bottom, and a 90 degree rotation is not the same as a reflection.
Worked example
Find the next term: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?. Write the difference row: 3, 5, 7, 9. These are odd numbers rising by 2, so the next difference is 11 and the answer is 38. Rule of thumb: before guessing any series, always write the difference row, and for letters write the position numbers.