Reasoning and Mental Ability
Reasoning and Mental Ability tests pattern recognition and logical deduction. Common types are series, analogies, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, seating arrangement, ranking, mirror and water images, and non-verbal figures.
Method
Write given data in a table or diagram. In coding, compare the coded word with the original letter by letter. In series, check differences, squares, cubes and alternating patterns. In syllogism, accept only the premises and test each conclusion with a Venn diagram. In direction questions, fix north and track left/right turns from the facing direction. In ranking, total = rank from top + rank from bottom − 1. In seating, fix one person and place others relative to that position.
Worked example
If PEN is coded as QFO, each letter is shifted one place forward: P→Q, E→F, N→O. Applying the same rule to BOOK gives B→C, O→P, O→P, K→L, so BOOK = CPPL. The reasoning is the consistent shift, not a dictionary meaning.
Traps
Do not use outside facts in syllogism; do not assume "some A are B" means "some B are not A"; do not count a U-turn as two left turns; and in blood relations, draw the family tree with gender marked.