Types of questions

Concept based

Non-Concept based

Concept based questions include :

Conclusion based (Statement and CR)

Assumption based (Statement and CR)

Inference based (DT/PT and CR)
Non-concept based includes …..
 Assertions and Reasons
 Strong Argument and Weak Argument
 Cause and Effect
 Course of action
 Possible consequences
Question distribution at a glance
Year Question type
2010 Courses of action, cause and effect,
critical reasoning
2009 Courses of action , cause and effect
2008 DT/PT and assumption (statement)
2007 Critical reasoning and possible
consequences
2006 DT/PT , assumptions and courses of
action
 Areas to focus on in Reasoning
Areas in which 100 % accuracy possible are :
 Conclusion based (Statement)
 Assumption based (Statement)
 Courses of Action
 Cause and effect
 Assertions
Border areas
 Strong and weak argument
Tricky areas
 DT/PT
 Critical reasoning
Difference between Reasoning and
Analysis
Rules of reasoning

Check for the validity and not verity of a statement

Use all information given to you [never contradict]

Always eliminate the options to reach the right answer

[these are applicable for all reasoning based questions]

 Reasoning basics
Premise (fact) : information given/verifiable
Assumption : a statement based on a fact to derive the
conclusion
Conclusion : is a judgment derived from a fact; since
the fact is verifiable the judgment is also verifiable
Argument : P+A=C
Inference : is a judgment derived from a fact; though
the fact is verifiable the judgment in not verifiable
Explicit : given
Implicit : not given
 Meaning of the directions……
Read the directions carefully especially in cause and
effect question category

Mark 1) when I follows

Mark 2) when II follows

Mark 4 ) if neither follow

Mark 5 ) if both follow

Important one : either I or II means they contradict

each other
 Conclusion based questions
Types : statement and identify the conclusion

Statements given can be : facts / judgment/ F+J

Formula
To identify the conclusion : ask :
‘What can I clearly understand from this statement?’

Please remember : in these questions there is no

difference between a conclusion and an inference
 Conclusion based examples
Statement : Raman does not want to purchase new
machinery, but his problem is that he has partners in
his business.
Conclusions : Raman wants to run his business with the
old machinery
Raman’s partners want to buy new machinery
Statement : “I want to play opposite Sania,because I
want to get a feel of how hard she strikes the ball” said
Sachin
Conclusions : Sachin likes to play opposite those who hit
the ball hard.
Sachin has heard that Sania strikes the ball hard.
 Conclusion based examples
Statement : The last match gave the team the
opportunity to realize that the team lacks efficiency in
bowling and fielding.
Conclusion : The team lost the match because of
inefficiency in bowling and fielding
Better performance in other departments of the game
saved the team from losing the match.
Statement : “Had I asked to choose a portfolio,I would
have probably chosen the ministry of environment and
forest", Home Minister
Conclusion : It is easier to handle the environment and
forest portfolio rather than the home ministry.
The person did not become a home minister by choice
 Conclusion based examples
Statement : The Dalai Lama’s dream of seeing his
homeland free will probably not happen in his
lifetime. But whenever it does, it will be said that the
Tibetan people got freedom without shedding a drop
of Chinese blood.
Conclusions : Tibet is under Chinese control
The Dalai Lama is very old.
 Assumptions
Statements given can be : facts / judgment/ F+J

Formula :
To identify the assumption :

Ask : ‘for the above statement to be valid which of

the following statements need to be valid?’

Ways of doing this could be :

Negate the statements given in the options
 Some templates
Notice
Assumptions could be :

All people will read it

At least some would abide by it

The desired result would be achieved

This problem exists

Eg. A notice in a hospital ‘Keep silence’

 Some templates
Advertisement
 Many people would read it
 Some would respond to it
 Some could be interested in my product
 The adv could lead to the sales of my product

Advice (should/ought):assumption
 The person needs advice
 The person would listen to my advice
 Some templates
When a person or an organization is blamed :
 They are responsible for the action

When a shock or surprise is expressed :

 The opposite can be assumed
 Assumption examples
Statement : ‘Enjoy your challenges’ – an advertisement
of a car brand
Assumptions : People like to enjoy challenges
People will buy the car
Statement : What a waste of effort,time and money?
After three brilliant issues, you follow up with this
issue on Kabas.
Assumptions : Money is spent in bringing the issue on
Kabas
The issue on Kabas is not brilliant
Any amount of time can be spent in bringing a brilliant
issue.
 Assumption examples
Statement : “When you are starting a business of your
own, giving your 100 % is not enough” Anil told the
trainees
Assumption : One can do more than 100 %
Trainees would give more than 100 %
Statement : Stop endorsing cold drinks, they are
harmful to health
Assumptions : People are suffering from health
problems due to consumption of cold drinks
Endorsement leads to an increase in consumption of a
product
 Cause and effect
Rules :

Both statements have to be read together

On its own a statement can either be a cause or an effect

Can accept universal truths while solving these questions

Effects can be of two types :

Immediate

Delayed

Imp : Read the directions carefully

 Directions : 2 types

Where the difference between immediate and delayed
is not asked

The other set where this difference is questioned. The

directions are as follows:

A – E /B-C [Immediate]

A – C/B-E [Immediate]

A-E / B- C [Delayed]

A – C/B-E [Delayed]

None of these
 Immediate/Delayed

Delayed Immediate
Effect
Cause Cause
 Cause and Effect Examples
Event A : The police are unable to curtail black marketing of
tickets for cricket matches.
Event B : Cricket is so popular that fans stop doing any work on the
day of cricket matches except watching the matches in the
stadium.
[1]
Event A : The price of edible oils has been constantly increasing for
the past one year
Event B : The Government has decided to release huge quantities of
edible oils into the open market
[2]
Event A : Hero Honda has launched new versions of its two
motorcycles Hunk and Splendor.
Event B : Bajaj Auto announced the launch of the much awaited
Kawasaki Ninja 250 R in India.It is widely acknowledged as the
best 250 cc motorcycle in the world.
[5]
 Cause and Effect Examples
Event A : The election commission announced that the
elections for the 81 member Jharkand legislative
assembly will be held in five phases
Event B : The term of the Jharkand assembly is due to
expire next month
[1]
Event A : In a survey it was found that by 2010,the
student population in the IIT’s would grow from
40,000 to 1,00,000
Event B : The IIT’s are planning to recruit 10,000 more
faculty members by 2020
[2]
 Course of Action
Things to remember :
 Actions can be of two types :
Immediate
Delayed

Rules :
 We accept universal truths
 Mark the immediate course of action as the answer
Template for Course of Action

A clear and unbiased understanding of the given
statement

The course of action should enable solve the problem
independently

Choose an immediate course of action

The course of action should pertain directly to the
problem

The given solution should not result in any problem

The given solution should be practical

A negative course of action should not be taken
 Course of Action examples
Statement : The buffer stock of food grains has fallen to
4 weeks, from 12 months in the last five months.
Courses of action :
1. The government should immediately procure food
grains from farmers
2. The government should reduce the ration supplied
through PDS.
3. The government should increase the procurement
price
[none follows]
 Course of Action examples
Statement : The competition among corporate
hospitals has not done any good to the people.
Courses of Action :
1. Permission should be given to open more corporate
hospitals
2. The government should review the norms for
corporate hospitals so that they take up some social
responsibility.
3. All the corporate offices should be closed down
 Strong /Weak Argument
Def :
Strong Argument : a statement that is relevant to the
discussion is a strong argument
Weak Argument : a statement that is not relevant or
related to the discussion is a weak argument

Take help of generally accepted facts, past events in

solving these questions

Please remember : there would generally be a room of

ambiguity in the answers to these questions as the term
relevant is subjective
 Some help in solving these ……
Strong Argument Weak argument

 Relevant  Any
 Reason ambiguous/irrelevant/simplis
 Example + reason
tic statement
 Assertions/negations
 Check verity of the statement
 example
 SA/WA examples
Statement : Should the government launch an armed
offensive against rebels?
Yes, the rebels have no faith in the promise made by the
government
Yes, the rebels are not interested in resolving issues,
being rebellious is a way of life for them.
Statement : Should India purchase advanced bomber
planes from Russia?
No, Russian bombers are too expensive
No, US also offers bombers of the same technology and
standards
 Inferences
DT : Logical conclusion
DF : Contradictory conclusion
PT : far-fetched conclusion (possibility)
PF : far-fetched conclusion (possibility)
 Para Jumbles
Ways to tackle Para jumbles
• Types
• Introduction (if required)
• Links : Structure/grammar
Content
Structure links :
• Noun-pronoun (number, gender)
• Conjunctions
• Parallelism
 Para Jumbles Contd……
Content links :
• Idea elaboration
• Idea example
• Cause effect
• Chronology
• Common word approach
• Generic to specific
 Para Jumbles Example acbed

.A I had six thousand acres of land, and had thus got much spare land
besides the coffee plantation. Part of the farm was native forest, and
about one thousand acres were squatters’ land, what [the KikuyuJ
called their shambas.

B. The squatters’ land was more intensely alive than, the rest of the
farm, and was changing with the seasons the year round. The maize
grew up higher than your head as you walked on the narrow hard-
trampled footpaths in between the tall green rustling regiments.

C. The squatters are Natives, who with their families (hold a few acres
on a white man’s farm, and in return have to work for him a certain
number of days in the year. My squatters, I think, saw the relationship
in a different light, for many of them were born on the farm, and their
fathers before them, and they very likely regarded me as a sort of
superior squatter on their estates.

D. The Kikuyu also grew the sweet potatoes that have a vine like leaf
and spread over the ground like a dense entangled mat, and many
varieties of big yellow and green speckled pumpkins.

E. The beans ripened in the fields, were gathered and thrashed by the
women, and the maize stalks and coffee pods were collected and
burned, so that in certain seasons thin blue columns of smoke rose
here and there all over the farm.