Logical Problems
Logical reasoning is a part of almost every competitive examination and a lot of students find it difficult to properly manage this section. It is all about your mindset that your carry in the exam hall. You can do really good in the exam if you’re familiar with plenty of logical reasoning tricks.
According to logic and type, reasoning is basically divided into few sections. Logical Problems is one of them.
In Logical Problem, by using your logical reasoning skills you are try to figure out which statement is true, false, or uncertain in the questions. The statements before will give you the clues you need to solve the problems.
For Example :
Type #1: Each problem consists of three statements. Based on the first two statements, the third statement may be true, false, or uncertain.
Question:
Tanya is older than Eric.
Cliff is older than Tanya.
Eric is older than Cliff.
If the first two statements are true, the third statement is
A. true
B. false
C. uncertain
Solution :
B. False
Because the first two statements are true, Eric is the youngest of the three, so the third statement must be false.
Type #2: Read the question carefully and choose the correct answer.
Question:
Four defensive football players are chasing the opposing wide receiver, who has the ball. Calvin is directly behind the ball carrier. Jenkins and Burton are side by side behind Calvin. Zeller is behind Jenkins and Burton. Calvin tries for the tackle but misses and falls. Burton trips. Which defensive player tackles the receiver?
A. Burton B. Zeller C. Jenkins D. Calvin
Solution: C. Jenkins
After all the switching was done, Jenkins was directly behind the receiver. Calvin and Burton had fallen. Zeller remained in the rear.
Type #3: The logic problems in this set present you with three true statements: Fact 1, Fact 2, and Fact 3. Then, you are given three more statements (labeled I, II, and III), and you must determine which of these, if any, is also a fact. One or two of the statements could be true; all of the statements could be true; or none of the statements could be true. Choose your answer based solely on the information given in the first three facts.
Question:
| Fact 1: | All dogs like to run. |
| Fact 2: | Some dogs like to swim. |
| Fact 3: | Some dogs look like their masters. |
If the first three statements are facts, which of the following statements must also be a fact?
| I: | All dogs who like to swim look like their masters. |
| II: | Dogs who like to swim also like to run. |
| III: | Dogs who like to run do not look like their masters. |
A. I only
B. II only
C. II and III only
D. None of the statements is a known fact.
E. Both I and II are implicit
Solution
Answer: Option B
Because Statement II is the only true statement. Since all dogs like to run, then the ones who like to swim also like to run. There is no support for statement I or statement III.
Logical Reasoning Tricks To Score High in Your Exams
Here are a few logical reasoning tricks to score high in your exams:
1. Simplify the data
Always remember, a good reasoning question will not have clearly visible useful information. It will be a game where you need to find the information that is required to go ahead. Read the full question and try to filter the important data for the solution. This will require reading the question more than once, each time you will some essential information. Use that information to solve your question efficiently. When you have all the data you need, you can ignore the rest of it proceed.
2. Find a starting point
While solving the questions, you should always keep in mind that starting from the first point is not necessary, and is usually not a good idea considering it’s a logical reasoning question, the order of the points may not be proper. You would waste a lot of time by proceeding with the given order. Instead, read the whole question and try to find that one point to start with. That point will most likely be the key to solving the whole question.
3. Use graphical approach
Sometimes, you may encounter a question that is swamped with information and the whole paragraph is designed to confuse you. To handle such questions, always try to put all that information in tabular format, Venn diagram, pie charts, bar graphs or any other form of data depending on the type of question. This will enable you to get a clear perspective of data is and how to proceed further with it.
4. Focus on accuracy, not attempts
During the exam, it’s not important to attempt every question, but it is important to get a question right. Assuming that most exams have negative marking and a limited time. So, instead of aiming to attempt more and more questions, focus on accuracy. Spend a little bit of more time on the question, and make sure your answer is right. At the end, your marks will matter and not your attempts.
While taking mocks, keep the accuracy in mind. Do exactly what you would do in your exam so that you can analyze your true speed and work to improve it.
5. Manage your time
Not every reasoning question is designed to be solved in a short period of time, some are very time to consume. While practicing you need to solve every type of question, nothing should be skipped. But while taking tests, should focus on maximizing the score. All the questions are not meant to be solved in a given time. Before jumping to the question, just read it and think whether it can be solved fast or not. If not, then skip that question and attempt others. In your first sweep, attempt the easiest questions. Then come back to the start and do a second sweep. Again, prioritize only those questions which can be answered quickly. When you have finished all the easy ones, then utilize your precious time to answer the difficult ones.
For example, there is one set of 4 questions with a common complex information. You need to simplify and decode the information in order to answer all 4 of them. This question can be done in 15 minutes time, but take note that the questions may go wrong. Your very simplification could have errors you might ignore, as a result, all 4 questions can go wrong. Instead, you can choose to attempt 4 different questions with independent data. They would take no more than 2-3 minutes each. These questions are not dependent on common data. If you mess up one question, you can still get the others right. You will have higher accuracy and also plenty of time at the end to handle the questions that require more time and a stress-free mind(since you’ve already done other questions).
6. Go by the options
Logical reasoning questions will generally have either 4 or 5 options, out of which 1 would be your answer. In most cases, you can simply analyze the given options and eliminate the ones that are not relevant. This will leave the fight between 2 or 3 options, which you can further analyze critically. It will save you a lot of time, which you can devote to the questions that require more time.