1. Reasoning Questions in UGC/NET exam
  2. Sequence Series (2 MCQ)
  3. Coding Decoding (1 MCQ)
  4. Odd man out (1 MCQ)
  5. Syllogism (2 MCQs)
  6. Philosophical Logic theory (4 MCQs)

Reasoning Questions in UGC/NET exam

In previous years’ UGC-NET/JRF exams This time in January 2017
They ask ~10 MCQs from reasoning topics. Quantity wise same.
  • Asked about blood relation, direction sense test, clock-calendars, permutation combination.
 Nothing
  • Coding decoding, sequence-series asked.
 Asked- with easy to moderate difficulty level.
In recent years, they’ve extended the syllogism to high level philosophical theory e.g. subaltern argument,  square of opposition, irreflexive premise relations etc. Continued the trend with four MCQs.

We can classify them into three levels:

  1. Low level reasoning: including coding-decoding, blood relation etc
    1. Practice is more important than theory. You can do it from previous papers.
    2. In the actual exam, coding decoding / sequence series MCQs should be done at last. Because if you can’t decode the pattern you may unnecessarily waste 10-15 minutes in a single MCQs (if you attempt these questions during start or middle of the exam)
    3. Clock calendar tricks given in this article.
    4. Coding-decoding, sequence series, blood relation: use B.S.Sijwali’s reasoning book [icon type=”shopping-cart”].
    5. Some people would recommend R.S.Aggarwal’s reasoning book, but I don’t recommend it. because  for each topic Aggarwal would give ~200 practice questions, but in real life, noone has that much time to solve all. Yet, you’ve to pay Rs.100 more (Because his book has more pages due to so many qs). So better go with cheaper and leaner book i.e. Sijwali!
  2. High level reasoning (syllogism)
    1. Even for this Sijwali is sufficient.
    2. If you’re simultenously preparing for Banking exams / UPSC civil  services then better go for M.K.Pandey’s analytical reasoning book [icon type=”shopping-cart”].
  3. Extra-high level reasoning (philosophy Logic theory)
    1. Cost: benefit is bad. Because every year, they come up with some new concept that wasn’t asked in earlier exam and not giving in the routine books for aptitude.
    2. At max following topic should be prepared from the google books / internet: 1) sub-alteren argument 2) square of opposition.

Anyways, let’s solve the questions asked in January 2017’s NET exam

Sequence Series (2 MCQ)

Q). The missing term in the series 1, 4, 27, 16, ?, 36,343,… is

  1. 30
  2. 49
  3. 125
  4. 81

Let’s check the pattern

  • 1×1=1
  • 2×2=4
  • 3x3x3=27
  • 4×4=16
  • ??
  • 6×6=36
  • 7x7x7=343

It seems the pattern is: if even number then do its square.
If odd number then do its cube.
So by that logic, the missing term should be cube of 5 = 125.

Q) The next term in the following series
YEB, WFD, UHG, SKI, _?_ will be

  1. TLO
  2. QOL
  3. QLO
  4. GQP

 

Let’s decode
term ALPHABET #1 #2 #3
1 Y E B
2 W(-2 than before) F (+1 than before) D
3 U (-2 than before) H (+2 than before) G
4 S (-2 than before) K (+3 than before) I
5 Q (-2 than before) O (+4 than before)
  • Alphabet #1 is decreasing at the rate of 2 places. So, accordingly, first term should be S-2=Q. we are left with answer choice 2 or 3.
  • Middle alphabet is increasing at the Arithmetic progression @+1. so next term should be K+4=O. so, By elimination  we are left with answer choice 2. (in exam, time is precious so no need to decode fully)

Cross check:

  • In third alphabet, if it’s even numbered than term than jumping by +1 place and if odd numbered term than jumping by +2 places.
  • So, accordingly, fifth term should be I+2 jumps=L. so full length Q-O-L. hence answer (2) is verified.

Coding Decoding (1 MCQ)

Q. If A is coded as C, M as I, N as P, S as O, I as A, P as N, E as M, O as E, and C as S, then the code of COMPANIES will be

  • SPEINMOAC
  • NCPSEIOMA
  • SMOPIEACN
  • SEINCPAMO

 

Let’s make a table
Term C O M P A N I E S
Code S E I N C P A M O

Although in real exam, to save time, you have to only decode the first two and last one alphabet and by elimination you’d arrive at answer “4”.

Odd man out (1 MCQ)

Q) Out of four cities given below three are alike in some manner while the fourth one is different. Identify the odd one

  1. Lucknow
  2. Rishikesh
  3. Allahabad
  4. Patna

Ganga doesn’t pass through Lucknow. See the following map
UGC JRF/NET Answerkey for reasoning syllogism subaltern questions
So 1 is the answer.

Syllogism (2 MCQs)

Q) Given below are two premised (a) and (b). from those two premises four conclusions i, ii, iii, iv are drawn. Select the code that states the conclusions validly drawn from the premises (taking singly or jointly)
Premises:

  1. Untouchability is a curse
  2. All hot pans are untouchable

Conclusions:

  1. All hot pans are curse
  2. some untouchable things are hot pans
  3. All curses are untouchability
  4. Some curses are untouchability

Answer Codes:

  1. (i) and (ii)
  2. (ii) and (iii)
  3. (iii) and (iv)
  4. (ii) and (iv)

First let’s align the premise statements

Statement Type Subject Predicate
A (universal positive) All hot pans are untouchable
Distributed? Yes no
A (universal positive) Untouchability is a curse
Distributed? Yes no
  • As per the rules of syllogism,
  • Middle term distributed atleast once….yes
  • Remove middle term, and join hotpans to curse. And what is not distributed in premise, can’t be distributed in the conclusion. Therefore, conclusion will be
Statement Type Subject Predicate
A All hot pans are curse.
Distributed? Yes no

Hence statement-(i) follows. By elimination, we are left with answer 1.
Now just to cross check whether statement (ii) also follows (singly).
All hot pans are untouchable (universal positive-A)
As per the rules of conversion given in M.K.Pandey’s book analytical reasoning  on Page 307,
“A” converts to particular positive (I).
So,All hot pans are untouchable  -> some untouchables are hot pans. So yes (ii) also follows. Therefore, answer is 1-(i) and (ii) follows.

Q) If the statement ‘None but the brave wins the race’ is false, which of the following statements can be claimed to be true?

  • All brave persons win the race
  • Some persons who win the race are not brave
  • Some persons who win the race are brave
  • No person who wins the race is brave

Given statement None but the brave wins the race
We’ve to reduce this ‘exclusive proposition’. Ref M.K.Pandey’s page 311, table 5.
Accordingly, we can write the same statement as:
all brave are winners.
So if this statement is false then
All brave are not winners=> meaning, some person who win the race, are not brave. Hence answer-2.

Philosophical Logic theory (4 MCQs)

Q) If two standard form categorical propositions with the same subject and predicate are related in such a manner that if one is undetermined the other must be undetermined, what is their relation?

  1. Contrary
  2. Subcontrary
  3. Contradictory
  4. Sub-altern

This happens in sub-altern (A+I or E+O). Consider following:

All citizens are taxpayers (A)
Some citizens are taxpayers. (I)

  • If some citizens are taxpayers is true, then difficult to comeup with a single venn diagram (Because of possibility that some citizens are not taxpayers)….
  • in that situation, the universal positive (A) [all citizens are taxpayers] will be undetermined because we can’t draw a single venn diagram.

Q) Men and women may have different reproductive strategies but neither can be considered inferior or superior to the other. any more than a bird’s winds can be considered superior or inferior to a fish’s fins. Select the code that states those two propositions

  • Biological
  • Physiological
  • Analogical
  • Hypothetical

Trying to explain difference between men and women by giving analogy with birds and fishes. Hence analogical proposition

Q) Among the following propositions two are related in such a way that they cannot both be true but can be false. Select the code states those two propositions
Propositions:

  1. Every student is attentive (A)
  2. Some students are attentive (I)
  3. Students are never attentive (E)
  4. Some students are not attentive (O)

codes:

  1. (a) and (b)
  2. (a) and (c)
  3. (b) and (c)
  4. (c) and (d)

I’ve already labelled the statement types in the question itself.
We’ve to cross check this with “Square of opposition”
The rule is-  “for Contraries i.e. universal positive (A) and universal negative (E): cannot both be true but could both be false.”
Hence answer is 2- “a and c”

Q) Given below are some characteristics of reasoning. Select the code that states a characteristic which is not a deductive reasoning

  1. The conclusion must be based on observation and experiment
  2. The conclusion should be supported by the premise/premises
  3. The conclusion must follow from the premise/premises necessarily
  4. The argument may be valid or invalid

Seems these uncle-ji professors are framing reasoning & communication MCQs from their own unpublished and unsubstantiated research papers. Multiple answers are correct depending on which book / source you’re referring to. For example

  • #1 is wrong because this edu. Website says inductive reasoning starts from specific observations.
  • #2 is wrong because it contains “should” instead of “must. Conclusion “must” be supported by premise.

Any corrections in the Answerkey? Do post in the comments but with authentic reference and explanations.
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