Cat section 2

Section 2 :
Logical Reasoning


The accuracy is highest in such questions, and the time spent solving them can be quite less if one has done a good amount of practice. The questions that are asked in logical reasoning require one to find out whether the given conclusion is valid or not. For example:

1. All drunken drivers meet with an accident.
Salman is a drunken driver.
Conclusion – Salman will meet with an accident
This one is pretty straightforward. Since Salman belongs to a group, all members of which meet with an accident, he would meet with an accident.

E.g. 2. Most males are intelligent.
Mr. X is a male
Conclusion – Mr. X may or may not be intelligent

Here there are two possibilities. Either Mr. X is a part of the group of intelligent males or he is not. Hence, it follows that he may or may not be intelligent.

In the exam the questions that are asked have two statements followed by two conclusions and you have to determine which conclusion is correct. Obviously the questions are not so easy as the above examples and may require one to draw venn diagrams to solve the questions. E.g.

1. Statements –
some students are smart
all students are hardworking

Conclusions – (i) some hardworking students are smart
(ii) some smart students are hardworking
Solution – Both the conclusions are correct, as some students are definitely both smart and hardworking.

2. Statement–
tennis players get married only to models

Conclusions – (i) Madhu is married to a tennis player
(ii) Madhu is not married to a tennis player
Solution – Here either Madhu can be married to a tennis player or to someone who is not a tennis player. So either conclusion (i) or (ii) follow but not both.

3. Statements –
some roses are red
some red are black.

Conclusions – (i) no black is a rose.
(ii) no rose is a black
Solution – Here both the statements are possibilities. It may be that some roses are black or no roses are black. Hence neither of the conclusions follows.