Ultimate Reasoning Revision Notes for Competitive Exams: Master SSC, Banking, UPSC, PCS, Railway & other exams with PYQs

Master All Reasoning Topics with PYQs & Diagrams (SSC, Banking, UPSC)

Feeling overwhelmed by the vast Reasoning syllabus? You're not alone! This is your one-stop visual revision guide, designed with charts, diagrams, and solved previous year questions to help you master every topic for SSC, Banking, Railways, UPSC, and all other competitive exams. Let's make revision simple, fast, and effective!

Complete List of Reasoning Topics for All Exams

• 1. Coding-Decoding
• 2. Analogy
• 3. Classification
• 4. Series
• 5. Syllogism
• 6. Blood Relations
• 7. Direction Sense
• 8. Seating Arrangement
• 9. Puzzles
• 10. Order & Ranking
• 11. Inequality
• 12. Statement & Assumptions
• 13. Statement & Conclusions
• 14. Mirror & Water Images
• 15. Paper Cutting & Folding
• 16. Embedded Figures
• 17. Dices & Cubes
• 18. Venn Diagrams
• 19. Clock & Calendar

Topic-wise Concepts, Tricks & Solved PYQs

1. Coding-Decoding

Concept: This topic tests your ability to identify the underlying rule or pattern used to code a word or number and apply it to another.

PYQ Example (SSC CGL): If `TEACHER` is written as `VGCEJGT`, how is `CHILDREN` written?
Solution Walkthrough:

This is a simple +2 forward shift for each letter.

• T (+2) → V
• E (+2) → G
• A (+2) → C ...and so on.

Applying the same logic to `CHILDREN`:
C(+2)=E, H(+2)=J, I(+2)=K, L(+2)=N, D(+2)=F, R(+2)=T, E(+2)=G, N(+2)=P.
Answer: EJKNFTGP

2. Analogy

Concept: Analogy means 'similarity'. You must find the relationship between an initial pair of items and apply the exact same relationship to a second pair.

PYQ Example (RRB NTPC): `Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?`
(a) School (b) Salary (c) Students (d) Book

Solution Walkthrough:

The relationship is Person : Workplace. A Doctor works in a Hospital.
Similarly, a Teacher works in a School.
Answer: (a) School

3. Classification (Odd One Out)

Concept: In a given set of items, all but one are similar in some way. Your task is to identify the item that does not belong to the group.

PYQ Example (SSC CHSL): Find the odd one out: (a) Carrot (b) Radish (c) Potato (d) Cabbage

Solution Walkthrough:

Carrots, Radishes, and Potatoes are vegetables that grow underground.
Cabbage is a leafy vegetable that grows above the ground.
Answer: (d) Cabbage

4. Series

Concept: This involves a sequence of numbers, letters, or figures. You need to decipher the pattern to find the missing or next term in the sequence.

PYQ Example (IBPS Clerk): Find the next number: `2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?`

Solution Walkthrough:

The pattern is (n²+1): 1²+1=2, 2²+1=5, 3²+1=10, 4²+1=17, 5²+1=26.
The next term is 6²+1 = 37.
Answer: 37

5. Syllogism

Concept: This is a form of deductive reasoning where you arrive at a 100% certain conclusion based on two or more given statements. Using Venn diagrams is the most reliable method.

PYQ Example (IBPS PO):
Statements: All Pens are Pencils. Some Pencils are Erasers.
Conclusions: I. Some Erasers are Pens. II. All Erasers being Pens is a possibility.

Solution Walkthrough:

• Conclusion I: "Some Erasers are Pens." As seen in the standard diagram, there is no definite connection. False.
• Conclusion II: "All Erasers being Pens is a possibility." A possible diagram can be drawn without violating any statement. True.

Answer: Only Conclusion II follows.

6. Blood Relations

Concept: These questions test your ability to understand complex family relationships described indirectly. Drawing a family tree is the best strategy.

PYQ Example (SSC CGL): Pointing to a man, a woman said, "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is the woman related to the man?

Solution Walkthrough:

"My mother's only daughter" → This is the woman herself.
The statement becomes: "His mother is me."
Answer: Mother

7. Direction Sense

Concept: This involves questions about a person's or object's movement in different directions. You need to trace the path to find the final direction or the distance from the start.

PYQ Example (Railways Group D): A man walks 10 km North, turns right and walks 12 km, then turns left and walks 5 km. How far is he from the start?

Solution Walkthrough:

Total Northward distance = 10 km + 5 km = 15 km.
Total Eastward distance = 12 km.
Using Pythagoras theorem: Distance² = 15² + 12² = 225 + 144 = 369.
Answer: √369 km, in the North-East direction.

8 & 9. Seating Arrangement & Puzzles

Concept: These are logic problems where you must arrange a group of people or items based on a set of given conditions (e.g., in a circle, line, floor, etc.).

PYQ Example (SBI PO): Eight people in two parallel rows... A sits second to the right of D. The one who faces A sits to the immediate left of R...

Solution Walkthrough:

This requires step-by-step placement. The key is to draw the two rows and use definite clues first ("A sits second to the right of D") to anchor the arrangement, then build upon it with relative clues. Making parallel cases is often necessary.

10. Order & Ranking

Concept: These questions involve finding the position or rank of a person from different viewpoints (left/right, top/bottom) or calculating the total number of people in a sequence.

PYQ Example (UPSC CSAT): In a row, Ravi is 15th from the left and 10th from the right. How many students are there?

Solution Walkthrough:

Formula: Total = (Left Rank) + (Right Rank) - 1.
Total = 15 + 10 - 1 = 24.
Answer: 24 students.

11. Inequality

Concept: This topic uses comparison symbols (>, <, =, ≥, ≤) to establish a relationship between elements. You must determine if a given conclusion is true based on the statement.

PYQ Example (IBPS Clerk):
Statement: `P ≥ Q = R > S ≤ T`
Conclusions: I. P > S, II. R ≤ T

Solution Walkthrough:

• I. P > S: The path is P ≥ R > S. The definite relation is P > S. True.
• II. R ≤ T: The path is R > S ≤ T. The signs are opposite, so no definite conclusion can be drawn. False.

Answer: Only Conclusion I follows.

12. Statement & Assumptions

Concept: An assumption is an unstated idea that is taken for granted. You must identify which assumption is implicit (or hidden) within the given statement.

PYQ Example (SSC CGL):
Statement: "For a healthy life, drink pure water."
Assumptions: I. People desire a healthy life. II. Pure water is not easily available.

Solution Walkthrough:

• I: The advice is given because it's assumed people want to be healthy. Implicit.
• II: The statement doesn't imply availability; it's a recommendation. Not Implicit.

Answer: Only Assumption I is implicit.

13. Statement & Conclusions

Concept: You are given a statement and must determine which of the given conclusions logically and definitively follows from that statement.

PYQ Example (RRB NTPC):
Statement: India's economy is heavily dependent on the monsoon.
Conclusions: I. A good monsoon leads to a better economy. II. All of India's industries are agriculture-based.

Solution Walkthrough:

• I: "Heavily dependent" implies a strong positive correlation. Follows.
• II: "Heavily" is not "entirely". "All" is an extreme generalization. Does not follow.

Answer: Only Conclusion I follows.

14. Mirror & Water Images

Concept: This topic tests your spatial reasoning. A mirror image is a horizontal flip (left becomes right), while a water image is a vertical flip (top becomes bottom).

PYQ Example (SSC CHSL): Find the mirror image of the word `QUALIFY`.

Solution Walkthrough:

The order of letters is reversed, and each letter is flipped horizontally.
Answer (visual representation): YℲILAUQ

15. Paper Cutting & Folding

Concept: You are shown a sequence of paper folding and cutting. You need to visualize the pattern that will appear when the paper is completely unfolded.

PYQ Example (SSC CGL): A square paper is folded top-to-bottom, then left-to-right. A circle is cut from the corner of all folds. How will it look when unfolded?

Solution Walkthrough:

Unfolding in reverse mirrors the cut across each fold line. Unfolding right creates a second hole. Unfolding up mirrors these two holes, creating two more.
Answer: A square paper with four holes in the center.

16. Embedded Figures

Concept: Also known as "figure hiding," your task is to find a given simple shape that is hidden inside a more complex figure.

PYQ Example (RRB ALP): Find the option figure in which the given figure (X) is embedded.

Solution Walkthrough:

The best technique is to trace the shape of Figure X with your eyes in the option figures. The correct option will contain the exact 'Z' shape, as highlighted in red in the diagram above.
Answer: The figure containing the hidden 'Z'.

17. Dices & Cubes

Concept: These problems involve one or more positions of a dice. You must use the given views to determine the face opposite to a particular face.

PYQ Example (SSC CGL): Two positions of a dice are shown below. Which number will be on the face opposite to the face having '4'?

Solution Walkthrough:

From the two positions, we can identify all the faces adjacent to '4'.

• From Position 1, faces adjacent to 4 are 3 and 5.
• From Position 2, faces adjacent to 4 are 1 and 5.

So, the faces adjacent to '4' are 1, 3, and 5. Since a dice has 6 faces (1-6), the only face remaining is '2'. Therefore, 2 must be opposite to 4.
Answer: 2

18. Venn Diagrams (Logical)

Concept: This topic involves selecting a diagram, typically with three overlapping circles, that best illustrates the logical relationship between three given groups or classes.

PYQ Example (UPSC CSAT): Which diagram best illustrates the relationship among 'Women', 'Mothers', and 'Engineers'?

Solution Walkthrough:

• Women and Mothers: All Mothers are Women. So, the 'Mothers' circle is completely inside the 'Women' circle.
• Engineers: Some Engineers can be Women, and some of those can also be Mothers. Some Engineers are men. Therefore, the 'Engineers' circle must intersect both the 'Women' and 'Mothers' circles.

The diagram above correctly represents this relationship.

19. Clock & Calendar

Concept: These topics are based on mathematical calculations. Clocks involve the relative speed of hands and angle calculation. Calendars involve finding the day of the week for a given date, which can be done using the fundamental concept of 'odd days' or by using a faster code-based shortcut.

Key Clock Formula:
The formula to find the angle (θ) between the hour (H) and minute (M) hand is: θ = |30H - (11/2)M|.

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Calendar Shortcut: The Code Method (Fast & Easy)

To quickly find the day of the week for any date, you can memorize a few simple codes and apply them to a single formula. This is much faster than the traditional odd-day calculation.

Month	Ord. Code	Leap Code
January	1	0
February	4	3
March	4	4
April	0	0
May	2	2
June	5	5

Month	Ord. Code	Leap Code
July	0	0
August	3	3
September	6	6
October	1	1
November	4	4
December	6	6

Century Code	Day Code
1600-1699 → 6	Saturday → 0
1700-1799 → 4	Sunday → 1
1800-1899 → 2	Monday → 2
1900-1999 → 0	Tuesday → 3
2000-2099 → 6	Wednesday → 4
2100-2199 → 4	Thursday → 5
2200-2299 → 2	Friday → 6

Final Day = Remainder of [ (Date + Month Code + Century Code + Last 2 Digits of Year + Year/4) / 7 ]

PYQ Example (UPSC CSAT): What was the day of the week on 15th August 1947?

Let's use the code method to solve this in steps:

• Date: 15
• Month Code (August): 3 (1947 is not a leap year)
• Century Code (for 1900s): 0
• Last 2 digits of Year: 47
• Year/4 (Quotient of 47 ÷ 4): 11

Now, add them all up:
Sum = 15 + 3 + 0 + 47 + 11 = 76

Find the remainder when divided by 7:
76 ÷ 7 gives a remainder of 6.

Match the remainder with the Day Code:
Remainder 6 corresponds to Friday.

Answer: Friday

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Reasoning Revision

Q1: How do I increase my speed in Reasoning?

Speed is a result of clarity and practice. Master the concepts, then solve questions with a timer, gradually reducing the time.

Q2: Which topics are most important for Banking vs. SSC exams?

Banking: Puzzles, Seating Arrangements, Syllogism, Inequality.
SSC & Railways: Analogy, Classification, Series, Coding-Decoding, Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Q3: How do I handle difficult puzzles?

Use the 3-Minute Rule. If you're stuck after 3 minutes, mark it for review and move on. Don't let one puzzle sink your section.

Q4: Any shortcut for non-verbal reasoning?

Use the Elimination Technique. Instead of finding the right answer, look for options that are clearly wrong. This is much faster.

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