CAT Prep: How to solve LR questions on 'statements & conclusions'?

Not only CAT/XAT or IIFT are inclined to test you for various aspects of Logical Reasoning but also other important Management examinations are fond of putting up the candidates on Logical Reasoning test scale.

Statements and conclusions are the type of questions that test the quick and accurate presence of mind of the aspirants. 

Question contents-

Questions of this type contain some information and on the basis of this information the candidate has to draw specific conclusion – whether the same can be drawn or can’t be drawn.  It means if we can draw an inference based on the given information, we can reach the conclusion. No conclusion can be followed in case the inference cannot be drawn.

Tips and strategy-

Read the question attentively and carefully. Do not be in a hurry as you are there for the very purpose of skill improvement

Imagine the situation and draw the inference based on the given information

The information given in the question must be thoroughly understood and no assumptions other than the provided facts or information should be made

Get the direct and indirect clues that could be used to quickly arrive at the correct answer option

Conclusion will either definitely follow the given information or will not follow, the third alternate could be non-determination of the conclusion due to lack of information.

While viewing the answer options do remember to apply elimination method.

  
Question Examples

In each question below is given a statement followed by four conclusions numbered 1, 2, 3 & 4. You have to assume everything in the statement to be true, even if it does not confirm to the accepted facts. Read the four conclusions carefully together and decide which of them logically follows beyond a reasonable doubt from the information given in the statement.

Statements –

Some boys are scholars

Some teachers are boys

All scholars are observers

Conclusions:

Some scholars are boys

Some scholars are not boys

Some observers are boys

Some teachers are scholars

Answer options –

(a) and (c) follow

(a) (c) and (d) follow

Either (a) or (b) and (c) follow

None of the above

Statements:

All teachers are professors

All professors are researchers

All researchers are consultants

Conclusions:

Some consultants are teachers

All professors are consultants

Some researchers are teachers

All professors are teachers

Answer options:

Only (a) and (b) follow

Only (a) and (c) follow

Either (a) or (d) follow

None of the above

Cracking the Questions-

(a)- Means (a) and (c) follow- Try to visualize by forming bigger and smaller circles. While drawing the figures you will find that there are two possibilities for boys – how they could differ in the context of statements and the relationship between observers and boys. Again while drawing figures for teachers, it will be observed that they inclusions cannot be negated vis-à-vis scholars and observers.  So, if we go by conclusion(a) there is no situation where we could reject the situation that ‘some scholars are boys’-hence conclusion(a) is definitely correct; conclusion-(c) similarly has the same situation where we can not reject that ‘some’ observers are boys’ hence it also follows. Conclusion (b) & (d) are liable to be rejected as it is possible that all scholars are boys and (d) no teachers are scholars.

(d)- Means- None of the above. If we go by the conclusions – 1 follows, 2 also follows and 3 follows as well. This answer option doesn’t exist, hence (d) is the only option left to be marked

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