Deductive reasoning questions contain several different types of word questions in written information that you will need to read through, understand, and interpret, to reach the correct answer. The most popular category of questions is syllogisms.
The questions in the deductive reasoning test do not require any previous knowledge, instead, they assess your thought process and ability to come to sound conclusions. They involve written information that you will need to read through, understand, and interpret, to reach the correct answer.
What is a syllogism question category?
A syllogism begins by presenting two or more sentences that provide the rules or premises of the situation. The final sentence in the problem states a conclusion. Your task is to deduce whether the conclusion given is 'True', 'False', or if you 'Cannot Say' based upon the information divulged.
The sentences containing the pertinent information (i.e. outlining the premises) are unlikely to be presented on their own. They are often part of a longer paragraph of text, so your first task will be to identify and isolate the premises or rules. There are three main types of syllogism:
A categorical syllogism outlines the qualities of certain categories. You are required to conclude whether an item or concept fits into the larger category, based on the information given about both the category and item/concept.
A conditional syllogism presents 'if-then' statements, where the conclusion of the first premise forms the condition for the second. You are required to follow this logic and see how the concluding statement relates to the protestations made.
A disjunctive syllogism presents two premises and states that either of these could be true - but that if one is true, the other must be false. You are required to follow the logic of the question to ascertain which premise in this 'either-or' scenario is true, and which is therefore false.
A further category of deductive reasoning questions is arrangements. Arrangement questions involve information that compares people or items.
You are required to carefully read through the question and decode a certain quality or aspect of the people or items – for example, the order guests arrived at a party - according to the snippets of information provided.
The questions on a deductive reasoning test must be answered using only the information given in the question. Pay close attention to the logic of the question and ensure you do not subconsciously bring any outside information into the deductive process.
The correct answer is based on the logic of the question alone, whether this makes sense outside of the world created or not.