AILET Logical Reasoning Syllabus

Logical Reasoning syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Logical Reasoning in AILET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Analytical Reasoning

   3 topics

   • Seating and Linear Arrangements
     • Linear and circular seating
     • Ordering and ranking arrangements
   • Distribution and Grouping
     • Matching and grouping puzzles
     • Conditional selection problems
   • Blood Relations and Directions
     • Family tree and relationship problems
     • Direction sense and distance
2. 2

   Critical Reasoning

   3 topics

   • Arguments and Reasoning
     • Identifying premises and conclusions
     • Strengthening and weakening arguments
     • Recognising assumptions and flaws
   • Inference and Conclusion
     • Drawing valid conclusions
     • Identifying what can be inferred
   • Cause, Effect and Analogy
     • Cause and effect relationships
     • Parallel reasoning and analogies
3. 3

   Logical Deduction

   3 topics

   • Syllogisms
     • Categorical syllogisms and Venn diagrams
     • Possibility and definite conclusions
   • Statements and Assumptions
     • Statement and assumption
     • Statement and course of action
     • Statement and conclusion
   • Logical Sequences and Patterns
     • Number, letter and symbol series
     • Coding and decoding
4. 4

   Reading-Based Logical Reasoning

   3 topics

   • Passage-Based Reasoning
     • Identifying the main conclusion of a passage
     • Detecting reasoning errors in arguments
   • Evaluating Evidence
     • Assessing relevance of evidence
     • Resolving paradoxes and discrepancies
   • Logical Consistency
     • Identifying contradictions within a passage
     • Judging the logical strength of conclusions

Logical Reasoning flashcards for AILET

19 of 51 cards from the Logical Reasoning deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In a single-row linear arrangement where all persons face north, which direction is a person's left and which is their right?

   For a person facing north, their left hand points west and their right hand points east. So 'to the left of' means toward the west and 'to the right of' means toward the east in that row.

2. For N people in one row, how do you convert a position counted from one end into the position from the opposite end?

   Position from the other end = N - (position from the given end) + 1. E.g., the 3rd from the left in a row of 8 is the 8 - 3 + 1 = 6th from the right.

3. In a two-row (parallel rows) linear arrangement where one row faces north and the other faces south, how do the directions of 'left' and 'right' relate between the rows?

   The rows face each other, so left and right are mirror-reversed: a north-facing person's right aligns with the south-facing person's left. Persons sitting opposite each other directly face one another.

4. In a circular arrangement, how do 'clockwise' and 'left/right' relate when everyone faces the centre versus faces outward?

   Facing the centre: right = anti-clockwise, left = clockwise. Facing outward: right = clockwise, left = anti-clockwise. The rule reverses with facing direction.

5. In a circular table with N people equally spaced, how do you find who sits exactly opposite a given person?

   The person opposite is N/2 seats away (only possible when N is even). Counting N/2 positions in either direction from someone lands on the person directly across the table.

6. What is the recommended first step when solving a seating/arrangement puzzle with mixed direct and indirect clues?

   Begin with the most definite (fixed) clues to set a base frame, then layer indirect clues on top, often by drawing multiple possible cases and eliminating those that contradict later clues.

7. In arrangement puzzles, what is the difference between a definite clue and a possibility (negative/either-or) clue?

   A definite clue fixes a position uniquely (e.g., 'A is third from left'). A possibility clue only limits options (e.g., 'B is not at an end' or 'C is to the left of D'), usually requiring case-splitting.

8. In distribution (matrix) puzzles, what tool best organizes who has which attribute, and how is it used?

   A grid/table with persons as rows and attributes (colour, city, subject, etc.) as columns. Mark confirmed cells with a tick and impossible cells with a cross, using elimination to fill the rest.

9. In a grouping/selection problem, what does a conditional clue like 'if X is selected then Y is not' tell you to do?

   Treat it as a logical implication: whenever X is in the group, Y must be excluded. Equivalently, if Y is selected then X cannot be (contrapositive). Test each case against all such conditions.

10. When dividing items into groups of unequal size, why is it important to note the exact size of each group first?

    Group sizes constrain how clues combine; knowing capacities lets you count remaining slots, detect forced placements, and reject distributions that overfill or underfill a group.

11. In a blood relation puzzle, what is the safest strategy to avoid assuming a person's gender?

    Never assume gender from a name; rely only on explicitly gendered relation words (father, daughter, son, wife). Use a family tree with symbols and leave gender unmarked unless stated.

12. In family-tree notation, how are generations and the male/female distinction commonly represented?

    Draw generations on horizontal levels (grandparents top, children below), use '+' or a square for male and '-' or a circle for female, a horizontal line for marriage/siblings, and a vertical line for parent-child.

13. What does the relation 'my father's only son' refer to when spoken by a male?

    It refers to the speaker himself, because if his father has only one son, that son is the speaker. (If spoken by a female, it would refer to her brother.)

14. In directional sense problems, what is the standard orientation of the compass, and how are the diagonals named?

    North is up, South down, East right, West left. The diagonals are North-East (up-right), South-East (down-right), South-West (down-left), and North-West (up-left).

15. How do you compute the shortest (straight-line) distance between a start and end point after a series of perpendicular movements?

    Find the net displacement east-west and north-south, then apply the Pythagorean theorem: distance = sqrt(net_horizontal squared + net_vertical squared).

16. If a person turns 'to their right' while facing north, then again 'to their right', which directions do they end up facing?

    Facing north, a right turn gives east; another right turn gives south. Each right turn rotates 90 degrees clockwise (north to east to south to west).

17. What is the difference between a 'left turn' and an 'anti-clockwise' turn in directions?

    A left turn is a 90-degree anti-clockwise rotation from one's current facing. 'Anti-clockwise' describes the same rotational sense but can be any angle; a left turn is specifically 90 degrees.

18. In logical reasoning, what is the difference between a premise and a conclusion in an argument?

    A premise is a stated reason or evidence offered to support the claim; the conclusion is the main point the argument is trying to establish. The premises are intended to lead to the conclusion.

19. What distinguishes a deductive argument from an inductive argument?

    In a valid deductive argument the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises (certain if premises are true). An inductive argument makes the conclusion probable, generalizing from observed cases, but not guaranteed.

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