FPSC General Recruitment Test General Intelligence and Analytical Reasoning Syllabus

Find the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?

42 (differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12; so 30 + 12 = 42).

Find the next term in this alphabet series: A, C, E, G, ?

I (each letter skips one, +2 positions).

In Syllogisms, what are the three standard parts of a syllogism?

Two premises (statements) and a conclusion derived from them.

In Syllogisms, what is the golden rule about conclusions?

A conclusion must follow logically and necessarily from the given statements only; do not use real-world knowledge - assume the statements are true even if absurd.

Syllogism: 'All cats are animals. All animals are living.' What definite conclusion follows?

All cats are living (valid universal conclusion through the middle term 'animals').

In Syllogisms, what does a 'possibility' conclusion involving 'some' versus 'all' mean for two particular premises?

Two particular (some) premises generally yield no definite conclusion; at least one premise must be universal to draw a valid definite conclusion.

In Statements and Assumptions, what is an 'assumption'?

Something taken for granted or implied by the statement - an unstated supposition that must be true for the statement to make sense.

In Statements and Assumptions, what is the rule for whether an assumption is 'implicit'?

An assumption is implicit only if it is necessarily presupposed by the statement; if the statement can stand without it, it is not implicit. Obvious/universal truths and contradictions are usually not implicit assumptions.

In Statements and Conclusions, how does a 'conclusion' differ from an 'assumption'?

A conclusion is a judgment logically drawn FROM the statement (it follows after), while an assumption is taken for granted BEFORE/within the statement.

In Statements and Conclusions, what is the test for a valid conclusion?

A conclusion is valid only if it definitely follows from the information in the statement(s) without requiring extra assumptions or outside knowledge.

In Cause and Effect questions, what is the basic relationship being tested?

Whether one event (the cause) directly leads to or produces another event (the effect), and which is the cause and which is the effect.

In Cause and Effect, what indicates that two events are 'independent causes' (unrelated)?

When the two events have no causal link to each other and are each produced by different, separate causes.

In Cause and Effect, what is the key clue for identifying the cause versus the effect in time?

The cause occurs before (precedes) the effect; the effect is the result that follows the cause.

In Course of Action questions, what is a 'course of action'?

A practical administrative step, decision, or policy proposed for follow-up/improvement in response to a given problem statement.

In Course of Action, what two tests must a suggested action pass to be deemed 'follows'?

It must (1) directly address/solve the problem and (2) be practical and feasible, not extreme, vague, or impossible.

In Logical Deductions, what is the difference between a valid deduction and an invalid one?

A valid deduction necessarily follows from the premises in every case; an invalid one may seem plausible but does not follow with certainty from the given premises.

In Logical Deductions, what fallacy is 'affirming the consequent'?

Wrongly concluding the antecedent is true because the consequent is true (If P then Q; Q is true, therefore P) - this is an invalid deduction.

In Figure Series, what visual changes should you track to find the pattern?

Rotation (direction/angle), number of elements added or removed, shading/colour changes, position/movement of elements, and size changes across the figures.

In Figure Series, what does a constant clockwise rotation pattern typically look like?

Each successive figure rotates by a fixed angle clockwise (e.g., 45° or 90°) compared to the previous one.

In Figure Analogy, what is the core task?

Identify how the second figure relates to the first (the transformation), then apply the same transformation to the third figure to find the fourth.

In Figure Analogy, name three common transformation types.

Rotation, reflection (mirror flip), and addition/deletion of elements (also resizing or shading changes).

In Mirror Images, what happens to an object placed before a vertical mirror?

Left and right are interchanged (laterally inverted), but top and bottom remain unchanged.

In Mirror Images, what is the mirror image of the letter 'b' in a vertical mirror?

'd' (the letter is laterally reversed left-to-right).

In Water Images, how is an object reflected in water (a horizontal mirror)?

Top and bottom are interchanged (vertically inverted/upside down), while left and right remain unchanged.

What is the difference between a mirror image and a water image in terms of axis of reflection?

Mirror image reflects across a vertical axis (left-right swap); water image reflects across a horizontal axis (top-bottom swap).

In Embedded Figures, what is the task?

To locate a given simple figure hidden within a larger, more complex figure, keeping its shape, size, and orientation unchanged.

In Embedded Figures, what must remain true of the hidden figure within the complex one?

It must appear in the same proportion and orientation (not rotated or resized) as the original target figure.

In Paper Folding and Cutting, how do holes/cuts appear when the paper is unfolded?

Each cut is duplicated symmetrically about every fold line, so a single cut produces multiple symmetric holes mirrored across each crease.

In Paper Folding, if a paper is folded once and one hole is punched, how many holes appear when unfolded?

Two holes - the single punch is mirrored across the one fold line.

In Seating Arrangements, what is the key difference between a linear and a circular arrangement?

In linear arrangement people sit in a row facing one direction; in circular arrangement people sit around a circle - if facing center, left/right are reversed relative to the observer.

In a circular seating arrangement with all persons facing the center, how do the directions 'left' and 'right' of a person relate to the viewer's perspective?

They are opposite to the viewer's: a person's right is toward the viewer's left side (because the person faces the center, i.e., faces you).