MAT Intelligence and Critical Reasoning Syllabus

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning syllabus — full chapter and topic list

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

1. 1

   Logical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Arrangements
     • Linear seating arrangement
     • Circular arrangement
     • Matrix and floor arrangement
   • Ordering and Ranking
     • Comparison-based ranking
     • Blood relations
   • Coding-Decoding
     • Letter and number coding
     • Symbol-based coding
   • Series and Direction Sense
     • Number and alphabet series
     • Direction and distance
2. 2

   Critical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Statements and Arguments
     • Strong and weak arguments
     • Assumptions
   • Inference and Conclusion
     • Statement and conclusion
     • Cause and effect
   • Course of Action
     • Statement and course of action
   • Logical Consistency
     • Strengthening and weakening arguments
3. 3

   Analytical and Verbal Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Syllogisms
     • Two and three statement syllogisms
     • Venn diagram method
   • Analogy and Classification
     • Verbal analogy
     • Odd one out
   • Input-Output and Puzzles
     • Machine input-output
     • Logical puzzles
   • Visual and Non-Verbal Reasoning
     • Mirror and water images
     • Figure series and pattern completion

Intelligence and Critical Reasoning flashcards for MAT

25 of 50 cards from the Intelligence and Critical Reasoning deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In linear (single-row) arrangement puzzles, what does the phrase 'to the immediate left of' mean when persons face the reader (face north)?

   The person is placed exactly one position to the reader's left of the reference person, i.e., the reference person's own left side, because north-facing persons share the reader's left-right orientation.

2. In a circular arrangement, how does left/right reverse depending on whether members face the centre or face away from the centre?

   When members face the centre, their left/right is opposite to the observer's (clockwise = each person's left). When they face away (outward), their left/right matches the observer's (clockwise = each person's right).

3. For a circular arrangement of n people, how many distinct arrangements are possible (ignoring rotations)?

   (n − 1)! arrangements, because fixing one person removes rotational duplicates; if reflections (clockwise vs anticlockwise) are also treated as identical, it is (n − 1)!/2.

4. What are the main types of seating arrangement problems tested in reasoning?

   Linear (single or double row), circular (facing centre or outward), rectangular/square (people on sides or corners), and complex arrangements combining seating with extra parameters like profession, age or colour.

5. In a double-row arrangement where Row 1 faces north and Row 2 faces south, how are the two rows positioned relative to each other?

   The rows face each other; each Row 1 member faces a Row 2 member directly opposite. Row 1's left aligns with Row 2's right because the rows face in opposite directions.

6. In ordering and ranking, if a person is 7th from the top and 11th from the bottom in a group, what is the total number of people?

   Total = (position from top) + (position from bottom) − 1 = 7 + 11 − 1 = 17 people.

7. In ranking problems, what is the formula to find a person's rank from the other end when total persons and rank from one end are known?

   Rank from other end = Total + 1 − (rank from given end).

8. If in a row of N people a person is 'm-th from one end' and there are 'k people to his right', how do you find his position from the left?

   His position from the left = N − k; equivalently, people to his left = N − k − 1, since he sits among N with k to his right.

9. In comparison-based ranking (taller/shorter, older/younger), what is the recommended technique to order all elements?

   Convert each comparison into a directional inequality (e.g., A > B means A is taller), chain them into a single ordered sequence, and place ambiguous elements only where definitely fixed; leave undetermined positions open.

10. In coding-decoding, what is 'letter-shift' (Caesar) coding and how do you decode it?

    Each letter is replaced by another a fixed number of positions ahead or behind in the alphabet (e.g., +1: CAT → DBU). Decode by shifting each coded letter back by the same number of positions.

11. In coding-decoding, what is the position-value of letters used in many number-coding problems (forward and reverse)?

    Forward: A=1, B=2, ... Z=26. Reverse: A=26, B=25, ... Z=1. The two are linked by: reverse value = 27 − forward value.

12. What is 'substitution coding' in coding-decoding problems?

    Real words are replaced by other arbitrary words (e.g., 'sky is blue' coded as 'pa la ti'). You solve by comparing statements to map each code word to its meaning, then answer queries using those mappings.

13. In word-to-code (letter-jumbling) coding where letters are coded individually, how do you find the code for a new word?

    Build a one-to-one letter→symbol/letter map from given examples by matching common letters across coded words, then apply the map letter-by-letter to the new word.

14. What is a number-series, and what common patterns should be checked first?

    A number-series is an ordered list following a rule. Check: constant difference (AP), constant ratio (GP), differences of differences, squares/cubes, prime numbers, alternating series, and combined operations (×, ±, then ÷).

15. In a number series, what does it mean when the 'second-level differences' are constant?

    It indicates a quadratic (second-order) pattern: the terms fit an + bn + c, so the gaps between consecutive terms themselves increase by a constant amount.

16. In an alphabet series, how do you usually decode the pattern between letters?

    Convert letters to position numbers (A=1...Z=26), find the numeric step pattern (skip counts, increasing gaps, reversals), then convert results back to letters.

17. In direction sense, what are the four cardinal and four ordinal directions and their relative angles?

    Cardinals: North, East, South, West (90° apart). Ordinals: NE, SE, SW, NW (45° between each cardinal pair). Clockwise order: N → NE → E → SE → S → SW → W → NW.

18. In direction-sense problems, how is the straight-line (shortest) distance between start and end points calculated when the path forms a right angle?

    Use the Pythagorean theorem: shortest distance = √(horizontal displacement² + vertical displacement²), where displacements are the net east-west and north-south distances.

19. In direction sense, if you face North and turn 270° clockwise, which direction do you now face?

    West. 270° clockwise from North = North → East → South → West.

20. In direction sense, how do left and right turns affect facing direction, and what is the effect of two consecutive left (or right) turns?

    A left turn rotates 90° anticlockwise, a right turn 90° clockwise. Two same-direction turns (e.g., two lefts) result in a 180° about-turn, reversing the original direction.

21. In 'Statements and Arguments', how do you decide whether a given argument is strong or weak?

    A strong argument is directly related to the statement, addresses its core, and is logically sound and significant. A weak argument is irrelevant, superficial, ambiguous, based on an individual case, or restates the statement.

22. What is the key rule for judging arguments: should personal opinions or real-world facts be used?

    No—arguments are evaluated only for relevance and logical strength relative to the statement, not by whether you personally agree or by external facts; assume the statement is true.

23. In the 'Statements and Assumptions' type, what is an assumption?

    An assumption is something taken for granted or presupposed—an unstated idea that must be true for the statement to make sense. It is implicit, not directly written.

24. What is the test to decide whether an assumption is implicit in a statement?

    Negate the assumption: if negating it makes the statement absurd or collapses its logic, the assumption is implicit. If the statement still holds after negation, the assumption is not implicit.

25. In 'Inference' questions, how does an inference differ from a directly stated fact or a conclusion?

    An inference is a logically derived fact that must be true based on the given information but is not explicitly stated; a stated fact is written verbatim, while a conclusion is a summarising judgment drawn from the passage.

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