RBI Assistant Reasoning Ability Syllabus

In syllogisms, how are 'Some A are B' and its converse related?

'Some A are B' implies the converse 'Some B are A' is also true. The particular affirmative statement can be reversed validly.

In Statement and Conclusion questions, what is the basic decision rule?

Accept a conclusion only if it logically and definitely follows from the statement alone, using no outside knowledge or assumptions. Vague or extra-information conclusions are rejected.

What is the difference between 'Statement and Conclusion' and 'Statement and Assumption'?

A conclusion is a fact DERIVED after the statement; an assumption is something TAKEN FOR GRANTED (unstated but necessary) for the statement to hold true.

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

An assumption is an unstated idea that the speaker presumes to be true and on which the statement rests. It must be implicit, not explicitly written, and necessary for the statement to make sense.

In assumption questions, why are extreme or over-general assumptions usually invalid?

Because an assumption must be the minimum necessary belief implied by the statement; words like 'always', 'all', 'only' add unwarranted strength not supported by the statement.

In Cause and Effect questions, how do you identify the cause and the effect?

The cause is the event that occurs first and produces the result; the effect is the outcome that follows. Check chronology and direct causal link, not mere correlation.

In Cause and Effect, what does it mean if 'both statements are effects of a common/independent cause'?

Neither statement causes the other; both result from a third, separate underlying factor, so they are parallel effects rather than cause-and-effect of each other.

In Course of Action questions, what makes a suggested action 'follow'?

A course of action follows if it is practical, addresses the problem in the statement, and is a reasonable, implementable step. Impractical, extreme, or non-relevant actions do not follow.

In Course of Action, why are 'establishment/improvement' actions preferred over 'banning/abolishing' actions?

Solutions should be constructive and address root causes; outright bans are usually treated as extreme/non-positive and generally do not follow unless clearly justified.

In Coding-Decoding, what is 'letter-shifting' (Caesar) coding?

Each letter is replaced by another a fixed number of places forward or backward in the alphabet (e.g., +1: CAT becomes DBU). Identify the constant shift to decode.

In Coding-Decoding, what are the position values (A=1...Z=26) and the EJOTY trick?

Each letter has a number: A=1, B=2 ... Z=26. EJOTY helps recall positions in fives: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25 (so count from the nearest of these).

In Coding-Decoding, how does the 'opposite letter' (mirror) pairing work?

Opposite letters sum to 27: A-Z, B-Y, C-X, D-W ... M-N. To find a letter's mirror, subtract its position from 27.

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

Words are replaced by other code words (e.g., 'sky' = 'blue'). You decode by matching the substituted words to their meanings using multiple given sentences.

In an alphanumeric series, how do you handle a question asking 'how many vowels are immediately followed by a number'?

Scan the series left to right; for each vowel, check the very next character. Count only vowels whose immediate right neighbour is a digit.

In an alphanumeric/symbol series, what is the standard meaning of 'immediately preceded by' vs 'immediately followed by'?

'Immediately preceded by' refers to the element on the LEFT of the target; 'immediately followed by' refers to the element on the RIGHT of the target.

In Number Series, how do you detect the underlying pattern?

Check differences (arithmetic), ratios (geometric), squares/cubes, alternating patterns, and combined operations between consecutive terms to find the rule governing the sequence.

In a Letter Series like AZ, BY, CX..., what is the pattern?

The first letters go forward (A, B, C...) while the second letters go backward (Z, Y, X...). It is a paired forward-backward alphabet series.

In Number Series, what is a 'mixed/combined operation' series? Give the approach.

Terms follow alternating or repeating operations (e.g., +2, x2, +2, x2...). Identify the repeating cycle of operations between consecutive terms to predict the next term.

What is an Analogy in reasoning, and what must you find?

An analogy gives a pair related in some way (A:B) and asks you to complete a second pair (C:?) with the SAME relationship. You must identify the exact logical relation and apply it.

In Classification (odd-one-out), what is the basic principle?

All items share a common property except one; identify the shared characteristic (category, structure, mathematical property) and pick the item that does not fit.

Give common analogy relationship types tested in exams.

Synonym/antonym, part-to-whole, worker-to-tool, cause-effect, function, category-member, and mathematical (square, cube, multiple) relationships.

In coded inequality, what symbols typically replace '>', '<', '=', '>=', '<='? How do you solve?

Coded symbols (like @, #, %) stand for relational operators. First substitute the real operators, then combine the chain to test each conclusion's validity.

In inequalities, how do you combine 'A > B' and 'B > C' versus 'A > B' and 'B < C'?

A > B > C gives a definite A > C. But A > B and B < C give no relation between A and C, because the inequality direction breaks (opposite signs).

In inequality conclusions, what does 'A >= B' combined with 'B >= A' (the 'either-or' case) indicate?

When neither A > B nor A = B can be individually proven but together they cover all cases (A >= B), the answer is 'either...or' with complementary conclusions forming a complete relationship.

In inequalities, can a definite relation be drawn from 'A >= B' and 'B = C'?

Yes: A >= B = C gives A >= C (A is greater than or equal to C). The equality passes the relation through unchanged.

What is an Input-Output (machine) reasoning problem?

A machine rearranges a given input line of words/numbers step by step following a hidden rule; you must deduce the rule and find an intermediate step or the final output for a new input.

What are the common rules used in Input-Output arrangement problems?

Words arranged alphabetically (forward/backward), numbers arranged ascending/descending, or alternating word-then-number shifts to the ends, one element moved per step.

In Data Sufficiency, what is being tested and what is the goal?

You must decide whether the given statements provide ENOUGH information to answer the question, NOT to actually compute the final answer. Judge sufficiency of each statement alone and together.

State the standard Data Sufficiency answer options for two statements I and II.

(a) I alone sufficient, II not; (b) II alone sufficient, I not; (c) either alone sufficient; (d) both together needed; (e) both together still insufficient.

What does a Logical Venn Diagram represent, and how are overlapping vs disjoint sets shown?

It shows relationships among groups using circles: overlapping circles = items common to both groups; separate (non-touching) circles = groups with nothing in common; one circle inside another = subset.

Which Venn diagram represents the relationship among Dog, Animal, and Cat?

Two separate circles (Dog and Cat, no overlap) both lying completely inside a larger circle (Animal), since dogs and cats are distinct but both are animals.