SBOTS Analytical & Logical Reasoning Syllabus

In Blood Relations, what does 'maternal' versus 'paternal' indicate?

PATERNAL relations are from the father's side (e.g., paternal uncle = father's brother). MATERNAL relations are from the mother's side (e.g., maternal uncle = mother's brother).

In Blood Relations puzzles, how is 'A is the son of B; B is the sister of C' decoded for A and C?

C is A's maternal uncle or aunt (C is the sibling of A's mother B). Since B is female (sister), C is A's uncle/aunt on the mother's side.

In coded Blood Relations, what do the symbols typically mean: A + B, A - B, A x B, A ÷ B?

Conventions vary per question, but commonly '+' = male/father side relation, '-' = female relation, 'x' = married/spouse, '÷' = sibling. Always read the question's own legend; never assume a universal code.

In Ordering & Ranking, if a person is 'r-th from the top' and 's-th from the bottom' in a group, what is the total number of people?

Total = r + s − 1 (the person is counted once in both ranks, so subtract 1).

In Ordering & Ranking, if A is r-th from one end and there are n people total, what is A's rank from the other end?

Rank from the other end = n − r + 1.

In Ordering & Ranking, how do you find total people when given two persons' positions from opposite ends with a known number between them?

Total = (position of first from left) + (position of second from right) + (number of people between them) [if they don't overlap], or use total = sum of both positions − number common, depending on overlap. Carefully account for whether ranks overlap.

What is Coding-Decoding in reasoning?

A technique where words/letters/numbers are encoded using a rule (pattern), and the task is to find the rule and apply it to encode or decode new words. Common types: letter-shifting, substitution, number coding, symbol coding, mixed-letter coding.

In letter-shift Coding-Decoding, how do you find the shift, and what are the positional values of A and Z?

Compare each coded letter's position to the original letter's position; the constant difference is the shift. A = 1 and Z = 26 (forward); reverse positions: A = 26, Z = 1. Use modulo 26 to wrap around.

What is the EJOTY rule used in Coding-Decoding and series?

A memory aid for letter positions at intervals of 5: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25. It lets you quickly find any letter's position in the alphabet.

In Coding-Decoding, what is 'opposite letter' (complementary) coding and how is each letter's pair found?

Each letter is replaced by its mirror from the other end of the alphabet: A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X, etc. The pair of any letter is found by 27 − (its position). E.g., D(4) → position 23 = W.

In Number Series, name three common patterns to check first.

(1) Constant difference (arithmetic), (2) constant ratio (geometric/multiplication), (3) differences forming their own pattern (e.g., +2,+4,+6) — also check squares, cubes, primes, and alternating series.

In Number Series, how do you recognize a 'squares' or 'cubes' based series?

Check if terms are near n², n³, or n²±k / n³±k. E.g., 2,5,10,17,26 = n²+1 (1²+1, 2²+1, ...); 0,7,26,63 = n³−1.

In Letter Series, how is the next term usually found?

Convert letters to position numbers, find the numeric pattern (gap), then convert back to letters. Watch for alternating gaps, reverse direction, or skipping a fixed number of letters.

In a Fibonacci-type number series, how is each term generated?

Each term equals the sum of the two preceding terms (e.g., 1,1,2,3,5,8,13...). Recognize it when each term ≈ sum of the previous two.

In Direction Sense, what are the four cardinal and four ordinal directions and their arrangement?

Cardinal: North (up), South (down), East (right), West (left). Ordinal (between them): North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West. Clockwise from North: N → E → S → W.

In Direction Sense, when a person turns right vs left while moving, how do facing directions change?

From a given facing direction, turning RIGHT goes clockwise (N→E→S→W→N) and turning LEFT goes anticlockwise (N→W→S→E→N). A 90° turn moves one direction; 180° reverses; 270° is three steps.

In Direction Sense, how do you compute the shortest (straight-line) distance between start and end points?

Find net horizontal (E–W) and net vertical (N–S) displacements, then apply the Pythagorean theorem: distance = √(horizontal² + vertical²).

In Direction Sense, how do shadows help determine direction in the morning vs evening?

The sun rises in the EAST, so in the early MORNING shadows fall toward the WEST; in the EVENING the sun is in the west, so shadows fall toward the EAST. At noon shadows are minimal/overhead.

In Strengthening & Weakening Arguments, what does a 'strengthening' statement do?

It provides additional evidence or support that makes the argument's conclusion MORE likely to be true (supports the assumption or adds confirming data).

In Strengthening & Weakening Arguments, what does a 'weakening' statement do?

It provides information that casts doubt on the conclusion, attacks an underlying assumption, or offers an alternative explanation, making the conclusion LESS likely to be true.

In argument-evaluation questions, what makes an argument 'strong' versus 'weak'?

A STRONG argument is directly relevant to the question and is logically sound/practical. A WEAK argument is irrelevant, trivial, based on an extreme assumption, or merely restates the question without real reasoning.

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

A step/administrative or practical decision taken to solve a problem or improve a situation given in the statement. A valid course of action must directly address the problem and be feasible/logical.

In 'Course of Action', what are the standard criteria for a suggested action to be valid?

It must (1) logically follow from the problem, (2) be practical/feasible, and (3) genuinely solve or reduce the problem. Extreme, impractical, or irrelevant actions are rejected.

In Decision Making questions, how is the correct decision chosen?

Apply the given rules/conditions to the candidate's data: select the option only if ALL stated conditions are satisfied; if a condition fails but a stated exception applies, refer the case as per the exception clause.

In Decision Making, what is the role of 'exception' or 'referral' conditions?

They handle borderline cases where a candidate meets most but not all criteria; such cases are escalated/referred to a higher authority instead of being directly selected or rejected.

In Figure Series & Analogies, what transformations should you look for between figures?

Rotation (clockwise/anticlockwise by a fixed angle), reflection/mirroring, addition or removal of elements, change in shading, increase/decrease in number of sides or lines, and movement of elements along positions.

In a Figure Analogy (A:B :: C:?), how do you find the answer?

Identify the rule that transforms figure A into figure B, then apply the SAME transformation to figure C to produce the missing figure.

In Pattern Completion (matrix/missing-piece) problems, what is the approach?

Detect the rule governing rows and columns (or the symmetry/continuity of the broken pattern), then choose the option that maintains that consistent pattern, symmetry, or sequence.

In Odd One Out (Classification) questions, what is the task and method?

The task is to find the element that does NOT share the common property of the rest. Method: identify the shared category/characteristic among most items (type, shape, number property, group) and eliminate the one that breaks it.

In Odd One Out with numbers, name common classifying properties to test.

Test for: prime vs composite, perfect squares/cubes, even/odd, divisibility by a common factor, digit-sum patterns, or a relationship like n²+1. The number failing the shared property is the odd one out.