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SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning Syllabus
The General Intelligence and Reasoning syllabus for SSC CGL in full: 5 chapters and 13 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 General Intelligence and Reasoning flashcards with answers.
General Intelligence and Reasoning syllabus: all 5 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Analogies
3 topics- Semantic Analogy
- Symbolic/Number Analogy
- Figural Analogy
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Classification
2 topics- Semantic Classification
- Figural Classification
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Series
3 topics- Number Series
- Alphabet Series
- Mixed Series
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Coding-Decoding
3 topics- Letter Coding
- Number Coding
- Matrix Coding
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Puzzles
2 topics- Seating Arrangement
- Logical Puzzle
SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning flashcards — 51 questions with answers
In analogy reasoning, what relationship must hold for 'Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?' and what is the answer?
The relationship is 'person : workplace.' A doctor works in a hospital, so a teacher works in a School. Answer: School.
What is the core technique for solving any verbal analogy problem?
Identify the exact relationship between the first pair (cause-effect, part-whole, synonym, antonym, worker-tool, etc.), then apply that same relationship to find the missing term of the second pair.
In Classification (Odd one out), how do you find the odd term in: Apple, Mango, Carrot, Banana?
Find the common property of most items and pick the one lacking it. Apple, Mango, Banana are fruits; Carrot is a vegetable. Odd one out: Carrot.
In Coding-Decoding, if CAT is coded as DBU, what is the coding rule and how is DOG coded?
Each letter is shifted +1 in the alphabet (C->D, A->B, T->U). Applying +1 to DOG gives EPH.
In letter-coding, how do you handle a code where letters move backward, e.g., DOG coded as CNF?
Each letter shifts -1 (D->C, O->N, G->F). Identify the constant positional shift by comparing letter positions; here every letter decreases by 1.
What is the rule to find the next term in the number series 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ...?
Differences increase by 2 each time (4, 6, 8, 10, ...). Next difference is 12, so next term is 30 + 12 = 42. (Pattern: n(n+1).)
How do you continue the series 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ...?
These are perfect squares (1^2, 2^2, 3^2, ...). Next term is 6^2 = 36.
In a number series, what should you check first if simple addition/subtraction fails?
Check for multiplication/division patterns, squares/cubes, alternating series (two interleaved patterns), or a combination like multiply-then-add.
In Blood Relations, who is 'my mother's brother's wife' to me?
My mother's brother is my maternal uncle; his wife is my aunt (maternal aunt by marriage / mami).
In Blood Relations, if A is the father of B and B is the sister of C, what is A to C?
A is the father of C (B and C are siblings, both children of A).
In a blood relation statement, what does 'X is the only daughter-in-law of Y' tell you about Y?
Y has a son (X's husband), and Y is X's mother-in-law or father-in-law. Y is of the parent generation relative to X's husband.
In Direction Sense, if you face North and turn 90 degrees clockwise, which direction do you face?
East. (Clockwise from North goes N -> E -> S -> W.)
In Direction and Distance, how do you find shortest (straight-line) distance after moving 3 km East then 4 km North?
Use the Pythagorean theorem: shortest distance = sqrt(3^2 + 4^2) = sqrt(9+16) = sqrt(25) = 5 km.
In direction problems, what direction is to your left if you are facing South?
East. (Facing South, left hand points East, right hand points West.)
In Syllogism, from 'All cats are animals. All animals are living things,' what definite conclusion follows?
All cats are living things. (Two universal affirmatives in a chain give a universal affirmative conclusion.)
In Syllogism, what conclusion can be drawn from two particular premises (e.g., 'Some A are B. Some B are C')?
No definite conclusion can be drawn. Two particular premises yield no valid universal or particular conclusion.
What is the 'No conclusion' rule when both syllogism premises are negative?
If both premises are negative, no valid conclusion can be drawn. At least one premise must be affirmative for a definite conclusion.
In Statement-Conclusion, what makes a conclusion 'follow' from a statement?
A conclusion follows only if it is directly and logically derivable from the given statement alone, without adding outside assumptions.
In a circular Seating Arrangement, if persons face the center, is the person to someone's 'right' clockwise or anticlockwise?
When facing the center, a person's right is in the anticlockwise direction (and left is clockwise).
In a circular seating arrangement where all face outward, which way is a person's 'right'?
When facing outward, a person's right is in the clockwise direction (and left is anticlockwise).
Show the other 31 General Intelligence and Reasoning flashcards
In Order and Ranking, if A is 7th from the left and 12th from the right in a row, how many people are in the row?
Total = (left rank) + (right rank) - 1 = 7 + 12 - 1 = 18 people.
In Ranking, what is the formula relating a position from one end to position from the other end?
Position from left + Position from right = Total + 1. (So position from right = Total + 1 - position from left.)
In Order/Ranking, if there are 25 students and a student ranks 10th from the top, what is the rank from the bottom?
Rank from bottom = Total - rank from top + 1 = 25 - 10 + 1 = 16th from the bottom.
In Statement and Assumptions, what is an 'assumption'?
An assumption is something taken for granted or implied (unstated) by the statement; it is what must be true for the statement to make sense, not what is explicitly said.
In Statement and Arguments, what makes an argument 'strong'?
A strong argument is directly related to the question, logically sound, and addresses a real, significant aspect of the issue, not a trivial or irrelevant point.
In Statement-Arguments, what is a 'weak' argument?
A weak argument is vague, irrelevant, of minor importance, based on ambiguous assumptions, or not directly related to the question.
In Inference and Conclusion drawing, how does an 'inference' differ from a stated fact?
An inference is a logical judgment derived from given facts/data but not directly stated; it goes beyond the literal text using reasoning.
In Decision Making problems, how do you decide if a candidate meets criteria?
Check the candidate against each given condition one by one; the candidate is selected only if ALL essential conditions are satisfied (unless an exception clause applies).
In Word Formation, which word can be formed from the letters of 'TRIANGLE': 'GIANT' or 'GRAINT'?
GIANT (G, I, A, N, T are all present in TRIANGLE). GRAINT is not a valid English word.
In Word Formation problems, what is the key check before forming a word from given letters?
Every letter of the formed word must be available in the source word, and no letter may be used more times than it appears in the source.
In a Venn Diagram, how do you represent 'Some A are B'?
Two overlapping/intersecting circles A and B, where the overlap region (shared part) is non-empty.
Which Venn diagram represents 'All dogs are animals'?
A smaller circle (dogs) entirely inside a larger circle (animals) — dogs is a subset of animals.
What Venn relationship fits 'Doctor, Engineer, Human'?
Two separate circles (Doctor and Engineer, normally non-overlapping) both lying inside one big circle (Human).
In Figure Series, what should you analyze to find the next figure in a pattern?
Track changes in rotation, number/position of elements, shading, addition or deletion of components, and size from one figure to the next, then apply the same change.
In a Mirror Image, how does a vertical mirror (placed on the side) affect an object?
It reverses left and right (lateral inversion); top and bottom stay the same. For example, b appears as d.
In Water Image (reflection), what change occurs to an object?
A water image is the vertical (upside-down) reflection: top and bottom are interchanged, while left and right remain the same.
What is the mirror image of the number 256 when a mirror is placed on its right side?
Each digit reverses left-right and the order reverses: 652 with each digit laterally inverted. The sequence becomes 6, 5, 2 read right-to-left as a mirrored image.
In Paper Folding and Cutting, what does symmetry tell you about the holes when an unfolded paper is examined?
Each cut/hole appears mirrored across every fold line; the number of holes doubles with each fold, arranged symmetrically about the fold axes.
If a square paper is folded once and one hole is punched, how many holes appear when unfolded?
Two holes — the punch passes through both layers, placed symmetrically about the fold line.
In Embedded/Hidden Figures, what is the rule for a valid embedded figure?
The target figure must appear within the complex figure in the same shape, size, and proportion (it may not be rotated or resized) and is formed by some of its existing lines.
In Cubes and Dice, what is the rule for opposite faces of a standard die?
Opposite faces sum to 7: 1 opposite 6, 2 opposite 5, 3 opposite 4. Faces sharing an edge in a view are adjacent, never opposite.
For a painted cube cut into n x n x n smaller cubes, how many small cubes have exactly 2 faces painted?
The edge cubes (excluding corners): 12 x (n - 2). These lie on the 12 edges, each contributing (n-2) two-face-painted cubes.
For a cube painted on all faces and cut into n x n x n pieces, how many small cubes have NO face painted?
The inner cubes: (n - 2)^3 (the core not touching any outer surface).
How many small cubes have exactly 3 faces painted in any painted-then-cut cube (n>=2)?
Exactly 8 — the 8 corner cubes, each touching three painted faces.
In Counting of Figures, how many triangles are in a triangle divided by lines from each vertex creating smaller triangles — what is the systematic approach?
Count smallest triangles first, then combine them into larger triangles level by level (2-unit, 3-unit, etc.), summing all. Systematic level-by-level counting avoids missing or double-counting.
How many squares are there on a standard 3x3 grid (chessboard-style of side 3)?
Sum of squares: 3^2 + 2^2 + 1^2 = 9 + 4 + 1 = 14 squares.
In Mathematical Operations using BODMAS, evaluate 12 + 6 / 2 x 3 - 4.
Apply BODMAS: 6/2=3, 3x3=9; then 12 + 9 - 4 = 17.
In symbol-substitution problems, if '+' means 'x' and 'x' means '+', what is 4 + 5 x 2?
Replace symbols: '+' becomes 'x' and 'x' becomes '+', giving 4 x 5 + 2 = 20 + 2 = 22.
In Number Puzzles with a missing term, how do you find X in 3, 6, 11, 18, X?
Differences are 3, 5, 7, ... (increasing odd numbers); next difference is 9, so X = 18 + 9 = 27.
In Arithmetic Reasoning, if a man spends 1/3 of his money then has Rs. 200 left, how much did he start with?
Remaining = 2/3 of total = 200, so total = 200 x 3/2 = Rs. 300.
In Coded Inequalities, if A @ B means A >= B and A # B means A <= B, what does 'P @ Q # R' tell about P and R?
P >= Q and Q <= R. Since Q is smaller-or-equal to both, no definite relation can be established between P and R.
SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning FAQ
What is in the SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning syllabus?
SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning is split into 5 chapters: Analogies, Classification, Series, Coding-Decoding and Puzzles. Together they contain 13 topics.
How many chapters are in SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning?
5 chapters, containing 13 topics. The largest chapter is Analogies, with 3 topics.
Are there flashcards for SSC CGL General Intelligence and Reasoning?
Yes — a 51-card General Intelligence and Reasoning deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.