How to Solve Analytical Reasoning Questions

Published by Admin Sunday, February 05, 2017

How to solve analytical reasoning questions? The most famous question asked by many students.
What is Analytical Reasoning?
The term "Analytic Reasoning" refers to recognizing patterns and connections in a variety of information. Analytical Reasoning questions are designed to measure the ability of a student to figure out, understand the structure and central relationship of a problem and to draw logical conclusions about the structure.
Types of Analytical Reasoning Questions
1) Sequencing
2) Combinations
3) Comparisons
4) Selections
5) Rankings
6) Grouping
7) Seating Arrangements
Also See: NTS NAT Schedule 2017

Basic Skills
Analytical Reasoning Questions requires three basic skills:

• Student's ability to structure the given problem.
• Student's persistence and willingness to try different methods to crack a problem.
• An ability to reason logically.

You can solve every analytical problem. The test-makers have checked to make sure. If there is any doubt you can combat it with this important truth

How to solve Analytical Reasoning Questions?

Solving Strategies
Simplify the Information
Read the given passage carefully and clarify the information by using abbreviations and symbols. The first step is to strip away all of the excess verbiages from the given passage and then to abbreviate the remaining keywords with single letters. For Example, there are three different cars in the race, and they are Mercedes, Ferrari, and BMW. Record this list of entities as follows:

• A B C

Always use the letters in the alphabetical order to avoid any confusion.
Organize in Sequence 
Often the key to answering analytical reasoning questions is to organize the given information in a list/table/sequence. For example, if we are told to list three cars in order from fastest to slowest we can set up the sequence as follows:

____ ____ ____

Eliminating the Choices

Eliminating the choices is always a good strategy. While eliminating the choices, first of all, eliminate those who are ruled out by particular conditions: Then work through the remaining choices.
Fixed Entity
If you are told that an entity/keyword is placed in one spot, then you can just fill that directly into the diagram. Fixing the entity is the easiest type of rule to include. For example, Ferrari is the 3rd fastest car then fill the sequence as follows:

____ ____ __F__

Note: Make separate sequences for every entity in order to avoid any confusion.
Variable Relations
Some relations are variable. In variable relations, two entities are going to fill two spots but don't know which entity is in which spot. For example, if P and Q must be in spots 2 and 3. Either P should be in a spot 2 and Q in spot 3 or P in 3 or Q in 2.
The way to express variable relations is as follows:

____ __P/Q__ __Q/P__ ____

Implied Relations
Some relations are not stated in the conditions are implied by and can be deduced from the stated set. For example, if one condition is about boxes on a shelf specifies that box 1 is to the left of box 2, and another specifies that box 4 is to the left of box 1 then it can be deduced that box 2 is to the left of box 4.
Avoid Your Assumptions
Do not introduce unwarranted assumptions in the given conditions. Always follow the given conditions and facts only.

Example
A bus has exactly six stops on its route. The bus first stops at stop one and then at stops two, three, four, five and six respectively. After the bus leaves the stop six, the bus turns and returns to stop one and repeats the cycle. The stops are at six buildings that are, in alphabetic order L, M, N, O, P and Q. Followings are the conditions
P is the third stop.
M is the sixth stop.
The stop O is the stop immediately before Q.
N is the stop immediately before L.

Solution
There are six stops
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
P is the third stop
____ ____ P ____ ____ ____
M is the sixth stop
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ M
so the sequence becomes
____ ____ P ____ ____ M
The stop O is the stop immediately before Q
OQ
N is the stop immediately before L
NL

Questions
1) In case N is the fourth stop, which among the following must be the stop immediately before P?
A. O
B. Q
C. N
D. L
Answer: Q
Explanation
According to the given sequence
____ ____ P ____ ____ M
N is the fourth stop and N is before L so
____ ____ P N L M
O is the stop before Q so
O Q P N L M

2) In case L is the second stop, which among the following must be the stop immediately before M?
A. N
B. L
C. P
D. O
Answer: Q
Explanation
According to the given sequence
____ ____ P ____ ____ M
L is the second stop and L is after N so
N L P ____ ____ M
O is the stop before Q so
N L P O Q M

3) In case a passenger gets on the bus at O, rides past one of the stops, and gets off at P, which of the following must be true?
A. O is the stop one
B. Q is the stop three
C. P is the stop four
D. L is the stop six
Answer: O is the stop one
Explanation
If O is stop one, a passenger ride at stop one passes through Q and drops at P. Hence O is stop one.

More Examples will be added soon.