The analytical reasoning test checks whether you can arrange facts logically. Blood relations and direction have their own notes (Blood Relations, Direction and Ranking). This note adds seating arrangement, syllogism and puzzles.
1. Linear seating arrangement
- Draw a line of seats and fix the sure facts first.
- When everyone faces north, draw them in a line with north at the top of your page; their left is the left side of your drawing.
- Use “between”, “next to”, “at the end” to place the rest.
Example: A, B, C, D, E sit in a row facing north. C is in the middle. A is at the left end. B is next to C on the right. E is not next to A. Order: A D C B E. Who sits second from the right? B.
2. Circular arrangement
- When everyone faces the centre, moving to a person’s left is clockwise and to their right is anticlockwise (seen from above).
- Fix one person first, then place the others relative to them.
3. Ranking
- Total persons = position from top + position from bottom − 1.
- If Ram is 7th from the top and 14th from the bottom, the total is 7 + 14 − 1 = 20.
4. Syllogism
Two statements are given; you decide which conclusions definitely follow. Use Venn diagrams.
- “All A are B” + “All B are C” → “All A are C” follows.
- “All A are B” + “Some B are C” → “Some A are C” does not definitely follow.
- “No A is B” means the two circles do not touch.
- Only accept a conclusion that is true in every possible diagram.
Example: All clerks are employees. All employees are citizens. Conclusion: All clerks are citizens → follows.
5. Simple puzzles
- Make a small table (people × days, people × items).
- Fill in direct facts, then use “not” facts to cross out options.
- Example: Hari, Gita and Ram work on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (one each). Gita does not work Sunday or Tuesday; Ram works the day after Gita. So Gita = Monday, Ram = Tuesday, Hari = Sunday.
6. Solving method: draw before you decide
Analytical reasoning questions look long, but a small diagram solves most of them. Follow the same routine every time.
- Read all statements once without solving.
- Draw the frame: a straight line for a row, a circle for a round table, a ladder for ranks.
- Place the fixed clues first (ends, middle, opposite seats).
- Add the relative clues (left of, next to, between).
- Use the negative clues (not next to, not at the end) to remove options.
- Check your final picture against every statement.
7. Quick formulas and facts
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Total people in a row | Position from left + position from right − 1 |
| Rank from bottom | Total − rank from top + 1 |
| People between two positions in the same row | Bigger position − smaller position − 1 |
| Facing the centre of a circle | Your left is clockwise, your right is anticlockwise |
| Handshakes when everyone meets once | n × (n − 1) ÷ 2 |
| All A are B, all B are C | All A are C (definite) |
| Some A are B, some B are C | No definite conclusion about A and C |
8. How this topic is asked in the exam
Kharidar and Nayab Subba papers usually give one seating or ranking set with two or three questions, plus two or three syllogisms. Syllogism answers must follow from the statements only, even if they sound false in real life. In ranking questions, read carefully whether the position is counted from the top, bottom, left or right.
📌 Key points to remember
- Fix sure facts first, then place the rest.
- Total in ranking = top position + bottom position − 1.
- In a circle facing the centre, left is clockwise.
- Syllogism: accept a conclusion only if it is true in every Venn diagram.
- “Some A are C” does not follow from “All A are B” and “Some B are C”.
Test yourself: Analytical Reasoning
Practise Linear seating arrangement, Ranking and Simple puzzles with 50 questions. Each attempt picks 25 at random.