SBI Probationary Officers Reasoning

Transcription

1 SBI Probationary Officers Reasoning Directions (Q. 1-5): In these questions $, #, and % are used with different meanings as follows: B' means 'A is smaller than B'. 'A $ B' means 'A is greater than B'. 'A # B' means 'A is either smaller than or equal to B'. 'A B' means 'A is either greater than or equal to B'. 'A % B' means 'A is neither smaller than nor greater than B'. In each of the following questions assuming the given statements to be true, find out which of the two conclusions I & II given below them is / are definitely true. Give answer 1) If only conclusion I is true. Give answer 2) If only conclusion II is true. Give answer 3) If either conclusion I or conclusion II is true. Give answer 4) If neither conclusion I nor conclusion II is true. Give answer 5) If both conclusions I and II are true. 1. Statements: H#T, T@L, L%F Conclusions: I) F$H II) H#L 2. Statements: V$I, I M, M#Q Conclusions: I) I#Q II) I Q 3. Statements: P@W, W D, D$ J Conclusions: I) J@P II) J@W 4. Statements: E@U, U% R, R $ F Conclusions: I) E$F II) E F 5. Statements: T#J, J I, I@W Conclusions: I) J@W II) T%I Directions (Q.6-10): In making decisions about important questions, it is desirable to be able to distinguish between 'strong' arguments and 'weak' argument. 'Strong' arguments are those which are both important and directly related to the question. 'Weak' arguments are those which are of minor importance and also may not be directly related to the question or may be related to a trivial aspect of the question. R

2 Each question below is followed by two arguments numbered I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is a 'strong' arguments and which is a 'weak' argument. Give answer 1) If only argument I is strong. Give answer 2) If only argument II is strong. Give answer 3) If either argument I or II is strong. Give answer 4) If neither argument I nor II is strong. Give answer 5) If both arguments I and II are strong. 6. Statement: Should the sale of all toys made in china be banned in India? Arguments: I) Yes, these are very cheap and hence will put the local toy manufacturers out of business. II) No, Indian toys are of much better quality and their sale will not be affected. 7. Statement: Should there be no examination up to Std IX in all the schools in India. Arguments: I) No, students need to go through the process of giving examinations right from young age. II. Yes, this will help students to think laterally and achieve their creative pursuits. 8. Statement: Should there be only a uniform rate of income tax irrespective of the level of income? Arguments: I) Yes, this will substantially reduce the work of the officials of the income tax department. II) No, this will reduce Govt tax collection to a large extent. 9. Statement: Should there be only two political parties in India? Argument: I) Yes, in many developed countries there are only two political parties. II) No, Indian electorate is not mature to select between only two political parties. 10. Statement: Should the sale of tobacco products be restricted to only a few outlets in each city/ town? Argument: I) Yes, this will substantially reduce consumption of tobacco products. II) No, those who want to purchase tobacco products should get them at convenient locations.

3 Directions (Q.11-15): In each of the questions below are given four statements followed by four conclusions numbered I, II, III and IV. You have to take the given statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance with commonly known facts. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts. 11. Statements: Some trains are cars. All cars are branches. All branches are nets. Some nets are dresses. Conclusions: I. Some dresses are cars. II. Some nets are trains. III. Some branches are trains. IV. Some dresses are trains. 1) Only I & III follow 2) Only II & III follow 3) Only I & IV follow 4) Only II, III & IV follow 5) None of these 12. Statements: Some pencils are kites. Some kites are desks. All desks are jungles. All jungles are mountains. Conclusions: I. Some mountains are pencils. II. Some jungles are pencils. III. Some mountains are desks. IV. Some jungles are kites. 1) Only I & III follow 2) Only I, II & III follow 3) Only III & IV follow 4) Only II, III & IV follow 5) None of these 13. Statements: All papers are clips. Some clips are boards. Some boards are lanes. All lanes are roads.

4 Conclusions: I. Some roads are boards. II. Some lanes are clips. III. Some boards are papers. IV. Some roads are clips. 1) Only I and II follow 2) Only I and III follow 3) Only I, II and III follow 4) Only II, III and IV follow 5) None of these 14. Statements: All pens are clocks. Some clocks are tyres. Some tyres are wheels. Some wheels are buses. Conclusions: I. Some buses are tyres. II. Some wheels are clocks. III. Some wheels are pens. IV. Some buses are clocks. 1) None follows 2) Only I follows 3) Only II follows 4) Only III follows 5) Only IV follows 15. Statements: All stones are hammers. No hammer is a ring. Some rings are doors. All doors are windows. Conclusions: I. Some windows are stones. II. Some windows are rings. III. No window is a stone. IV. Some rings are stones. 1) Only I follows 2) Only II follows 3) Only III follows 4) Only either I or III follows 5) Only either I or III and II follow KEY 1-1; 2-3; 3-2; 4-4; 5-4; 6-3; 7-5; 8-2; 9-4; 10-1; 11-2; 12-3; 13-5; 14-1; 15-5.

5 EXPLANATIONS 1.1; H T... (i), T < L... (ii), L = F... (iii) combining these, we get H T< L= F. Hence F > H and I follows. But H < L and hence II (H L) does not follow. 2.3; V> I... (i), I M... (ii), M Q...(iii), from (ii) and (iii), I and Q can't be compared. But I and II make a complementary pair. Hence either I (I Q) or II (I Q) follows. 3.2; P< W... (i), W D... (ii), D > J... (iii) From (ii) and (iii), W D > J or J < W... (iv). Hence II follows. However, from (i) and (iv) we can conclude that J and P can't be compared. Hence I does not follow. 4.4; E < U... (i), U = R... (ii); R > F... (iii)from (i) and (ii), E < R... (iv). Now, from (iii) and (iv), E and F can't be compared. Hence neither I nor II follows. 5.4; T J... (i); J I... (ii); I < W... (iii). From (ii) and (iii), J and W can't be compared. Hence I does not follow. From (i) and (ii), T and I can't be compared. Hence II does not follow. 6.3; Both the arguments are strong but both can't be true at the same time. The sale will either be affected (as I says ) or not be affected (as II says). Hence, either is strong. 7.5; I is strong as school is the ground where we prepare for the future battles of life. II is strong because examinations kill our creativity, turning us all into mere clerks. 8.2; I is weak because reduction of workload of IT officials is not too desirable a motive. II is strong because reduced tax collection will have a bad impact on state activities. 9.4; I is weak as it is an argument by example. II is weak because it is absurd. In fact, if maturity is really seen as a criteria, lesser maturity would be required when the choice is limited. 10.1; I is strong because reduced tobacco consumption is desirable. II is weak because such convenience is not desirable. 11.2; All branches are nets + Some nets are dresses = A + I = No conclusion. Hence I and IV do not follow. Some trains are cars + All cars are branches = I + A = I = Some trains are branches conversion Some branches are trains (I). Hence III follows. Some trains are branches + All branches are nets = I + A = I = Some trains are nets conversion Some nets are trains (I). Hence II follows.

6 12.3; Some kites are desks + All desks are jungles = I + A = I = Some kites are jungles conversion Some jungles are kites (I). Hence IV follows. Some pencils are kites + Some kites are jungles = I + I = No conclusions. Hence I and II do not follow. All desks are jungles + All desks are mountains = A + A = A = All desks are mountains conversion Some mountains are desks (I). Hence III follows. 13.5; Some boards are lanes + All lanes are roads = I + A = I = Some boards are roads conversion Some roads are boards (I). Hence I follows. Some clips are boards + some boards are lanes = I + I = No conclusion. Hence II and IV do not follow. All papers are clips + Some clips are boards = A + I = No conclusion. Hence III does not follow. 14.1; A+ I and I + I both result in no conclusion. 15.5; Some rings are doors + All doors are windows = I + A = I = Some rings are windows conversion Some windows are rings (I). Hence II follows. All stones are hammers + No hammer is a ring = A + E = E = No stone is a ring conversion No ring is a stone (E). Hence IV does not follow. No stone is a ring + Some rings are windows = E + I = O * = Some windows are not stones. However, either I or III follows as they form a complementary I - E pair. fww Writer: S. Arun Mohan